IBWSS spoke with Jonathan Frost, MBA, DipWSET, Specialist for NOBILE at LAFFORT USA, ahead of International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (IBWSS) 2026.

He breaks down why more wineries - from premium estates to bulk and private label producers - are moving toward hybrid oak programs, and how "palate mapping" lets winemakers target specific structural gaps in a wine instead of just guessing at toast levels.

Key takeaways for wineries:

• Alternative oak isn't leftover barrel-grade wood - it's selected and seasoned specifically for premium adjunct use

• Dosage systems vary widely (NBE%, g/L, staves per hectoliter) - most confusion around alternative oak comes down to misunderstanding NBE%, not the oak itself

• Repeatable wine styles come from deconstructing an oak program into foundational, heads, and aromatic profiles - not from chasing a fixed recipe every vintage

• The most common mistake is over-applying oak and tasting too early - evaluation timing (6–9 months for staves/inserts, 2–4 for blocks, 4–6 weeks for chips) matters as much as dosage

Read the full article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ibwss-interview-jon-frost-laffort-usa-26jnf/