Wine press, year 1864, Meșendorf, Jud. Braşov
Built in the year 1864 as an annex to the owner's house and transferred in the museum in 1991, the installation is sheltered under a shed (“kelter” in Saxon dialect) made of wood, with a ridged roof covered with scalloped roof tiles. The inscription that proves its age is placed on one of the lateral beams.
The wine press acts as follows: The mobile screw, eccentrically placed, is turned by 2-3 persons, with the help of a lever inserted through its axle. Through screwing, the massive beam (the fork) presses on the grapes put in the massive basket. In order to ensure a homogenous pressing, a plank lid was placed over the grapes. The massive beam and the lid were connected by a mobile oak piston. From one basket load of grapes, approximately 300 l of must were obtained, that later transformed into wine, through fermentation.
