MENTION spice in connection with a wine and someone will nod and say: "That will be from the wood." A wide range of flavours do develop from the interaction between wine and oak; caramel, smoke, touches of sweetness and vanilla. Oaked white wines can also acquire hints of coconut, cinnamon, cloves, butter and nuttiness. For red wines, it is more likely to be toffee or mocha flavours.