Pump-over
/ˈpʌmpˌoʊvər/
In winemaking, a pump-over is a cap-management technique in which fermenting juice is drawn from the bottom of the tank and pumped over the top of the floating cap of skins (and sometimes seeds and stems) to soak and submerge it. This process enhances extraction of color, tannins, and flavor compounds, while also helping to oxygenate the must and equalize temperature during red wine fermentation.
Examples
- The winemaker scheduled two gentle pump-overs per day during fermentation to extract color without creating overly harsh tannins.
- The cellar log notes: "Fermentation in stainless steel with daily pump-overs (remontage) for 10 days, then one light pump-over every other day until dryness."
- During the harvest tour, visitors watched as the Cabernet tank was pumped over, with the juice cascading over the cap to keep it wet and promote even fermentation.
Etymology
Formed from the English verb "to pump" and the adverb/preposition "over," the term literally describes pumping liquid from the bottom of a fermenter over the top of the cap. It arose with the adoption of mechanical and electric pumps in wineries from the late 19th to 20th centuries, replacing or supplementing manual cap-management methods such as foot treading and punch-downs (pigeage). The concept corresponds to the French term "remontage" (from "remonter," to go up again), widely used in Francophone regions and often cited alongside or as a synonym for "pump-over" in English-language enology.