Pressing

Pressing is the step in winemaking where the juice is pressed out of the grapes or out of the solid parts that remain after fermentation. For white wine, pressing typically happens early, separating the juice from the skins, while for red wine it often comes after the juice has been in contact with the skins for a while. A distinction is usually made between the juice that runs off freely without any pressure (free run) and the juice obtained by pressing the remaining parts. The free-run juice typically accounts for around a third, while a gentle press can extract considerably more.

The pressing matters for what you taste in the glass. A gentle press tears the skins apart less and therefore carries over less tannin and bitter compounds, giving a cleaner and more fruity wine. A harder press yields more liquid, but also more of the powerful compounds from skins and seeds, which can come across as firm. Press juice and free-run juice are therefore often kept apart and may be fermented separately.

Modern pneumatic presses work with a soft, even pressure over a large surface, so the winemaker can control how much is extracted. A widespread misconception is that more pressure is always better. The opposite is often the case, because finesse is about pressing gently and stopping in good time.