What is crush in winemaking?
Crush refers to the harvesting period when grapes arrive at the winery and are processed through destemming and pressing to begin fermentation.
Crush describes both the season when grapes are harvested and delivered to the winery, and the physical act of processing those grapes when they arrive. In Swan Valley, crush typically runs from late summer through autumn, depending on weather and ripeness. The timing and success of each year's crush directly affects the character and quality of the vintage produced.
When grapes reach the winery during crush, they move through the initial processing steps. Fruit is sorted and destemmed, separating the berries from the woody stems. The grapes are then crushed or pressed to break the skins and release juice, which begins contact with the solids. For red wines, this contact continues through fermentation. For white wines, skins are often separated more quickly. The juice, skins, seeds, and stems together form the "must," which ferments over the following weeks or months.
Crush is labour-intensive and time-sensitive, requiring winery teams to work around the clock during peak harvest. Decisions made at crush, such as fermentation temperature, yeast selection, and duration of skin contact, influence the final wine's flavour, colour, and tannin structure. Many boutique family wineries in Swan Valley run crush operations on-site, making it a visible and central part of their annual cycle.