Biodegradability and activity tests of winery wastewater at 37 degrees C using inoculum from a paper mill suggested hydrolysis as the rate limiting step with hydrogen the predominant pathway to methane. Scaling-up to a Hybrid-EGSB showed that after 100 days acclimation at moderate temperatures (20 +/- 2 degrees C) a 70 +/- 2% COD removal is achievable, applying an OLR of up to 15.32 kgCOD m(-3) day(-1) and an SLR of 3.83 kgCOD kgVSS(-1) day-1, respectively. Conventional operation and mesophilic temperature increase improved COD removal efficiency (<= 96%) while sCOD concentration met the European COD effluent standards. COD:CH4 conversion reached 0.31 +/- 0.07 m(3) CH4 kgCOD(removed)(-1); COD:biogas estimated 0.45 +/- 0.06 m(3) gas kgCOD(moved)(-1), 300% higher than the acclimation period. Operation remained stable at OLR < 39 kgCOD m(-3) day(-1), which corresponds to an SLR of 4.8 kgCOD kgVSS(-1) day(-1). This limit results in an Alk(bicarb).:Alk(tot) similar to 0.31 and a pH similar to 6.51, an irreversible status that demonstrates the limits of anaerobic treatment of winery wastewater with this reactor setup. (C) 2016 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.