Hand-Operated Grape Crusher

This hand-operated grape crusher has spiked metal rollers as the crushing mechanism inside the wooden hopper. It was used by Francesco Lee (Lia) to make wine at his home in New Jersey. Like other home winemakers in the eastern United States, Lee purchased wine grapes that had arrived by rail from California. While one member of the family poured the grapes into the hopper, someone else turned the crank to operate the rollers. Placed on top of a wide container, such as a wooden barrel, half-barrel, or quarter-barrel, the crusher emptied the grape pieces and juice directly into the container.