Ceramic radiant heating
A major innovation
Ceramic radiant heating, an innovative toasting technique
Developed by the team at Vinéa, this innovative ceramic-based heartwood toasting method provides excellent and uniform toast penetration, whilst also highlighting the aroma and flavour qualities of the wood with no smoky aromas.
‘Cooking’ oak wood using ceramic heat, an exclusive Vinéa technological development, originated in 2007. Its aim is to control the transformation (caramelisation) of the wood sugars through heat and improve the clarity of the aromatic influence, whilst limiting the unpleasantness and variations in smoke characters stemming from traditional, long-standing brazier toasting.
Ceramic toasting promotes uniform penetration and heat distribution that is both selected and deeper during the toasting process of the oak wood.
Perfect control over toasting ensures the process can be very accurately replicated.
Hydro toasting Purity
Hydro toasting is a recent Vinéa development and involves toasting the wood after it has been saturated with steam from revitalised water.
The oak wood is then cooked with no toasting, enhancing the freshness in the wines and their mineral and floral characters.
This hydro toasting technique was awarded the Innovation Trophy at the 2018 Vinitech exhibition and the Emergence for Innovation Trophy.
Vinéa products crafted using the ceramic radiant heating method are barrels in the Eclat range and Aromoak oak alternatives. They are perfectly suited to winegrowers seeking purity, integration of the oak character, freshness, fruit integrity and sweetness.
