The term is derived from the Latin "calcare" (= to tread, to stamp), in a broader sense it also means "to stamp with the feet". For centuries, it was customary to tread the grapes with one's feet, which is still practised today (see also Lagar). Pressing is an ancient term for the process of pressing and also for the mechanical device used for this purpose, the wine press (Latin calcatorium = wine press). Colloquially, however, pressing is often used as a term for the entire wine-making process - a wine is pressed. See also Pressing (process of must extraction and necessary equipment) and a list of all activities under Winemaking.
For my many years of work as an editor with a wine and culinary focus, I always like to inform myself about special questions at Wine lexicon. Spontaneous reading and following links often leads to exciting discoveries in the wide world of wine.
Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien