Basket Presses
Hydraulic and Traditional Basket Presses (also referred to as "Ratchet Presses")
Whether it’s a centuries-old ratchet press, or it’s a brand new, fully automated, multi-stage vertical hydraulic press; the operating principle remains the same: a single surface (press plate) applies pressure downward on a basket full of crushed fruit to extract juice. And, while this style of press has been used for thousands of years to produce every conceivable type of wine (archeologists have unearthed basket presses dating back to pre-1st millennium BC), it really shines is in the production of bold, aromatic, flavorful, red wine.
As the pressure of the press plate increases, the wine that is extracted flows down through layers of grape skin and pulp, absorbing the color, flavor, and aromatics as it makes its way to the drain basin. There’s also a much larger range of pressure that can be applied than any other style of press, giving the user the ability to really fine-tune the pressing process.
Basket presses are more than capable of producing high-quality white wine as well. Winemakers will often stagger some sort of semi-permeable material, such as dripping diaphragms, between layers of must. These act as a sort of buffer in that, as soon as the extracted juice reaches the diaphragm it flows outward to the exterior of the basket, reducing its interaction with grape skins and pulp, resulting in a lighter and crisper juice.
Whether it’s a centuries-old ratchet press, or it’s a brand new, fully automated, multi-stage vertical hydraulic press; the operating principle remains the same: a single surface (press plate) applies pressure downward on a basket full of crushed fruit to extract juice. And, while this style of press has been used for thousands of years to produce every conceivable type of wine (archeologists have unearthed basket presses dating back to pre-1st millennium BC), it really shines is in the production of bold, aromatic, flavorful, red wine.
As the pressure of the press plate increases, the wine that is extracted flows down through layers of grape skin and pulp, absorbing the color, flavor, and aromatics as it makes its way to the drain basin. There’s also a much larger range of pressure that can be applied than any other style of press, giving the user the ability to really fine-tune the pressing process.
Basket presses are more than capable of producing high-quality white wine as well. Winemakers will often stagger some sort of semi-permeable material, such as dripping diaphragms, between layers of must. These act as a sort of buffer in that, as soon as the extracted juice reaches the diaphragm it flows outward to the exterior of the basket, reducing its interaction with grape skins and pulp, resulting in a lighter and crisper juice.
