Winemaking step #5: pressing the wine

The other Saturday, we came back to Crushpad to press our wine. The brix had fallen below zero and the wine was completely dry. To press the wine, Crushpad has now a sophisticated pneumatic EuroPress that works by softly pressing the grapes or the must through a membrane by means of compressed air.


The wine press

We first positioned our barrel above the press and opened the top. Then, as we were carefully turning the barrel towards the funnel of the press, a heavy flow of juice and must got released from the opening of the barrel. Fortunately, most of it went into the press but some got scattered all over the floor!


Positioning the barrel above the wine press


The flow of must and juice being dropped into the press


The juice dropping into the press pan

There was still plenty of wine to fill a full wine barrel, blending the free run juice with some light press wine for added aromas and backbone. The wine had gained in complexity since the last time I had tasted it. It had also more length although it was surprisingly round for such a baby wine. We also squeezed out some more wine from the must that was darker and harsher. This press wine went into another barrel that will be used later for "top off".


Pumping the wine into the barrel

The wine is right now in a neutral oak barrel to complete its malolactic fermentation. In a month or so, we should rack the wine off its lees, transfer it into a new oak barrel and finally leave it to slowly mature.

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