This Is What People Mean When They Say a Wine Is Oaky — And What You Should Look for When Shopping — Shopping

We in the wine business have an unfortunate habit of throwing around our lingo as though everyone will understand it. Get a few of us together with a bottle (or two or four) and we might as well be that teacher from Charlie Brown. In attempts to turn all that womp womp womp into words you'll not only understand, but also be able to use yourself, here's a quick explainer — in total laymen's terms.

We're at a moment right now when calling a wine oaky isn't exactly a compliment. The word "too" is sort of implied, and heavily oaked wines, especially white wines like Chardonnay, are about as fashionable as sun-dried tomatoes.

Here's what it really means for a wine to be oaky, and how to pick one you'll actually like.

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