Wine press

This wine press was used for making small quantities of wine for home consumption. It was built around 1890 by Karl Kinzinger, a blacksmith who emigrated to the United States from the Weinstadt area of southern Germany. Kinzinger settled in Philadelphia and, like many immigrants from winemaking regions of Europe, considered wine an essential part of everyday meals, as well as family and community celebrations. He built both this press and a hand-operated grape crusher, which he used for making wine from grapes he bought at local fruit stands. According to his grandson, the wine was probably made from Concord grapes, a type native to North America.