Crushing is the winemaking operation of breaking grape skins to release juice and prepare the fruit for fermentation or pressing. Crushing may be performed by a mechanical crusher or as part of a combined crusher-destemmer. The degree of crushing influences juice release, skin contact and the condition of the grape solids.
For many red wines, grapes are crushed and destemmed before fermentation so the juice ferments in contact with the skins. This allows extraction of colour, tannin and flavour. Some producers ferment whole clusters or whole berries instead. For white wines, grapes may be crushed before pressing, although some wineries use whole-bunch pressing to limit skin and seed damage.
Crusher-destemmers separate berries from stems and may gently break the skins. Roller spacing and machine settings are adjusted to the grape variety, berry size and intended style. Excessive crushing can damage seeds and stems, potentially releasing harsh or bitter compounds, while insufficient crushing may reduce juice release.
Example: many red-wine producers crush and destem Cabernet Sauvignon before fermentation, while some Pinot Noir producers retain whole clusters or whole berries for a different extraction profile.
Crushing breaks the berry skins. Destemming separates berries from the rachis or stems. Pressing applies pressure to separate liquid from grape solids. A crusher-destemmer may perform the first two operations in one machine, but they remain distinct processes.
Chef’s note: the decision to crush, destem or retain whole clusters changes the fermentation material and can influence the wine’s texture and aromatic profile.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
