Crushing

(foulage in French), winemaking operation of breaking open the grape berry so that the juice is more readily available to the yeast for fermentation and to increase the pulp and skin contact. Modern winery equipment that permits sufficiently thorough crushing has effectively speeded up the onset and completion of fermentation. The additional advantages of this are that the rapid accumulation of alcohol discourages any activity on the part of wild yeast and bacteria. The principal result is that an overwhelming proportion of grapes finish as attractive and balanced wines rather than as vinegar or unacceptably faulty wines.