Beliveau Estate Winery hosts its sixth annual Grape Stomping Festival from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at the estate on Gallion Ridge Road in Blacksburg.
The event, called Stomp Me, Squeeze Me, Make Me Wine! is free and features live music, local vendors, food specials, wine tasting “…and, of course, grape stomping!” the Estate announcement said. Kids are welcome.
Beliveau Estate Winery opened in 2012 and is the first and only farm winery in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“We hosted our first Grape Stomping event just six months after opening our doors as a winery. The event continues to grow each year attracting people from all over the state,” Jessie Richards, the winery’s events coordinator wrote in the announcement. “Our annual Grape Stomping Festival allows us to celebrate the roots of traditional wine making. Before the days of fancy equipment like a wine press, the process of crushing the grapes to begin the fermentation process was done by feet.”
Over the years, most wineries have moved away from this process to increase efficiency and cut down on labor cost.
“While a wine press is certainly more effective, it’s far less fun. Today, Grape Stomping is more of a romanticized item on the “bucket list” than an actual necessity of wine making,” Richards wrote.
Beliveau Estate Winery celebrates the tradition each September setting up a large round tub for participants to climb into and stomp.
Kids are welcome to go into the large tub with parents or a smaller child-sized version off to the side.
The winery provides foot-washing stations before and after stomping and stomping tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
An attendant continuously adds fresh grapes to the bin, so everyone gets the full experience.
“If you plan on stomping, we encourage you to wear bottoms that are easily pulled or tied up. By the end of the day the grapes and juice can come up to above your knees,” Richards wrote. “Once you are in, we invite you to stomp, squeeze, or dance- just have fun. This is truly an experience to remember.”
The festival will also feature live music by Awesomesauce, a local Blacksburg band who will play from 2-5 p.m.
The kitchen will feature our gourmet pizzas with other grape and harvest-inspired specials!
“We are also excited to welcome local vendors who will be set up around the hill-top featuring local products,” the announcement said.
For more information, call the winery at 540-961-0505 or email Jessie@beliveauestate.com.
