Punched Cap Fermentation

Cosentino Winery was the first winery to get label approval for the use of “punched cap fermentation” in 1995. The winery continues to employ this old world, Burgundy-style method. During the six to ten day fermentation cycle (when sugar turns into alcohol), the “cap” of floating grape skins is manually submerged into the bin of juice, three to four times daily. This gentle process of fermentation differs from commercial winemaking where the “cap” is forcefully mixed with the juice through a mechanical pump-over system. Punched Cap Fermentation ultimately produces wines that have superior balance and flavor.