Abstract: A juice press as used in the production of wine for removing liquids from solids, having a horizontally positionable press frame that allows a vertical press mechanism to be rolled to a first position for interference-free loading of a press basket with material to be pressed, and then rolled to a second operating position located over the press basket. The press basket has a liquid channeling plate having an arrangement of holes and channels that creates a perimeter seal along a circumference at the bottom of a loaded press basket. The liquid channeling plate traps naturally occurring sludge along the circumference bottom and allows for efficient evacuation of extracted juice from the bottom of the basket as the press mechanism is operated.

Abstract: A wine punch down unit and method for processing fermenting wine by punching down a cap formed from buoyant skins, seeds, pulp, and stems within a batch of fermenting wine, and mixing the cap material with the fermenting wine to improve contact between the wine and the cap in order to extract a requisite amount of color and flavor. The wine punch down unit has a platform for placement under a vessel of fermenting wine, a vertical shaft mounted to the platform supporting a positionable arm that holds a vertically extendible agitator accessory. The agitator accessory is operational in an upward and downward and side-to-side manner for punching down the cap and mixing the cap material with the fermenting wine. This invention further relates to a vertical shaft adaptor as used by a wine maker for adapting a pallet jack or similar lift platform to securely hold a vertical shaft for supporting a device such as a wine punch down unit.

Abstract: A juice press as used in the production of wine for removing liquids from solids, having a horizontally positionable press frame that allows a vertical press mechanism to be rolled to a first position for interference-free loading of a press basket with material to be pressed, and then rolled to a second operating position located over the press basket. The press basket has a liquid channeling plate having an arrangement of holes and channels that creates a perimeter seal along a circumference at the bottom of a loaded press basket. The liquid channeling plate traps naturally occurring sludge along the circumference bottom and allows for efficient evacuation of extracted juice from the bottom of the basket as the press mechanism is operated.