What You Need to Know
A winepress is a device used to extract juice from crushed grapes during winemaking. There are a number of different styles of presses that are used by wine makers but their overall functionality is the same. Each style of press exerts controlled pressure in order to free the juice from the fruit. The pressure must be controlled, especially with grapes, in order to avoid crushing the seeds and releasing a great deal of undesirable tannins into the wine. Wine was being made at least as long ago as 4000 BC; in 2011, a winepress was unearthed in Armenia with red wine dated 6,000 years old.
Steps
- 1.
Château Margaux fermentation (Bordeaux, France): Gentle whole-berry pressing for premium Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2.
Qvevri wine production (Georgia): Traditional foot-pressing before fermentation in clay vessels
- 3.
Icewine production (Germany/Canada): High-pressure pressing of frozen grapes to concentrate sugars
The Science
Primary Reaction
Malolactic fermentation