[October 2, 2022 - Murphys, CA - Sandra Hess]
The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance hosted the 29th Annual Calaveras Grape Stomp & Auction at Murphys Community Park on Saturday, October 1st. This annual event brings together our local vintner community with wine enthusiasts from near and far. Winemakers Matt Hatcher, Hatcher Winery, and Scott Klann, Newsome Harlow & Ten by Ten Wines, helped form the Calaveras Grape Stomp with Doug Brown who has MC'd the event for all 29 years. New this year, Martin Huberty co-MC'd the event with Doug and did a great job entertaining the audience with Calaveras Wine Fun Facts. Martin is a Calaveras Winegrape Alliance Board Member, the Director of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, and incoming District 3 Calaveras County Supervisor. What an honor to have this kind of commitment in our family-run wine region.
Months of preparation go into producing the Grape Stomp and days before, grapes are picked up, barrels are soaked in the creek at the Murphys Park (to swell and prevent juice leakage), the stomp stage is built, and wines are selected for wine sales at the CWA booths. It takes a little over 100 volunteers to host this event each year and we can't thank this community of supporters enough for their help.
Stomp teams are encouraged to come in costume for the Costume Contest and many of our long-standing stomp teams gather with family/friends for a reunion weekend around Grape Stomp. For many, the Calaveras Grape Stomp has become a family tradition as adult children get in on the fun! The stomp team who traveled the farthest came from Boston this year in celebration of a 60th birthday. We were honored to host this wonderful couple who stomped for the first time.
This year's Grape Stomp Auction donors included Greenhorn Creek Resort, The Gateway Hotel and Copper Valley Golf, Bear Valley Resort, Ali's Eats, Murphys Vacation Homes, Bear Valley, Bear Valley Adventure Company, Broll Mountain Vineyards, Ironstone Vineyards, Stevenot Winery, OARS, Boyle MacDonald Wines, The Victoria Inn and Dunbar House, Newsome Harlow Wines, Angels Camp RV Resort, Town Hall Art, Jazz Cellars, The Tipsy Frog Wine Bar, Sequoia Woods Country Club, Sierra Nevada Adventure Co., The Spice Tin, Tanner Vineyards, Frog's Tooth Winery, Hatcher Winery, Murphys Historic Hotel, Angels Camp Museum, and Boyle MacDonald Wines.
We would also like to recognize our event sponsors as without them, this event couldn't go on. A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO Copper Valley Resort and Gateway Hotel, Calaveras Visitors Bureau, Mark Twain Medical Center/Dignity Health, Bear Valley, Black Oak Casino, Gateway Press, Gold Electric, Sierra Hills & Angels Food Markets, Bank of Stockton, Fox Security, Murphys Suites, Signal Service, Dave Bowman - Northwest Mutual, Cal Waste, and 6 Mile Vineyard.
Now without further ado, let's checkout the 29th Annual Grape Stomp Competition Results! Find the complete list of results, heat winners and championship teams HERE. This year's first place team, "Dwelley Devistators" is a couple who has been coming to our Grape Stomp for years as dad, Ron Dwelley, is our Grape Stomp Timer. What an impressive win with 18.32 pounds of grape juice collected in the final heat! The 2nd Place title went to Team Hatcher Winery with 17.18 pounds of juice collected. 3rd Place honors went to Team School Street Wines with 16.03 pounds of juice.
To get involved in the 30th Annual Calaveras Grape Stomp set for Saturday, October 7, 2023, contact Calaveras Winegrape Alliance Executive Director, Sandra Hess, HERE.
