The harvest grapes are brought to the winery as quickly as possible. Delay would allow the fruit to oxidise and take on off-flavours. On arrival at the press the bunches of grapes are usually, but not always, de-stemmed and then milled to break up the berries. A careful amount of sulphur dioxide may be added (used in some vineyards) as sterilant and the grapes then pressed. There are several types of wine press – most still visibly derived from the traditional basket and screw spindle design. Modern presses are increasingly mechanised and automated, one particular group being based on the use of pneumatic pressure. The press we use is a pneumatic press and will hold up to a tonne of grapes per press. The quality of the juice released from the grape during pressing is so high it can be put straight in to the fermentation tanks for fermentation to begin. The pressing cycle takes about 2 to 2.5 hours, at the end of which all the juice is extracted only leaving the almost dry residue to be put back on to the vineyard.