Tottering on the two-inch edge of a small fermenting bin, staring into a ton of Syrah, stems and inky juice, I’m thinking I probably shouldn’t have had that last glass of wine with lunch. My responsibility, right now, is to punch down the mass of skins, stems and pips (seeds) that have floated to the top, the cap, as it’s called. The main reason for punching down the cap at this early stage in making wine is to introduce oxygen into the vat of juice, kick-starting the yeasts and the fermentation process, but also to add color and tannin to the wine, much of which come from the skins and the stems.

This afternoon we have to punch down nine tanks, four of which are my responsibility, since they’re the smaller ones. My punch down tool is a five-foot stainless steel pole with a crossbar at the top, one about half way down and an eight-inch flat disc on the far end. I’m leaning against the wall for leverage, my feet on the middle crossbar, my hands on top and the disc on the grapes, bouncing, putting almost all of my weight on the grapes, but I’m not going anywhere. If I slip, I’ll end up in the vat, and I’m already turning purple from the exertion. Continue reading »

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