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Vinho de Talha - How Wines Are Made the Ancient Way in Portugal's Alentejo

By James Martin, About.com

2 of 7

From Bunches of Grapes to Must

destemming, grapes, must

Destemming the Grape Bunches

James Martin
For such a primitive process, getting the skins and juices from the grapes was done mechanically. Like old style Chianti from Italy, a mix of white and red grapes may be used, as you can see here.

Oddly enough, foot stamping of the grapes is actually practiced in the Alentejo by small commercial wineries--although the labor intensive technique is reserved for their best wines (see the last page of this tour). The softness of the foot is a gentle way to treat the grapes, extracting more flavor from the grapes and less from the seeds and stems.

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