The Magic of the Press

If there is one thing all wines have in common is that grapes need to get crushed to obtain their juice. Whatever the color, the region, or winemaking technique, there would be no wine without a "pressoir" (the grape press). Present since Antiquity, they have evolved dramatically but the idea is still the same - extracting the sweet juice we call "must". In some parts of France like Beaujolais, winemakers press grapes that are semi-fermented which gives a must with very low alcohol content and still very sweet. Each year in the winery, the first juice emerges from the pressoir is cause for celebration, like witnessing the birth of the wine. The Beaujolais call this newborn the "Jus de Paradis" (heavenly juice).

Pressoirs du Monde