NJ Grape Stomping Festival gets guests 'feet-on' with wine-making tradition

Matteo Iadonisi Image
Sunday, September 3, 2023
NJ Grape Stomping Festival gets guests 'feet-on' with wine tradition
The Grape Stomping Festival continues on Sunday, September 3rd, at Laurita Winery in Ocean County, New Jersey.

NEW EGYPT, New Jersey (WPVI) -- When life gives you grapes, stomp them into wine. This weekend's annual Grape Stomping Festival at Laurita Winery lets you get a taste of the old tradition!

"Here at Laurita, we use the more modern way. We use machinery," said manager Stephen Johnson. "This weekend though, we wanted to give people a taste of the past, the way they did it in years long gone."

The festival is fit with two wagons carrying baskets of grapes that guests can freely stomp. Volunteers help all ages come aboard and get their feet washed afterward. The activity is purely for fun, historical purposes and the colorful mess left behind is eventually discarded.

"I've been trying to do this for many years and today is finally the time," said Lissette Alvarez of Manalapan Township. "You have to try everything once in your lifetime."

The Grape Stomping Festival continues on Sunday, September 3, 2023, with live music, food trucks, wine tasting, and more. Click here for more information.

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