To crush or not to crush, that is the question

Whole cluster pressing reduces the amount of harsh tannin that results from crushing the seeds and stems in a traditional destemmer/crusher. The wines therefore have smoother, less harsh tannins.

Mark Lipton

That really depends on what type of grapes you're working with, as well as your stylistic goals.

Assuming you're making a white wine, whole cluster pressing will give you a juice that's lower in solids and phenolics than you would get from crushing and pressing.

If you're trying to make a crisp, fruity, non ML, cold fermented, unoaked white (Riesling or Muscat e.g.) whole cluster pressing is probably best.

For a big, rich, buttery, barrel fermented Chardonnay that you will put through ML you want to crush and press _hard_! In fact, you might even want to extend the maceration time after crushing (before pressing).

Tom S