A
wine press is a device used to
extract juice from crushed
grapes during
wine making. There are a number of different styles of presses that are used by wine makers but their overall functionality is the same. Each style of press exerts controlled pressure in order to free the juice from the fruit (most often grapes). The pressure must be controlled, especially with grapes, in order to avoid crushing the seeds and releasing a great deal of undesirable
tannins into the
wine. Wine was being made at least as long ago as 6000 BC; in 2011, a wine press was unearthed in Armenia with red wine dated 6,000 years old.