As the summer comes to an end and schools and colleges get back in session, it brings around an important time for the wine community. August will start the beginning of grape harvest. Depending on the region and the variety of grape, harvest season will continue for a few months. For wineries, the harvest season is a reason to celebrate, as well as being a busy time to crush the fruit and make next year’s wine. A lot of work will happen in these next few months to bring smiles on faces of wine lovers.
Sumner Crest Winery celebrates by having a Grape Stomp Festival on the lawn. This will be 20th year for the popular festival. The Grape Stomp draws people from several states that enjoy participating in the annual event. The festival is always the last Saturday in August, and this year it falls on August 31. Although all the events draw a crowd, the Grape Stomp event is by far the most popular day at the winery. So many people remember the I Love Lucy show and want to see just how the grapes feel between their toes.
Sumner Crest will bring in 2,000 pounds of grapes for the event. Although the grapes are not used for wine, they provide a lot of fun for everyone. All ages are welcome, and there are three divisions in the Grape Stomp Contest: Children under 12, Ladies and Gents. All contestants are given the same amount of grapes and a certain amount of time to stomp in plastic tubs. After time is up, the contestant must transfer the juice and measure to see how much juice he or she got out of the grapes. The person to produce the most juice in each division wins a prize.
Registration to sign up for the contest will start at 3 p.m. and you must be present to register. The stomp will start at 3:30 p.m. and continue for three hours. This is a first come, first served event. Sumner Crest will try to make sure everyone gets a chance to stomp, but because the limit is three hours, at that point the contest will have to be called to get ready for the concert.
While you are waiting to stomp, you may go inside the winery and sample wines made on the premises at Sumner Crest. You may also wander around the extensive gift shop where you can find lots of unique wine-related items, along with some great gourmet products, sauces, and cheeses. Grape Stomp Day Specials are offered throughout the gift shop especially for that day.
The event is on the lawn, so you need to bring lawn chairs or blankets. You are welcome to bring a picnic with you, or there is a food vendor that will be selling sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. Patrons can buy a bottle of wine and enjoy it on the lawn, but no other alcohol is allowed. This is monitored; no beer or other alcohol is allowed on the Sumner Crest grounds. This is an event for all ages. Kids are welcome, but you must be present with your children at all times.
Your feet get used for more than stomping that day. After the stomp, get ready to dance the night away with a free concert on the lawn. This year Soul Soup will be our featured band. They will be performing hits of the past and present. The cover band does a great job of playing a variety of music so that everyone can pick a favorite. Music will be from 7 to 10 p.m.
The Stomp Contest is completely free and so is the concert. Sumner Crest invites you to join in the fun on August 31. The winery is only 20 minutes south of Bowling Green on I-65 at Exit 117. For more information you can contact the winery at 615-325-4086. You may also visit the website www.sumnercrestwinery.com or visit the winery page on Facebook.
The winery will finish off the summer events with a Classic Car Cruise-In and Oldies Concert on September 14.
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