Grape Stomping Anyone?

Pigeage pronounced “peej-AHJE,” is the French winemaking term for the traditional stomping of grapes in open fermentation tanks. Grapes are put through a crusher to remove stems and then placed in open fermentation bins. The fruit must be gently crushed to allow the juice to run free from the grape skins but must stay in contact to provide color and tannins. Once fermentation begins, carbon dioxide gases are released and push the grape skins to the surface. This layer of skins and other solids is known as the cap. As the skins are the source of the tannins and color, the cap needs to be mixed through the liquid each day, or “punched down”.  Traditionally, punching down was done by stomping through the vat, thus “pigeage.”

The annual Grape Stomp Harvest Festival is one of our favorite traditions at MountainRose. Here are a few fun facts about the grape stomp!

*For centuries, stomping grapes was the method used to extract juice from the fermented grapes. Grape stomping works because the pressure from human force is gentle enough so the seeds won’t break-creating bitterness.

*It is believed the practice of grape stomping dates back to ancient Rome with Maenads, the female followers of Dionysus – the god of winemaking.

*One of the earliest existing visual representations of grape stomping is on a Roman sarcophagus showing a group of demigods harvesting and stomping grapes at a Roman festival.

*Each year, the World Championship Grape Stomp is held in Sonoma County, California.

*Mechanization of the wine process has largely replaced grape stomping in modern wine making today.

Join us for our Annual Grape Stomp Harvest Festival for hayrides, grape and wine tastings, other activities, and of course the Stomping of the Grapes! Visit our Events page for details