Limousin
Definition - What does Limousin mean?
Limousin is the name of a forest in France where two types of oak, Quercus robur and Quercus patraea, are harvested for the making of wine barrels.
These types of oak are considered loose-grained, which allows certain characteristics of the oak to seep into the wine. These characteristics can influence the aroma and texture of wine.
WineFrog explains Limousin
In France, there are five official forests where oak is cut to make barrels. Limousin is one of them. The other four are Allier, Nevers, Tronçais and Vosges. The names of the forests can be found written on French oak barrels.
In these forests, the oak trees are cut and allowed to dry for two-years before they are made into barrels. The oak from these regions have many different characteristics, which can also vary depending on how the barrels are toasted.
