Examples

• The winery received hand-harvested Pinot Noir, then carefully destemmed the clusters so mostly whole berries fell into the open-top fermenters, aiming for soft, fine-grained tannins and pure red-fruit aromas.
• To avoid harsh, green tannins in a cool year, the Cabernet Sauvignon was 100% destemmed and gently crushed before fermentation, a decision noted on the tech sheet as part of the tannin-management strategy.
• In a comparative trial, one Syrah lot was fully destemmed while another was fermented as whole clusters; tasters later found the destemmed wine rounder and more fruit-driven, with fewer herbal, stem-derived notes.

Etymology

“Destemming” is a modern English term formed from the verb “to destem” plus the verbal noun suffix “-ing.” “To destem” combines the prefix “de-” (from Latin “de-,” indicating removal or separation) with “stem” (from Old English “stemn”/“stefn,” meaning stalk, trunk, or supporting part). In viticulture and oenology, “stems” are the rachis and pedicels that support the grape berries in a cluster. The specific technical sense of “destemming” in winemaking arose in the late 19th to early 20th century alongside the development and adoption of mechanical destemmer-crushers in Europe. Earlier English texts typically spoke of “removing the stalks” or “removing the stems,” while the parallel technical terms in other languages are French “égrappage” or “éraflage” and Italian “diraspatura.”

Usage Notes

In professional contexts, "destemming" refers both to the physical operation (often using a destemmer or destemmer-crusher) and to the stylistic choice about how many stems to include in fermentation. Winemakers may describe lots as "100% destemmed," "partially destemmed," or "no destemming" (whole cluster); in tasting and educational settings, the term is often linked to discussions of stem influence on tannin quality, herbal or green notes, and overall structure.