pressing, winemaking operation whereby pressure is applied, using a press, to grapes, grape clusters, or grape pomace in order to squeeze the liquid out of the solid parts, known as pressurage in French.

For most white wines, pressing takes place prior to fermentation (for exceptions, see orange wines, qvevri, and skin-fermented whites, for example). There are various options for extracting juice from grapes: immediate pressing of whole grapes without crushing, immediate pressing of crushed and/or destemmed grapes, or pressing after the crushed and destemmed grapes have undergone a period of skin contact.