Pressing Time

Continuing the Pinot Noir story......

We start off with Alyce, my sister, who photo-documented and did some cheerleading during the pressing process.

501 pounds of must (grape juice and skins) and some hungry yeasties mingled in these plastic fermenters for almost a week. Every six hours, Ed went out to the shed to 'punch' down the cap of skins that were raised to the surface from the steady release of CO2 gas, a byproduct of the yeast's activity converting sugars to alcohol.

Once primary fermentation was complete (a week or so later) Ed, Ted, Ken and young Owen began the process of siphoning the new wine into glass carboys.

Looks like someone already started the tasting process.

Here's a close-up of the grape skin "cap" resting on top of the juice.
Of course, you can't properly do anything wine related without a glass of Grantham-Turner Pinot Noir in hand.

Once the juice had been siphoned, the skins went into the wine press to be squeezed totally dry.
Owen did the honorary cranking while the wine-makers carefully watched his every move.


Not a drop is wasted!

After pressing, a beautiful 'cake' of grape skins goes into the compost.

Now that their precious juice has been fully extracted, Ted and Ed tuck the carboys into bed for a long 6-month sleep.

Now we hope the juice does its thing and turns itself into a delicious bottle of vino.