Grape Stomp

Home to more than 200 wineries, Oregon's Willamette Valley has earned a strong reputation for its production of Pinot Noir, one of my personal favorites. (Other varietals produced in the region include Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Melon, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, and some Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.)

This past Sunday, I headed south to Willamette Valley Vineyards to attend their annual Grape Stomp Championship & Harvest Celebration. We arrived at noon and already, the party was in full swing: a local cover band was playing on the lawn in front of the winery; families, couples and other groups were enjoying wine and picnics on blankets and in portable chairs; and a new heat of the Stomp had begun.


Eight barrels of grapes were lined up on wood pallets; a PVC pipe connected each barrel to a plastic one-gallon jug. Liquid from foot-crushed grapes drains through the pipe to the jug. Teams of two people were assigned to a barrel of grapes; one team member was barefoot in the barrel, the other stayed outside the barrel to provide physical support to the stomper and to ensure the jug stayed properly attached to the pipe. The team who had the most grape juice in their container at the end of the five-minute heat was declared the winner.

Some of the teams were dressed in costumes: togas, to channel Dionysus; suspenders and peasant dresses for more of a provincial look; a bright red satin evening gown that was awfully similar to a dress I wore to a formal high school dance in (ahem) the early 90s.

After cheering on a few heats of the stomp, we enjoyed views of the Willamette valley from our picnic blanket, and of course, some delicious pinot noir.



Viewfinders photographer Greg Vaughn has shot dozens of the region's vineyards; his images are posted here. The first two images are of Willamette Valley Vineyards' vines and a previous year's Grape Stomp.

The third and fourth images were shot at Champoeg Vineyard, which is planted on the south facing slope of a small hill known as La Butte, overlooking the beautiful French Prairie.

Below is an image of the Archery Summit underground aging caves, which are modeled on the subterranean cellars of the Côte d’Or. Naturally insulated with volcanic rock, the temperature in the caves remains between 55-59 degrees throughout the year, with humidity below 75 percent.


All of the images are available from Viewfinders for licensing or as gallery prints.