| This cosy area
for relaxing was once a working winepress. This particular pressoir
or winepress is a traditional 19th century style common in winemaking
caves. The harvested grapes were placed in the center pit. The
large iron screw would have been connected to a wooden form (now
lost) that fit over the pit. Slowly turned by hand, it would
press the juice from the grapes. There is a small drain (not
shown) through which the juice would have drained by gravity
into oak barrels that would have lined the floor on the lower
level. |
