White Wine Pressing

What do you think of when you think of pressing grapes?

If you’re like me, you may have the old school romantic view of wine pressing with big bins in the yard and multiple people squishing the grapes down with their, hopefully clean, bare feet.

"Les Vendanges" by The Gobelins Manufactory Historic Tapestry Factory (Paris, France) featured in the Musee De Cluny in Paris, France.

Though I would not be opposed to pressing wine with my bare feet once for the life experience, I am thankful there are more modernized ways to press grapes today.

This last weekend our winemaker pressed some Viognier!

First, all the grapes must be de-stemmed.

Then all the de-stemmed grapes are loaded into an automated press. The chamber slides open for the wine grapes. Once the chamber is closed, it rotates the grapes while a large bladder fills with air. As the bladder continues to fill with air it presses the grapes via the pressure of the air-filled bladder.

The juice from the grapes collects in the basin below which is then drained into a tote. Occasionally testing the juice helps ensure that the grape juice still tastes juicy and sweet; if they are pressed for too long they could take on the veg-y taste of the stems and grape skins.

Once the tote is filled, the juice will rest in the cold room. During this time, the sediment will settle to the bottom. Then the clear juice is transferred into temperature-controlled tanks. Fermentation proceeds in these tanks for 2 to 3 weeks before it is complete. The wine is then chilled to settle out yeast sediment (lees), racked or siphoned off of the settled lees, and held until bottling time. Some wines will endure a second fermentation in a wine barrel. While in the wine barrel they will age on lees. Other wines do not need a second fermentation - especially if the wine is best enjoyed as a young wine with young, bright acidity with sharp aroma notes.

Cheers!

Post by Madison Nicole