A new system which measures the tannin in an oak stave has won a gold medal at the Vinitech wine trade fair. Oakscan is an infrared scanning system which measures the exact number of tannins in each stave of a barrel before it is assembled, meaning a winemaker can precisely select the type of tannins to match the style of wine required. The system was developed as a result of research carried out by Nicolas Mourey at barrel makers Radoux, together with the Faculty of Oenology at Bordeaux University.