Traditionally wine was stored in oak drums, but increasingly now, it is being aged in giant stainless-steel tanks. Steel drums have become a highly economical choice for winemakers, and they can always add the distinct oak flavor by using oak chips, chunks suspended inside the tank.

With a stainless steel wine barrel winemakers get dual benefits. Firstly, they can age wines without adding oak flavor to the wine (if they are looking for twirling the flavor) and secondly, they can add oak chips to the steel barrel for the exact amount of ‘oakiness’ they desire. If a winemaker chooses to add stainless steel barrels in their wine making process, they will have the choice to experiment and create wines that were not possible before. For instance, they can make white wine while avoiding exposure to oak, and can also closely monitor the development of wine with a steel wine barrel. Winemakers can use different yeasts or grapes from different parcels. They can even blend the wines, those from oak and tank fermentation can be blended in various ratios to achieve that distinct flavor and maximizing the complexity. Now winemakers can create new styles of wines, thanks to this added flexibility.
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