Oak Chips can be used during every stage of winemaking. Multi-stage additions are encouraged because making additions along the wine processing lifecycle will impact the end result in different ways. For example, an addition of Innerstave Oak Chips during fermentation will minimize undesirable vegetal characters, provide co-pigmentation to bind color and give body and mouthfeel. Innerstave Oak Chips added during post-primary aging offers tannin, body and barrel flavors based on the chosen toast level. And, finally, making an addition just prior to bottling will lift the wine’s flavor profile and refresh the finished oak character. The suggested addition rate is dependent on the wine at harvest, throughout aging or pre-bottling. The ratio of Innerstave Oak Chips to wine will range from 4-22 lbs per 1000 gallons. Contact a sales rep for our specific recommendation.