Annual Oregon Grape Stomp Championship & Harvest Celebration

Harvest time in the Willamette Valley means a lot of hard work for Oregon wineries and grape growers. The picking, sorting, destemming, cleaning, fermenting, racking and camaraderie that comes along with all this work is truncated into two months between mid-September and early November.
Oregon’s harvest is also worth celebrating. Willamette Valley Vineyards includes all wine enthusiasts in the fun, inviting them each year to the winery to press grapes with their feet at the Oregon Grape Stomp Championship & Harvest Celebration.

Now in its 33rd year, Grape Stomp takes place Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22, 11 am to 6 pm, at the Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate in the Salem Hills. Teams of two people each will compete to win a $500 Willamette gift card and an overnight stay in a Willamette winery suite. Prizes will be awarded to those dressed in costumes or team uniforms.

“Sharing harvest is part of the Oregon wine tradition,” said Founder and CEO Jim Bernau. “Grape Stomp brings wine enthusiasts into the excitement of what’s happening in our vineyards and cellars during this time of year.”

Competitive pairs are made up of a “Stomper,” who crushes the wine grapes, and a “Swabbie,” who steadies the barrel and collects the juice. Each heat lasts three minutes, and the team that gathers the most juice earns a spot in the Finalist Stomp at the end of each day. The ultimate face-off will occur on Sunday, September 22 at 5 pm, when the final top two teams compete for the championship award.

Entry into the Grape Stomp competition is $70 per two-person team ($50 for club members and owners) and includes two Willamette-branded Riedel Pinot Noir glasses, two wine flights, $15 wine bottle credit and a chance to compete for the grand prize. Competitors are encouraged to pre-register to participate in the Grape Stomp.

General admission for spectators is $30 per person ($20 for club members and $15 owners), including one Willamette-branded Riedel Pinot Noir glass, one wine flight, live music and a $15 wine bottle credit. Entry into the Kids Grape Stomp Competition is free for kids ages 12 and under with a parent present. Please note that the kids’ portion of the event is sold out, but those interested can join a waitlist. The Kids Grape Stomp will take place at 12:15 pm each day of the event.

A special food menu created by Executive Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre will be available for purchase, along with wine tastings, a costume competition and live music. For more information. visit www.wvv.com/events.

About Willamette Valley Vineyards
Founded in 1983 by CEO Jim Bernau with the dream of creating world-class Pinot Noir while serving as stewards of the land, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown from a bold idea into one of the region’s leading wineries, earning the title “One of America’s Great Pinot Noir Producers” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. In addition, all the vineyards have been certified sustainable through LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe programs. With 1,000 acres under vine, Willamette farms its Estate winery in the Salem Hills, sparkling winery Domaine Willamette in the Dundee Hills, pioneering Tualatin Estate Vineyard near Forest Grove and Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. The winery has expanded in recent years to include 10 tasting rooms in Oregon, Washington and California – growth made possible by the stock ownership of many wine enthusiasts.
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