🌿 Grape seed

A grape seed is the hard pip inside the berry. In most wine grapes a berry has from one to four seeds. Outside they are covered by a hard coat, and inside there is oil and tannin. If a seed is crushed, the wine takes on an unpleasant bitterness.

So winemakers try not to damage the seeds when crushing and pressing. They use gentle presses and low pressure. In red wines the seeds stay in the fermenting mass together with the skins, and their tannins pass into the wine. A moderate amount gives the wine structure, but too much makes it harsh. Some seeds are sometimes removed from the must.

The seed is tied to the grape berry and to the tannins it contains. Seed ripeness is a sign of berry ripeness: from green and hard they turn brown and brittle. Grape seed oil is made from the seeds left after pressing. There are also seedless table grapes, but they are not usually used for wine.