Wine Press

Wine Press

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Description
This wine press, manufactured by Philadelphia’s Baccellieri Brothers Company, is of the type widely used by home winemakers. It was purchased sometime after 1902, when Francesco Lee (Lia), arrived in the United States from the Catanzaro region of Italy. Operating the press was straightforward: after the crushed grapes and juice were emptied into the press, the winemaker placed wooden blocks on top of them to help compress the grapes as the screw was turned with a long wooden handle. As the mass of crushed grapes was pressed, juice ran out of the bottom and into another barrel. In addition to the wine press, the museum collected several blocks of various sizes and all stained with grape juice, used by the Lee family with this press.
Object Name
wine press
Measurements
overall: 48 in x 17 in; 121.92 cm x 43.18 cm
ID Number
1997.0154.04
accession number
1997.0154
catalog number
1997.0154.04
Credit Line
John Lee
subject
Wine
Immigration
See more items in
Work and Industry: Food Technology
Food
Exhibition
Food: Transforming the American Table
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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Comments

I have one of these wine press. My father used it up until his passing four years ago. I am currently trying to restore and clean some of the rust. I still have all of the wine stained wooden blocks. No value can be placed on this wine press. The memories I have making wine with my dad are priceless.

Tom Giuliano

Wed, 2019-09-04 08:29

"Have recently purchased a similar press stamped Peter Baccellieri Mfg Co. Philadelphia, PA. I assume the same Co. but different period. Is there any operational/maintenance information, ie manuals for these presses?"

Erik R Fleischer

Wed, 2016-09-07 23:13

"When and where did the Baccellieri Bros. manufacture wine presses and is there a site or catalog listing different models, prices, etc. Are there any pictures of the foundry?Thanks,Eric D."

Eric Demitroff

Sun, 2015-10-25 21:05

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