Machinery used in the bodega

Machinery used in bodegas is very simple and dates from antiquity. Means, systems and concepts based on the principles used for wines and oils by the Greeks and Romans are still used today in the Rioja. The most complicated piece of machinery, perhaps, is the press. This has great similarity to the Roman "torculum". The expression "torco" is commonly used in the Rioja to describe the container into which must, or wine leaving the press, is poured.

We must consider the machinery used in bodegas in two large blocks:

• Machinery for working grapes.
• Machinery for working wine.

It may appear that some bodegas have an industrial appearance or automatic systems, but basic operations are controlled by the Control of Origin Regulating Council, according to traditional Rioja working methods.

The machinery involved in working grapes simply refers to the means necessary for transporting them from the fields to the fermentation vats and for removing the stems.

Bunches contain two usable parts: grapes and inert parts, i.e., stems.

The operations which are carried out from the moment the grapes arrive at the bodega require the following machinery:

• A wormgear spindle, also called helical transporter or Archimedes spindle. This turns and transports the grapes, practically untouched, to the next machine which is the destemmer.
• The destemmer gently separates the stems from the grapes and ejects the former, later used as a by-product, and channels the mass of stemless grapes towards the pump.
• The pump sends the thick mass of grapes to the vats where they are to ferment. It can be understood that, given the density of the liquid and the certain semi-liquid aspect (as there is must with skins and pips), a simple centrifuge or impeller pump is not enough. The pumps used are slow rotary piston or vane pumps made from materials which are unaffected by the must and channel the harvested grapes through 20 cm diameter tubes. The tubes are made from stainless steel or reinforced plastic.

Once the wine has been fermented, it is necessary, before racking, to use a simple centrifuge pump to separate the solid mass of skins which floats on top. We could say that this is machine number four.

After pumping the wine over the mass of skins, it is extracted by means of a tap situated in the lower part of the vat. The wine-soaked skins are then channeled to a pump, very similar to the one used for harvested grapes, to take this mass to the press. This pump can be called, according to the order of operations, machine number five and the press, number six.

The press may be vertical, horizontal or continuous.

Both the vertical and horizontal presses are structures made of strengthened wood. One of the slats, in the vertical press, squashes the mass and the wine flows through the bars. Or, there are two slats which come together and flatten the solid mass, squeezing out the wine.

The continuous press has a perforated metal casing in the form of a horizontal cylinder. On the axis there is a very strong screwspindle which receives and transports the solid mass, pushing it against an outlet gate, which is kept semi-closed by a counterweight or hydraulic system.