Press Out Day at the winery –

One ton each of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

The grapes in these vats have been crushed and fermented. The next step is Pressing, which removes the solids from the wine.

The grapes are shoveled into the Wine Press, where an inflatable bladder squeezes all the remaining wine from the grapes.

 

 

After pressing, all of the flavor has been literally squeezed out of the grapes. They resemble raisins, but are actually tasteless.

 

The wine is now ready to be aged. After initial clarifying in stainless steel containers, the wine will be transferred to oak barrels for aging, where it will remain for at least two years.