(SeparationsNow) - Chipping away at wine: Oak barrels have been used by winemakers for hundreds of years to enhance the flavour of wines. Typically, the inside is lightly toasted to impart a sweet character to the wood which affects the wine directly. The effect has been described as accentuating the aromas of the spice rack, typically clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and allspice. The palate will sense a tendency towards rich flavours like caramel, coconut, smoke, toffee and butter. The influence of the oak is stronger for new barrels and diminishes as successive batches of wine are introduced and the sensory compounds are depleted. One barrel will be used four or five times before its use will change, possibly to a holding container between processes. Recently, an alternative to oak barrels has been used in an effort to decrease costs and speed up the winemaking process and the clues can be seen on wine bottles which refer to oak flavour or oak character, while avoiding the word barrel. The new magic ingredient is toasted oak chips which are placed in a bag and steeped in the wine. Oak powder and oak staves have also been employed.