Pressing is the act of applying
pressure to the
grapes in order to separate the juice or wine from the grapes and
grapeskins. Loading the press releases a considerable
amount of juice. This 'free-run' juice is of higher quality
and
is usually kept separately from the 'pressings'.
 From left: Press ,
Touch panel, Inside of the Press with bladder
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Presses act by placing the grape skins
or whole
grape clusters between a rigid surface and a moveable surface and
slowly decreasing the volume between the two surfaces. In the
Press pictured above there is an internal bladder that slowly exerts
pressure on the grapes according to a press cycle that is set up on the
onboard computer. The entire cylinder rotates delivering
juice or
wine to a trough located underneath the main cylinder. As the pressure
increases, more tannins are extracted from the skins.
 From left: Whole bunch press,
Juice after pressing, Juice transfer to Tank
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Grapes for white wine production are
either
destemmed and crushed for delivery to the press or are loaded
directly into the Press as whole bunches. If the grapes have
been
crushed, the 'free run' juice is collected first in the trough and
pumped to pre-chilled tanks. Pressed juice is then collected and again
is pumped to pre-chilled tanks ready for cold
settling and fermentation.
 From left: Transfer of
fermented red must , Pumping from stainless red fermenters,
Red wine captured from the Press
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Red wine production
involves pressing near the
end of the primary fermentation period approximately 5 - 7 days from
the beginning of fermentation. 'Free run' wine is collected
first
then additional pressings all of which are pumped to stainless steel
tanks where the pH is adjusted. The wine is then left in tank
or transferred to oak barrels for storage
and ageing.