When grapes are pressed to make wine the fruit matter not used is made into compost. Green grapes are crushed and pressed and the discarded material includes the skins, seeds and the many little branches that make up a grape cluster. When the Freys make red wine, the crushed matter all goes into the tanks with the juice. After the wine has started to ferment and the grape skins have lent their flavor and color to the wine, the seeds are removed to be composted. At this stage the seeds are easy to separate from fruit flesh and skin. Rather than composting all of them, some are saved to make oil.
One of the season’s interns, Josh Khankhanian, hauled the seeds to the new concrete track from the warehouse to the bottling room. this clean surface was a perfect place to dry the wet membrane around the seeds. I got to help by raking the seeds after they dried for a day.
After they dried for several days the grape seeds were ready to be cleaned.
- Drying Grape Seeds for Making Oil
Sustainable Garden Design 
I’m wondering how the seeds are then processed into oil. Do they use solvents? Most grape seeds in commercial production are not cold/expeller pressed.
That’s a good question! The Freys use no solvents. Matthew estimates that 200 pounds of grape seeds pressed into oil produces about 12 wine bottles.