Have You Ever Stomped Grapes?

Have you ever been to a Grape Stomp? We certainly hadn't - but it sounded fun! The Truro Vineyards (in Truro, of course) hosts a Jazz festival and grape stomp as part of "Truro Treasures" weekend. It's all small town, community-building type fun, and happens every fall. Today at the Vineyard there was a craft fair, wine tastings, food vendors, live bands... and an actual grape stomp.

The workers poured crate after crate filled with grapes into a large wooden vat and announced, "Okay kids, time to jump in!"

Honestly, it's not only the kids who jumped for it. There were plenty of grown-up type folks who'd seen Lucille Ball do this in black and white a lo-o-o-ng time ago, and just couldn't resist.

It was quite crowded at first, so that it was hard to even take photos, but the novelty wore off quickly as parents realized that grape stains don't come out, and kids realized that cold grapes squishing between your toes doesn't make for long term enjoyment. My daughter and a few others were the exceptions, with parents that didn't mind the stains and toes that found the squishing to be intensely fun.
My daughter and her new friend Peyton were among the last to leave the stomping vat. Another little boy wanted to be the very last one. He kicked grapes at my daughter (note the stains all the way up her legs) but then he promptly (and deservedly) fell on his bottom. Boom. Splat. Grapes stuck everywhere. His parents dragged him out of the vat.

My proud wine maker. She's never seen that episode of "I Love Lucy" ... but when she does, she can honestly say, "Hey! I've done that! I even got into a grape fight (sort of) in the vat!"

If you get a chance, you should try this. She give it two thumbs (and ten crimson-colored toes) way up.