Punching-Down Grapes
Why do we punch-down grapes?
Our Vice President of Winemaking Melissa Burr explains: “During fermentation, yeast consumes the sugar in grapes and makes alcohol, but also makes a lot of CO2, which pushes all the grapes to the top of the tank of fermenting juice. We ‘punch-down’, or mix the grapes back into the juice to make sure to extract all the beautiful color and flavor from those grape skins, to get eventually into your glass!”
Cleverly described by Dr. Vinny of Wine Spectator, punching down is similar to the process of making tea. If the tea bag is floating at the top, it will not extract the flavor or color desired until it is dunked into the liquid to steep.
If you are looking for variety in your exercise routine, try punching-down! You are in for a workout!