The Company That Patented The Must Plunger
Winemaker Products, LLC was founded in 2004 when Lee Baldieri thought of improving the way winemakers create their wines. With this goal in mind, Lee, along with his team, created and patented the Must Plunger, which later on would be an essential tool for every winemaker.
About Our Founder
For more than twenty-five years, Lee Baldieri has been a home winemaker. He has used various kinds of grapes like Vitis Vinifera and Hybrid style grapes. Along with producing various wines of his own and others, our founder was also associated with the American Wine Society and was one of their winemaking experts. He was responsible for writing and publishing winemaking articles for their monthly newsletters.
The Must Plunger
The company’s flagship product, the Must Plunger, is a widely used tool by home winemakers and wineries. The Must Plunger is manufactured using food-friendly stainless steel material and is proudly assembled by Americans in the United States. If given the proper care, this product would last a lifetime.
The History of Our Winemaking Tool
Before the Must Plunger was created, Lee used a wooden oak stick and disk to punch down the cap that formed while the wine was fermented. He decided to stop using this tool after a batch of wine went bad due to bacteria in the wood. Without his wooden punch down, he had to think of a different material and tool to use for his craft.
Lee got the help of a Design Engineer, and they started creating a punch-down tool that's more durable and sanitary. He worked with a local machine shop in producing a prototype, which led him to contact a Patent Attorney and secure a patent for the very first Must Plunger.