Toasting a good wine

The choice of oak barrel in which a wine will be matured has a profound effect on the bouquet, flavour, and colour of the final uncorked product. How and to what extent a cooper toasts the oak staves prior to making a barrel will in turn influence the qualities of the barrel. However, there is a small risk of toxic and potentially carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxins being formed during the toasting process. These might ultimately leach into the wine.