Directing the Press

Joe Uhr, Assistant Winemaker at Duckhorn Vineyards, directs the press as it fills with Juliana Sauvignon Blanc. Getting the presses full and emptied quickly is typically a priority during harvest because we want to minimize the amount of phenolic extraction into the juice.

This is a function of time, varietal, condition of the fruit, and temperature. To avoid excessive extraction, we typically night harvest and press early. Another reason to get them turned is that a typical press cycle lasts about 3 hours, so getting these babies filled up quickly is critical to avoiding going home at midnight.