WHAT IS THE "CRUSHING" OF GRAPES?

1. Purpose of Crushing

Crushing breaks open the grape berries to release their juice and pulp. This allows the juice to come into contact with the skins, seeds, and stems (if included), which is important for extracting flavor, color, tannins, and aroma compounds—especially in red winemaking.

2. Traditional Crushing

• Historically, grapes were crushed by foot (often called "pigeage" in France).

• This gentle method broke the skins without crushing seeds, which can release bitter tannins.

• Today, this is rare but still used in some artisanal or ceremonial winemaking.

3. Modern Crushing

Modern wineries use mechanical crushers or crusher-destemmers:

• Crusher-destemmer machines first separate stems from grapes and then lightly crush the berries.

• The goal is to split the skins, not pulverize the grapes, which would release harsh phenolics from seeds.

• The result is called "must"—a mixture of juice, skins, pulp, and sometimes seeds.

4. Crushing Differences by Wine Style

• Red Wine: Grapes are crushed and fermented with skins and sometimes seeds. This skin contact extracts color and tannins, giving structure and complexity.

• White Wine: Grapes are often pressed immediately after crushing (or sometimes whole-cluster pressed without crushing) to separate juice from skins, minimizing color and tannin pickup.

• Rosé: Grapes are crushed like red wine, but the skins remain in contact with the juice only for a short time to achieve a lighter color.