🍷 Punch-down (pigeage)

Pigeage (from the French) is the pushing down of the cap of skins into the fermenting must. The method is used in making red wine. It is done with a paddle or with the feet. When red grapes ferment, carbon dioxide lifts the skins upward, and a dense cap of crushed grapes forms on the surface. For the wine to gain colour, tannin and aroma, the skins have to be mixed regularly with the liquid. One way is to pump the wine over the top. Pigeage is another: the cap is pushed down by hand or by a mechanical plunger. This method is gentler than pumping over. It damages the seeds less and gives the wine less bitterness. It is prized in Burgundy for Pinot Noir, a delicate grape. The cap is punched down in open vessels, most often in wooden vats. Traditionally this was done with bare feet, and some farms have kept the practice. Pigeage means heavy manual work, so it is used on small farms or for the best wines. It is needed so that the cap does not dry out or spoil.