What term refers to the practice of removing grape skins during fermentation to produce white wine?

The correct term for the practice of removing grape skins during fermentation to produce white wine is pressing. In white winemaking, grapes are typically crushed to release their juice, but to make a wine that is pale or clear, the skins need to be separated from the juice early in the winemaking process, often immediately after crushing.

Pressing involves using a mechanical press to gently extract the juice from the grapes while keeping the skins and seeds separate. This technique allows winemakers to achieve the desired flavor profile and clarity in the final product without the tannins and colors that the skins would impart if left in contact with the juice during fermentation.

Fermentation refers to the process where yeast converts the sugars in the grape juice into alcohol, which occurs after the juice has been separated from the skins. Crushing is the initial step that breaks the grapes open to release their juice, while clarification involves removing solids from the liquid, usually after fermentation is complete. Hence, these terms do not specifically denote the removal of grape skins during fermentation for white wine production.