Grape harvesting, performed exclusively by hand, is a fundamental stage in the winemaking process. The grapes harvested in the early hours of the morning, in order to have an adequate temperature to limit oxidation phenomena, are brought to the cellar using bins. They are immediately processed for obtaining a quality must.
The bins are poured onto a conveyor attached to the vibrating table. At this stage, the whole grapes are manually selected, thus eliminating leaf residues and non-quality grapes, or part of them. The fruit, selected in this way, fall by gravity onto an elevator ladder which allows the press to be filled.
The press is of the horizontal pneumatic type with a tight cage. This kind of machinery allows a double advantage: a soft pressing of the grapes, which limits the release of bitter and astringent grape compounds in the must and therefore in the wine; moreover, it allows the use of inert gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or nitrogen, to limit the effects of oxidation and preserve some of the aromas.
Not secondly, the use of latest generation presses also allows a better selection of the must fractions, with a considerable increase in the quality of finished wines. The musts obtained in this way are conveyed into tanks for the defecation of the must and its following fermentation.