WIINEMAKING

The Amana villages wee known of their winemaking.  In the communal days each man who received a share of the village wine had to care for 20-30 wines in the specific vineyard.  Grapevine also grew on the trellises you see on the sides of buildings, providing shade, insulation and fruit.  The tinsmiths provided most of the utensils for winemaking. One tool was the wine siphon, a long, slender metal tube used to siphon wine into bottles from barrels or to taste it.  Some had handles, some were plain.  The forms vary in the center but all serve a useful purpose!