Vertical Basket Press
After a red wine’s alcoholic fermentation, the liquid is racked and the remaining solids are pressed. Vertical basket presses are commonly used for red wines.
The use of the Vertical Basket Press in Wine Production
After the grape skins and other solids are put into the basket press, the free run juice drains into a container. Once the free run has been gathered, pressure is applied to the skins creating the press wine. This is very concentrated and has more tannins and pigments than the free run juice.
After pressing is complete, the remaining skins and debris are called pomace. Pomace is often used to fertilize the vineyards, thus renewing the cycle of the vine to the bottle.
The free run and press wine are kept separate during the subsequent malolactic fermentation and racking processes. At the winemaker’s discretion, they may eventually be blended to make a wine with certain characteristics. A small amount of press wine can be added for additional flavor and body.
Vertical basket presses produce very high quality juice, but are labor intensive and expensive to use. They are ideal for small amounts of high quality wine.
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