Is it possible to grind grapes for wine using a meat grinder and is it necessary to wash grapes for wine

This year there were few grapes. But even those that ripened hung with us until mid-October, and had already begun to spoil right on the vine.

I wasn't planning on making wine, but I had to do something with the grapes. I decided to make some wine. We have the "Moldova" variety, and the red wine from it is good.

I don't have a wine press or juicer. It's not like I'm an experienced winemaker. Last time I pressed it with my hands, it's not very effective. So I decided to put it through a meat grinder. I looked at what people were saying about it on the Internet. Opponents of the meat grinder, as a counterargument, say that this method violates the integrity of the grape seeds and because of this the wine will get an unpleasant taste, it will be bitter.

I decided to try it anyway. We have two attachments for the meat grinder, one with a smaller diameter hole, the other with a larger one. I chose the attachment with large holes, it is on the right in the photo. And I can say that you can crush wine through a meat grinder. With a large grate, the seeds pass through whole, almost undamaged. So they are unlikely to spoil the taste of the wine. And the pulp is crushed well, the juice flows straight into the cup. An effective method.

Regarding washing grapes for wine. My relative, a winemaker with many years of experience, says that it is not necessary. He separates the grapes (We also call them "bubochki" in Russian) from the bunches and simply crushes them with a press. On the Internet, everyone is also inclined to believe that washing is not necessary. They say that when washing, the natural yeast is washed off the grapes, thanks to which the wine ferments.

It is clear that no one thoroughly washes the grapes at wineries either. Unlikely.

But I decided to wash them. I picked good berries from the bunches that hadn't started to spoil yet and washed them in the shower by the handfuls. Without much effort, but I rinsed them, washed away dust, dirt and, probably, that very natural component for fermentation.

I can say that today is the third day since I put the wine in. It is fermenting quite well. Everything is as it should be. The pulp rises to the top, there is a smell of fermentation.

Therefore, according to the generally accepted opinion, washing grapes for wine is not necessary. But if you like it better, you can.