California Grape Stomps Oozing with Fun

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It's that exciting time of year in California where you can almost taste, feel and smell the wine grape harvests. The best way to get a hands-on experience is through participation in the time-honored tradition of Grape Stomps. They span the state and you'll find California Grape Stomps on Northern California's Mendocino Coast with the Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival Grape Stomp in August or throughout the wine regions-Napa, Santa Rosa, St. Helena, Murphys, Paso Robles- all the way to Southern California's appellations in Temecula, Escondido and Julian.

Traditionally held during the grape harvest season, autumn days and nights provide the perfect time to take off your shoes, step into the barrel or vat and begin crushing the grapes with your bare feet. Today this crush method is not permitted for making wines sold to the public, but is an activity that wineries and regions host, making for a whole lot of fun. Several of the grape stomp events have separate grape stomp categories for adults & kids. For big-time honors, Santa Rosa Harvest Festival holds World Championship Grape Stomp at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair in late September.

What a rush feeling the juice ooze out as your feet squeeze and break the soft skins of the precious grapes! It's an experience everybody should try once. Be prepared-depending on the grapes used, you may end up with purple feet!

 

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