punching down, the winemaking operation of breaking up and submerging the cap of skins and other solids during red wine fermentation to stop the cap from drying out, to encourage the extraction of colour and tannins, and to encourage useful aeration in the making of a deeply coloured red wine. Keeping skins and liquid in contact is relatively simple with small batches of fermenting grapes. In tanks filled to a depth of 1–1.5 m/3–4 ft, a person can physically mix the floating solids into the fermenting grape juice using a wooden punch, stick or paddle, or even his or her feet. The cap may also be punched down by special metal devices, either by man or mechanically. It is usually done between one and three times a day depending on the fermentation rate. The French term is pigeage. See also maceration, délestage, and submerged cap.
