Saturday, August 16, 2008

Dreaming, Living and Stomping

Dream as if you'll live forever.
Live as if you'll die today.
-James Dean

One of my dreams: to go grape stomping before I turned thirty. Grape stomping was the thing, Delaney Vineyards was the place, and today was the day.


It was a perfect day. I loved the colors best. The sky sat a heavy, muted shade of gray. The vines unfurled an emerald green. And the grapes? They blushed a blueberry blue. Piles and piles of blueberry blue.

I wanted to take them all home and spill them from baskets and just look at them.

You couldn't, of course. It was harvest day at the vineyards and buckets and bins of grapes sat around waiting for their turn in the tumbler, a machine that separated the grapes from their stems. Men with large plastic shovels stood on top of the machine and scooped grapes into the hopper. I thought of those two scoops of raisins commercials and laughed.

I'm not sure what kind of grapes they use for raisins, but these weren't them. The grapes my friend and I saw today were headed for Delaney's wooden barrels, to ferment and age and become Merlot and Chardonnay wines.

After they were stomped, of course.


Stepping into a vat of mushed grapes is unlike any other feeling I've ever felt. Slushy and gritty, the mixture also ran fluid and slippery. Feeling that purple soup churn around my ankles reminded me of something one would experience in a spa. It was comforting, somehow. Almost therapeutic. I could have squished and stirred those grapes all day.

But I didn't. I lifted one foot out, then the other, and breathed a happy sigh. I did it. Under a stormy gray sky alongside twisting, emerald vines, I stomped grapes. Before I turned thirty. And it was as wonderful as I'd envisioned.

I'll drink (a wine sample) to that.

So here's to us. Here's to dreaming a little and living even more. -Brin

19 comments:

Mia said...

oh, how cool!! Good for you!

Elenka said...

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to drink any wine that someone walked all over. Feet are gross. Glad you enjoyed it, tho.

Betty said...

Aha..it was barefoot stomping! Ooh so fun, glad you have that wish done, now on to the next!

Gracie G. said...

That looks like fun! Were your feet stained for awhile after that? I remember a reader I had for school when I was little and they talked about the Jewish people and how they would stomp grapes and how their clothes and legs would be stained, but it looked like a lot of fun. I wonder if we still have that book?

So what is on the rest of your list of things to do before you turn 30? That is, if you don't mind sharing. :)

Polly said...

So glad you're back, Brin. We've missed you.

Polly

Jim Looby said...

Sadly, all I can picture is the "I Love Lucy" episode where she stomped grapes... hope you didn't fall.

Louise said...

I totally agree.. I didn't think they still stomped grapes for wine.. That is so disgusting. But on the other hand it did look like fun... But why on earth do they want people to stomp them.. don't they have a press??? Or is it the toe jam that makes the flavor??? LOL
Louise in Alberta. Canada

jodi said...

The smell of the grapes must have been heavenly.

Harbor Hon said...

I would have loved to have seen you stomping grapes! It looked like so much fun! I'm glad you are doing things that you've set goals for. Isn't that what life is all about? Thanks for sharing. xxoo

Terri Steffes said...

I grape stomped for my FIL many years ago. The wine he makes is thick and sweet, a German thing I guess. I remember having the same feelings as you... I could do this over and over and never tire of it. I saw myself as a German woman in the mid 1700s... fat and happy...

cathleen said...

Love how you captured the luscious color of those grapes. Do you still have purple stains on your feet? Inquiring minds want to know. Glad you had such fun and crossed one thing off your list.

kali said...

Sounds like so much fun! Makes me curious as to what else is on your list. I'm in my twenties and I am thinking I might need to start a list of my own!
Thanks for the inspiration you are to us girls...to dream and live and do and matter!
love,
kali

Nana Trish is Living the Dream said...

I think it is so wonderful that you really get out there and experience life. I don't think you will ever regret it. I know I do regret not doing lots of things that I'm now too old to do. You are very wise to do the items on your list. I have fun reading and seeing the pictures of your adventures. Don't ever stop!

Unknown said...

Hi Brin, I'm so happy you got to fulfill a want, life is short to miss out. I too can't help but think of "I Love Lucy" !

Anonymous said...

Good thing you didn't watch this before you went:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_1YgYdGzXA

Brambleberry said...

I feel the same as many...while I'm glad you were able to experience something so cool, it kinda grosses me out to think that feet touched a foodstuff.

Just experienced a whole body shiver thinking about it. :)

But, again, glad you were able to cross it off the list!

Deb said...

What a great adventure! Made me think of the grape stomping episode on I Love Lucy too :-)

ancient one said...

Grape stomping has never even crossed my mind as something I would want to do.. ha ha.. I'm rather dull...That's why I love your blog and your free spirit...

Marie Louise said...

This looks like great fun! I imagine it must stain your feet, no? I have to admit it never occurred to me to go grape stomping despite the fact that I've sampled much of it's ending product. Hmmmm....you've got me thinking now!