“You may be surprised to learn that the grapes for Corgo da Régua are trodden by bare human foot; this was for generations the usual way of pressing grapes in the Douro region, although it has been supplanted at most companies in recent years by joyless, robotic ‘feet’. The lowly human foot is actually perfect for crushing grapes as it is firm but gentle, meaning that the grapes are easily squashed but – crucially – the grape pips are not ruptured, meaning that the bitter compounds inside these seeds are not released into the ‘must’ (the ‘soup’ of pre-fermentation grape juice, skins etc), which would coarsen the wine. Workers link arms and sing to music as they do it – it’s hard work, but good fun!”
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