It just wouldn’t be fall without Ponte’s annual Grape Stomp Festival. This is the big one: the event that has hoards of people clamoring for tickets, and we know we say it every year, but we’ll say it again – get those tickets early!
The Grape Stomp is a fabulous time. There is food (lots and lots of it!), wine (lots and lots of it!), dancing, music, laughing, socializing and the notorious grape stomping competitions. Picture it: you hop in a half barrel full of real grapes from our vineyards. Your partner stands below, wine bottle in hand. The emcee shouts “go!” and you start stomping like you’ve never stomped before! Soon, the juice starts to pour out of the barrel into your partner’s bottle. You keep stomping…the shouts and cheers get louder as the crowd sees that you’re neck and neck with your opponents. Suddenly, a buzzer signals that there’s a winner. Panting, you look down at your partner’s bottle and see that it’s full: you’ve won! You are now one step closer to the semifinals and the finals to compete for a fantastic prize. Now, go reward yourself with a glass of wine.
Sounds great, right? It is! Our chef and his team create an unbelievable buffet menu every year using the season as their inspiration. The wine flows, the music rocks and, now, there’s no need to drive home since Ponte Vineyard Inn is just a few steps away. Book your room now here.
No babysitter? No problem! Kids are more than welcome at this exciting event. In fact, we have a special kids-only grape stomp competition just for them. And, trust us, the kiddos love it.
This is our 11th year hosting the Grape Stomp Festival. Not only is it fun, it also pays homage to our roots as winemakers. It’s believed that the ancient Romans stomped their grapes to make wine as far back as 200 BC, as they didn’t have the fancy wine presses we have today. It was a good way to crush grapes; body weight did the job well without having to bend over and use hands. Wine producers did it for generations, even into the twentieth century. The practice is still used by some small wineries in Portugal and Spain, but for the most part, stomping grapes is now only done for fun. In fact, stomping grapes for wine production has been banned in the United States since the end of the 20th century. That’s probably a good thing, though. I mean, who can really stomach the thought of drinking wine that’s been touched by a strangers feet?!
The 2013 Grape Stomp Festival will take place on Sunday, September 29th from 4-9 pm.
Buy your tickets now here.
Book your room or suite at Ponte Vineyard Inn here.
–What’s your favorite part of the Grape Stomp Festival?
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