I always say, if you are going to a grape stomp, go in style. Yes indeed. Don’t I wish it was my ride.
The Murphys Grape Stomp is also a street faire, but I’ll get to that tomorrow. My friend and I wandered around town and met with any number of costumed participants, waiting their turn to stomp. The Wild Ones hadn’t stomped yet.
Welches Wenches had just placed sixth in their heat. They qualify for the finals if they place in the top ten.
“The Foot” didn’t register to stomp. He enjoys the fun of being in costume. And, drinking beer. This may be a wine event, but, hey, beer was pretty popular, too.
If you are going to stomp, you may as well get fortified with a glass of liquid grapes, first!
The volunteer crews load the buckets with wine grapes.
The stage is set with 10 barrels and 10 buckets of grapes. Ten teams compete at once. A bucket of grapes is placed beside each barrel while the audience waits to cheer for their favorites.
The contestants line up, some stomp barefooted, some ruin their shoes.
They dump their grapes in the barrel on cue. Then wait for introductions of each team which leaves them time to discuss and work out any last-minute strategy. The team member on the ground helps scrape the juice through the spout into the waiting vessel to be measured.
A team from Chico has won the event 8 times and has set the record for the amount of juice collected during one stomp. They’ve quit stomping this year and this young team is Chico’s new hope. They’ve received plenty of advice from the retiring team.
They’re off and stomping. People I’ve talked to say, it is harder than it looks.
The scraper is considered as important as the stomper. The scraper’s tatoo reads: Don’t be afraid to go after what you want to do and what you want to be. Don’t be afraid and be willing to pay the price.” A philosopher.
Some of the stompers have several teams. They form a club to attend the stomp every year. I saw three couples, all women dressed like men. They call themselves the Batchelorette Party Crew.
These two women have dressed up and designated themselves the Grape Fairies. One is the Night Fairy and the other is the Day Fairy of the Grape Stomp.
This guy with the hot dog hat was with a team of about six or seven members with t-shirts proclaiming “Stomp Your Wienie.” Maybe they are trying for a different kind of stomp, but I’m guessing everyone is simply having a good time at the grape stomp. I did too.
