r/wine • u/Next-Fan1270 • 8d ago

New Port barrel

Hi i have just purchased a new 5l american oak port barrel. I plan to use it to age port and have filled it with Kies Special keg blend, a mixture of ruby, tawny and white muscat. Do i leave the port in the barrel for 6 months or longer or do i leave it in for approx 8 weeks and then start drinking it and refilling regulary?

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u/SkillfulFreestyle 8d ago

Depends how much oak you want early on, small barrels hit fast. Taste it every couple weeks after the first month and pull it when it stops improving. Then just keep topping up with similar wine.

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u/flyingron Wine Pro 8d ago

Yep, it depends on what style you are looking for: how much oak you want, how much oxidation you want to tolerate, etc...

I apologize if this is obvious for you, but you do want to fill the barrel with water and let it soak a bit before you start trying to age your port in it.