Juice flows at Cambria Crush

Cold feet don't

stop grape stompers

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

CAMBRIA -- Vehicles lined both sides of a gravel road leading to Morgan Creek Vineyards Saturday afternoon.

A sign on the back of a recreational vehicle read "Cambria or bust."

A festive atmosphere reminiscent of the Renaissance Fair prevailed at the Cambria Crush Annual Grape Stomp -- advertised as an event for which "You're rarely too young and never too old to bring in the harvest of the season."

Background entertainment included Middle Eastern music, belly and British dancers.

Teams of grape stompers removed their shoes and jumped into a shallow tub partially filled with dark grapes. The object of the contest was to vigorously trample on the grapes for two minutes, after which the amount of juice created was measured. Teams producing the most juice received prizes of wine from Morgan Creek.

Competitors dressed for the occasion in team uniforms, ranging from coordinated shirts to hillbilly outfits. The vineyard also awarded prizes for the best costumes.

Many grape stompers appeared to be feeling the spirits of the vine before the competition began.

Four St. Paul women -- Bev Williams, Jane Wicke and Jennie Woog and Colene Woog (yes, relatives of former Gopher hockey coach Doug Woog) called themselves the Gorgeous Grape Stompers of St. Paul.

Their regalia included white sheets covered with corks and imitation grapes and leaves. The Gorgeous Grape Stompers won the first stomp costume competition.

Three Mankato women and their friend from Two Harbors -- Mary Sublet, Terese and Jessica Schoten of Mankato and Judy Thompson -- displayed their wine-tasting knowledge with the message on their shirts: "Sophisticated, seductive, complex and full-bodied," with the footnote "and the wine wasn't bad either."

The Morris Minnesota English dancers and the Heritagefest Narren led the first heat of stompers down the hill to the "stomping grounds." The stompers -- mostly women -- shouted for joy.

The costumes of the Grapes of Rats -- Danielle Hacker, Jessica Schneider, Jenny Durst and Harriet Wilhelm -- included ears and noses like the despicable rodent and also tails.

Competitors stomped for two minutes. Many participants said their feet got cold, but they didn't complain much. A couple Grapes of Rats team members slipped and fell out of the tub of grapes and juice.

"It was cold and slippery. I got tired after 30 seconds, but I got an adrenaline rush," Schneider said. "We'll do some aerobic training and be back next year."

Dave Clark of the KNUJ Radio One team described his experience in the stomp.

"That's the first time I was pushed out of a tub with four women in it," Clark said.

A group led by Kelly Scheuerlein of New Ulm won the first stomp.

The belly dancers danced their way down the hill towards the stomping area to Middle Eastern music after the first heat.

Julie Soehren and The Cathedral Runaway Brides won the second stomp costume contest.

A team led by Trudy Olmonson of St. Peter won the second stomp team competition.