What does "Oaked" Mean in terms of Wine?

After a wine has completed the fermentation process, a winemaker can choose to bottle it right away or age it in barrels. For red wines, this often means spending time in oak barrels for up to 2 years before it is bottled.

They do this for several reasons:

• To all wines for clarification, as solid particles settle to the bottom of the barrel.
• To soften the natural tannins of red wines.
• To impart wood flavors to the wine.
• To allow a limited amount of oxygenation.