Winepress

Lore & Background

Wine was being made at least as long ago as 4000 BC. In 2011, a winepress was unearthed in Armenia with red wine dated 6,000 years old. The basket style press was the first type of mechanized press to be developed, and its basic design has not changed in nearly 10,000 years. A basket press consists of a large basket filled with crushed grapes, with pressure applied through a plate forced down onto the fruit, often by a screw or hydraulic device. Juice flows through openings in the basket.

A horizontal screw press works on the same principle as the basket press, but instead of a plate being brought down, plates from either side of a closed cylinder are brought together to squeeze the grapes. Generally, the volume of grapes handled is significantly greater than that of a basket press. A bladder press consists of a large cylinder, closed at each end, into which the fruit is loaded. To press the grapes, a large bladder expands and pushes the grapes against the sides, and the juice flows out through small openings in the cylinder. The cylinder rotates during the process to help homogenize the pressure.

A continuous screw press differs from the above presses in that it does not process a single batch of grapes at a time. Instead, it uses an Archimedes' screw to continuously force grapes up against the wall of the device. Juice is extracted, and the pomace continues through to the end where it is extracted. This style of press is rarely used to produce table wines, and some countries forbid its use for higher quality wines. Flash release is a technique used in winepressing, consisting of heating the grapes with steam almost to boiling and then submitting them to a strong vacuum, allowing for a better extraction of phenolic compounds.

Reader's Guide

The winepress has been central to winemaking for millennia, with archaeological evidence of wine production dating back to at least 4000 BC and a 6,000-year-old press discovered in Armenia. The basket press, the first mechanized press, has remained essentially unchanged in design for nearly 10,000 years, underscoring the enduring effectiveness of its simple principle. Over time, variations such as the horizontal screw press, bladder press, and continuous screw press were developed to handle larger volumes or to meet different quality standards. The continuous screw press, however, is rarely used for table wines and is even forbidden for higher quality wines in some countries, reflecting the importance of controlled pressure in preserving wine quality. The flash release technique, involving steam heating and vacuum, represents a modern innovation aimed at improving phenolic extraction. The winepress's legacy lies in its fundamental role in transforming grapes into wine, with each press type offering a balance between efficiency and the careful extraction needed to avoid undesirable tannins from crushed seeds.

Did You Know?

• A winepress unearthed in Armenia in 2011 contained red wine dated 6,000 years old.
• Some countries forbid the use of continuous screw presses for higher quality wines.