Stomp Some Grapes

this September and beyond

By TOM NELSON Guest Contributor

The art of making wine has a long history that dates back more than 7,000 years and part of that history includes times when humans stomped on the grapes in vats to collect the juices needed to create the wine. The invention of wine presses and their ability to create the grape juice more efficiently effectively eliminated the need for the use of foot power but the fall harvest tradition of grape stomping or the French term “pigeage” continues at several wineries around the state of Minnesota - including Indian Island Winery in Janesville, which will host is 13th annual Grape Stomp Festival on Saturday, Sept. 10.

The Indian Island festival will include a day filled with fun activities on their scenic property that is highlighted by over 6,000 vines on 12 acres growing 17 different varieties of grapes. The festival will include live music throughout the day, wine tasting, food, a beer sampling tent featuring local craft breweries and, of course, the grape stomping competition.

The contest will be in heats of 20 stompers at 2 and 3 p.m. in groups of two. Prizes are awarded for the most juice collected by the stompers and a prizes are also awarded for the best costumed stompers.

“You sign-up in groups of two and each groups has a tub to stomp and we let you stomp for two or three minutes…

we time everything, so everyone gets to stomp for the same amount of time and everyone gets the same amount of grapes,” Indian Island’s Ray Winter said. “We take everything that you stomped and then we strain it, and the juice that drains out in 60 seconds is what you get credit for, and then whoever gets the most juice, wins wine at the end of the day.”

The festival has become a fall tradition at Indian Island, according to Winter.

“This will be our 13th annual Grape Stomp and people love it! They dress up in costumes and we have a contest for that and we also have a beer tent set up that day for beer tasting. We also have live music all day and we have really good entertainment and music. So there’s lots of things to do and we have a big beautiful space out here at the winery with gorgeous landscaping and lawns.”

Grape stomps at wineries have been growing in popularity over the years and some of that popularity can be traced back to a popular 1950s television sit-com that featured an iconic grape stomping scene on the “I Love Lucy Show” with Lucille Ball.

“It (grape stomping) is just kind of what people want to see at a winery,” Winter said. “Everybody knows the Lucille Ball episode where they were stomping grapes, even the younger people seem to know about that. People see that and think it would be a lot of fun…and it is fun!”

People can come out to Indian Island to participate in the grape stomping, or they can just come out to watch and enjoy the wine, beer tasting, food and music. Winter said that many people come out to watch and cheer for their friends who are in the grape stomping contest.

In case anyone was wondering, the juice collected in the contest is not used to make wine.

“It’s just for fun,” Winter said. “The grape stomping is how they pressed their wine originally but everything is done with machines now.”

The grapes used in the wine making process at Indian Island have a distinct local connection.

“We grow about half of the fruit we need in our own vineyard and then we have other local growers around us,” Winter said. “We pride ourselves in trying to be 100 percent Minnesota grapes. Sometimes the weather doesn’t allow that but most of the time we have enough fruit locally grown to be an all Minnesota wine.”

The selection of wines available at Indian Island include a full range (dry to sweet) of both white and red wines along with several dessert wines. Customers can enjoy tastings and purchase bottles at the winery and they can also purchase tasting tent. For more information on the event, please call 507-234-6222 or check out the Indian Island Winery website at www. indianislandwinery.com

In addition to the Grape Stomp Festival at Indian Island Winery, listed below are a few other Minnesota wineries offering a grape stomp experience this fall. Indian Island Winery - Janesville 18108 631st Ave. Janesville Phone: 507-234-6222 Website: indianislandwinery. com

Cannon River Winery -

purchase Indian Island wines at selected liquors stores around the state. “All of our wines are very, very good,” Winter said.

“The biggest comment we get from the wine tasting is that ‘I can’t believe that I like all of your wines.’” The cost to participate in this year’s grape stomp contest is $25 per person, which includes an exclusive Grape Stomp t-shirt. On the day of the event, there will be a $2 admission fee or a $5 admission fee if you are participating in the beer the winery (in downtown Cannon Falls) and the vineyard, an educational harvesting opportunity that is followed by a catered meal and wine tasting. Upon your return to the winery, you will get a demonstration of the de-stemming process along with coupons to use on wine purchases, along with a free event t-shirt. For more information, visit cannonriverwinery.com Cannon River Winery 421 Mill Street West Cannon Falls Phone: 507-263-7400 Website: cannonriverwinery.com

Chankaska Creek Ranch and

Winery - Kasota

A popular winery destination, Chankaska Creek does not have fall grape stomp event, but it will feature two music

events in September at its location in Kasota. On Friday, Sept. 2 at 6:00 p.m., “For One Night Only” will offer a tribute to the music of Elton John. The show will feature a full band,

Cannon Falls

The Cannon River Winery does not have a grape stomp event, but it does give you the opportunity to experience the fall grape harvest at its vineyards in the scenic Sogn Valley. For the cost of $25, you can be part of the Cannon River harvest experience. This includes shuttled transportation to and from CONTINUED page 9