title_body: What are the disadvantages of storing and transporting wine in steel barrels?
upvoted_answer: Well for starters, the taste. Fermentation (aging) is very important for both wine and liquor alike, and the oak barrels are used because they provide extra flavor. In the case of wine, and specifically red wine, the oak brings out the spice and tannins that many people are looking for.
  
  
    Oak wine barrels have been used for centuries in the fermentation and aging processes of wine by wine crafters. Aging wine in oak wine barrels provides the wine with aromas that would typically be found on your spice rack – nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and clove to name a few. And as it passes over your tongue, hints of caramel, mocha, butter and toffee are just a few that come forward.
  
  
  Oak Wine Barrels or Stainless Steel Wine Drums?
  
  
    ... a liquid stored in oak will experience some degree of evaporation. This natural process contributes to the concentration of the wine (much like the way chefs “reduce” a sauce on the stovetop to intensify it) with respect to both aroma and flavor
  
  
  To add in addition to the article, a new trend among (American) wineries is aging the wine in barrels that previously held liquor. This means that the barrels have absorbed the flavor of the liquor held in it previously, and add extra flavor to the wine as it ages in the reused barrel. Some popular combinations would be:
  
  
  Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel/Red Blend aged in Bourbon/Whiskey barrels
  Chardonnay aged in Rum barrels
  
  
  Notice how red wines are more so aged in old whiskey/bourbon barrels, as the wineries are looking to add more spice notes (sharper notes on the tongue) whereas the chardonnay (white wine) is aged in a rum barrel to get more of an oak note with a slight fruitiness to it.
  
  Old bourbon/whiskey barrels will have sharper, stronger notes (more spice than oak) whereas the rum barrels have more mild, sweeter notes (lots of oak with a hint sweetness from the rum)