Index
Destemming of the grape. The first step of the elaboration.
What is grape destemming?
The destemming of the grape consists of separating the grapes from the stalk or stalk, which is the herbaceous structure of the cluster. Vegetable remains such as leaves or vine shoots that may accompany the bunch are also separated. It is also known by the names of husking or derraspado grape.
What is the purpose of destemming the grape?
In red harvests, and for the production of red wine, it is normally destemmed. By suppressing the scrape , astringent substances and possible unwanted herbaceous flavors are avoided . The stem contains a lot of potassium, which reduces the acidity of the wines. With destemming we obtain a reduction in volume, an improvement in taste, a higher concentration of color and a slight increase in alcoholic strength.
When is the de-stemming done?
The destemming of the grapes is the first operation carried out as soon as the grapes enter the winery. On occasions, this operation is usually accompanied by crushing . The overall despalillado is recommended for obtaining soft wines, but it is not advisable in total destemming grapes from harvest strains less than 5 years, as it brings a little wine body.
How is the grape de-stemming carried out?
It is normally done with machines called destemmers , of which there are two types, horizontal and vertical. The horizontal ones are the most used. There are also models of machines in their more “amateur” version that carry out the two operations together, crushing and destemming .
There are less industrial models for the processing of fewer kilograms of grapes.
Other articles published in this viticulture blog about winemaking are:
How to make rosé wine? Homemade elaboration.
How to make red wine. Homemade winemaking.
