Greetings Grape Stompers,
Wow- what an incredible time we had! The weekend of Grapestomp proved to be one of the best I have ever experienced.
The weekend started off on a high note with some unbelievable weather, sunshine and clear skies. The sunny weather was reflected in our guests attitudes, as we saw people dressed in bright costumes, hosted a large, giddy bridal party, and had an 80 year old Grandma (of the bride-to-be) stomp out the competition in her heat. Although she won her heat, the grand winner of the day went to "The Harlem Grape Trotters" with an impressive 201 ounces, sending these first-timers to the finals on Sunday.
After a good nights sleep, we came out on Sunday morning to get ready for another round of stomping and found the weather to be classic for Oregon; wet. Being native Oregonians, we rolled with the punches and moved the entire operation undercover in our Breezeway, protected from the dripping rain. I have to say that this move was a bit tight, but created a terrific energy that resonated all day. With bull horn in hand we approached the finals. Grapes were weighed out to ensure fairness and each Barrel cleaned and ready to go. Stompers were ready, swabbies were set, and the whistle was blown. Cheering from the crowd were family and friends of the teams, all hoping their favorites would win. At the end of each 3 minute heat we weighed out what was captured and got our winners. In the end, we sent Soraida Cross and Kristi Reed to the World Grape Stomp Competition in Santa Rosa, CA where they competed this last weekend. We received this tweet from Soraida after their California stomping,“The grape stomping was a blast, we lost our heat, memories priceless. Thanks for all the well wishes #SalemOR”.
I absolutely can't wait till next year!
-Wende Bennette
Winery Ambassador
The weekend started off on a high note with some unbelievable weather, sunshine and clear skies. The sunny weather was reflected in our guests attitudes, as we saw people dressed in bright costumes, hosted a large, giddy bridal party, and had an 80 year old Grandma (of the bride-to-be) stomp out the competition in her heat. Although she won her heat, the grand winner of the day went to "The Harlem Grape Trotters" with an impressive 201 ounces, sending these first-timers to the finals on Sunday.
After a good nights sleep, we came out on Sunday morning to get ready for another round of stomping and found the weather to be classic for Oregon; wet. Being native Oregonians, we rolled with the punches and moved the entire operation undercover in our Breezeway, protected from the dripping rain. I have to say that this move was a bit tight, but created a terrific energy that resonated all day. With bull horn in hand we approached the finals. Grapes were weighed out to ensure fairness and each Barrel cleaned and ready to go. Stompers were ready, swabbies were set, and the whistle was blown. Cheering from the crowd were family and friends of the teams, all hoping their favorites would win. At the end of each 3 minute heat we weighed out what was captured and got our winners. In the end, we sent Soraida Cross and Kristi Reed to the World Grape Stomp Competition in Santa Rosa, CA where they competed this last weekend. We received this tweet from Soraida after their California stomping,“The grape stomping was a blast, we lost our heat, memories priceless. Thanks for all the well wishes #SalemOR”.
I absolutely can't wait till next year!
-Wende Bennette
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| Founder, Jim Bernau swabbed for Mrs. Portland! |
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| Me and the winners! Next stop, Santa Rosa, CA! |
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