Maceration: “Rimontaggio” is also useful in this process, which is carried out for the production of red wines at the same time as fermentation.

Maceration consists of contact between the liquid and the skins of the grapes in order to extract certain substances that are fundamental to red wines, such as the colour, the flavours and the tannins.

Maceration may continue even until the end of fermentation, but this depends on the year, and the oenologist has to decide on the basis of the characteristics of the grape, using his skill and experience.

The only means of checking is to use the senses – only regular tasting allows the process of extraction to be followed and so to catch the precise moment in which the tannins begin to seem too astringent. At that point it is necessary to stop the process by racking.

The wine is taken out of the tank and separated from the vinasse (the remains of the grape skins), which are then delicately pressed to recover the part of the noble wine that they contain. Still wet, they are then sent to the distillery for the production of grappa.