Topic: Pressing
Pressing Like the Pros: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYDo you whole-cluster press? Separate free-run juice and press fractions? Maximize juice collection through high pressure? There are a lot of decisions to make while pressing that will have a big impact on the final outcome of your wine. We put the squeeze on three pro winemakers to share their pressing tips.
Pressing Issues
MEMBERS ONLYYou’ve hit on one of the classic difficulties of making wine at home. The equipment we use, from presses to barrels to filters, usually are much smaller than that used by commercial wineries. Yet the size of the grapes and the job we need our equipment to do remain the same. Getting a better press
Build Your Own Basket Press
MEMBERS ONLYBuild this basket press using HDPE plastic.
Brown Colored White Wine
FREESorry to say, but it sounds like you’ve got a no-bueno situation. White grapes should always be pressed as soon as possible after picking in order to reduce juice (and subsequent wine)
Making the Cut
FREEPress cuts give the winemaker more blending options to create a wine precisely as it was envisioned. Learn if, and when, press cuts may benefit your winemaking.
Whole Cluster Pressing: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYWhole cluster pressing (foregoing the step of crushing and destemming the grapes) is most often done to make high-end white wines. The technique creates a more delicate and less astringent wine by reducing the contact time with the stems and skins. Jason Burrus is the Winemaker for Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg, Virginia. He has a
Your Best Crush and Press
FREEYou can never be too prepared in your winery when the grapes come in from harvest. Follow our guidelines for crush and press success.
Homemade Wine Press
MEMBERS ONLYA reader shares plans for his homemade wine press.
Choosing A Wine Press
FREEThere are two common options to choose between when it comes time for home winemakers to press their grapes. Take time to weigh the benefits of a basket press and bladder press before the fall harvest and determine which one best suits your winemaking needs.
Keys to a Great Crush and Press
MEMBERS ONLYWhen the harvest season rolls around each year, and winemakers gear up for the busy season, a winemaker’s plans to improve on the previous vintage should have already started in spring and early summer. Perhaps we want to be better at keeping records, or just didn’t like the way a certain batch turned out the
Pressing seeds, gluten in wine: Wine Wizard
MEMBERS ONLYWine and gluten allergy Can you tell me if typical wines in the store contain gluten or if certain yeasts contain gluten? Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley, rye and oats. If any of these grains are used to carry or grow the yeast, I would think the wine would have enough of the
Separating press runs: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYAre press cuts scientific or subjective? What about combining the free run with the press runs? Do different cuts get different treatments? If you’ve ever wondered about concerns like these, take some advice from this month’s professional winemakers and gain some sense of the press. Josh Beckett, winemaker for Peachy Canyon Winery in Paso Robles,
Second Press Runs to Get More from Your Grapes
FREEAs home winemakers, there’s nothing like adding a new trick to our repertoire. Anything that makes our wine a little better is definitely a good thing. For those reasons, you should explore
Pressing Matters: Build a Wine Press
FREEPlan to make your own wine press