## 4 Conclusions  
In this work, an experimental monitoring of two types of product circulation systems in fermentation was carried out in a winery in Apulia, processing destemmed grapes of the _Primitivo_ variety intended for red wine production, to produce \"ready-to-drink\" wine. In particular, the functional performance and energy consumption of two identical vinicification lines were monitored, in which the only variable was the system for circulating the fermenting must: pump-over or pneumatic cap breaking.  
The line using pump-over achieved fermentation in 144 h, racking in 110 min and draining-pressing in 230 min; the line using pneumatic cap breaking in fermentation had shorter times: 120 h for fermentation, 45 min for racking and 165 min for draining-pressing.  
The total energy consumption was very low in the fermentation phase using the pneumatic system: 18.23 kWh and 0.024 kWh/hLwine, more than ten-times lower than in the line using pump-over: 233.22 kWh and 0.32 kWh/hLwine. From an analytical point of view, the performance obtained with pump-over showed the effectiveness of this circulation system on Primitivo grapes, characterized by very thin skins, on which the pump-over leaching is particularly suitable, both for promoting yeast activity and for obtaining color extraction. From this point of view, the pneumatic system studied was too energetic compared to the characteristics of the fermenting mass.  
On the other hand, for this type of grape pressing, the fact that the chemical and physical characteristics of the wine obtained with the pneumatic system are comparable to those of the wine obtained with mass circulation by pumping over is certainly a positive result, both in terms of the very favorable functional and energetic performance and the margins of improvement that can be identified for this system.  
In conclusion, for the grapes and type of wine studied, the pneumatic system showed better functional performance in terms of vinicification speed and energy consumption.  
As far as energy consumption is concerned, it is essential for a complete study of any food processing system, since saving energy allows the company to be competitive without compromising product quality; energy must be considered a raw material for obtaining a quality product at affordable prices. From this point of view, the results obtained highlight, in particular, the need for further studies on equipment design. Indeed, the potential for improvements identified could bring significant benefits in terms of wine production costs while maintaining the quality standards required for \"ready to drink\" wines.  
**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, B.B. and F.C.; methodology, B.B., F.C. and F.G.; investigation, B.B., F.C., M.O., C.P. and F.G.; data curation, B.B., F.C., F.G. and M.O.; writing--original draft preparation, F.G., B.B., M.O. and F.C.; writing--review and editing, M.O., F.G. and B.B.; visualization, B.B., F.C., R.R., M.O. and F.G.; supervision, B.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
**Funding:** This research received no external funding.  
**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.