Morgan Creek Winery
Lucille Ball Lookalike Grape Stomp
David Price
The annual Lucy Grape Stomping contest at the Morgan Creek Winery is always a hoot.
The owners even remembered us from a couple of trips about 10 years ago. The event has grown since then and is more spread out. Back in the day everything was to the left side of the entrance road.
I counted nine cars at Burlington ready to roll out at 9:00 AM. John & Angela pulled up in a 1950 Chevy pick up truck. A real beauty. Soon we were caravanning up Hwy 231 and picked up a few more folks in-route. 231 is a fun drive to 280 and before I knew it, we were there.
The fist thing on our list was, of course, the wine tasting. It is amazing how many different wines they make here from Muscadines & Scuppernongs. They also make Blueberry wines but had none on this visit. After sampling about 8 wines our favorites were picked and it was time to buy some wine. Various wines were available by the glass, bottle, or case. Debra & I opted for a chilled bottle and two glasses.
The wine was necessary to convince Debra to stomp grapes. Here I must say the ONLY Lady in our group to dress like Lucy was Ione Williams. You looked great as a red head Ione!. Three ladies – Ione, Amanda, & Debra – entered the barrels with squishy wild grapes and juices between their toes. We have the pictures, they did it.
Lunch was a BBQ vendor at reasonable prices. About now we realized one folly of our small cars. Other people had chairs, umbrellas, and pop ups to sit in the shade. We didn’t and it was getting toasty. Underneath a large tent we found tables reserved with names. Like a melting hoard we invaded and had lunch.
Well the wine was gone, it was hot, and our folks started exiting well before the Lucy Stomp Off began. I threw out a nearby road to Debra, Blitz, & Amanda and we also opted to leave early. Alabama’s mini Dragon, nicknamed the Pig Tail was nearby. A few of us never miss the opportunity to hit this road. 19 miles of twisting & turning as you go up and then down this mountain. Blitz had me go first as he videoed. Naturally, this meant push the A as hard as I dared. All was well until I couldn’t brake hard enough and – per Blitz – the A can be seen and heard sliding around one sharp turn. Fun!
By my count we had about 16 or so folks including new members Alex (early Mini) and Carolin (newer MINI). The weather is cooling so look forward to more adventures with the club as well as making your own day trips. If ya got ’em – drive ’em..
Terry Young reports:
It was a great day for top-down drive to the 2015 Grape Stomp. We assembled at our usual rendezvous – the Burlington Coat Factory parking lot. By nine or so we were on the way north on US 239 following the wine trail (sort of) the on to US 239/280 to Harpersville, Alabama’s Morgan Creek Winery. Along the way we connected with a couple more BMCM members who quickly joined our Conga Line to the Grape Stomp. When we arrived we again pleasantly surprised to find even more of our BMCM members.
Wine Tasting Tickets in hand we assemble in the wine tasting tent. We lingering as long as we dared enjoying the several wines offered by Morgan Creek. Although we didn’t necessarily get our fill we floated on over to the wine stomping area.
Ione Williams our only “Lucy Look-a-Like” was ready to stomp – which she did with abandon. She was not alone. There were many dressed in the “Lucy Grape Stomp” spirit dancing arm-in-arm while confined in the half-barrels undoubtedly experiencing the sensation of squashed grapes between the toes. As a note you didn’t have to dress up like Lucy to participate in the ancient tradition of wine making which many did – young and old alike – jumping into the briny liquid all receiving a foot-stamp (in purple, of course) as a souvenir.
As we were leaving – yes, a bit early – the “Lucy Look-a-Likes” were still arriving. I can only guess about the winner – it would be a difficult choice.
The BMCM turn-out for the day was Mack and Ophelia, John and Angelia, David and Debra, Bob and Marion, ” John & Shirley, Carl and Kathy, Allen and Ione, Wayne, Fred, Blitz and Amanda, Alex & Samantha (?) first timer, Carolin (in her MINI) also there and Terry and Georgia.