Grape Press Complete

Grape Press Complete

This wine press is composed of three parts.  The upper part is a paved square with low walls on all four sides.  The grapes were placed in this square and were "squeezed"—that is stomped on to release the juice without crushing the seeds.

The liquid then flowed through a small channel in the wall that the woman is standing on into a small settling pit below her.  There, residuals seeds and skins would settle to the bottom.

From there the pure juice flowed into the large round pit, which was plastered, from which the juice was removed and placed in pots where it would ferment.