Though many outside of the wine business assume such quaint practices must be remnants of the past, crushing grapes by foot remains a popular technique throughout the wine industry, especially among the many small-batch producers in Santa Barbara County. It’s an effective — if messy, typically cold, and rather laborious — way to ensure that every corner of your fermenting bin gets attention, and foot-stomping the year’s harvest brings visceral romance to a process that’s been otherwise industrialized across the globe.
Your next best chance to experience the squishy sensation comes on October 22, when the Guadalupe Social Club hosts a “Grape-Stomping Adventure,” complete with rosé in your glass, a gourmet grazing table, and live music. But co-owner Brooks Van Wingerden — who opened the club on the main drag of the historic city west of Santa Maria earlier this year — is encouraging Santa Barbarans to make a day of the affair by taking the train both ways and exploring what makes Guadalupe a worthy destination.
NORTH COUNTY NICETIES: Take the train to the Guadalupe Social Club for a grape-stomp party on October 22, but make sure to enjoy the other pleasures of this historic city, including the many public murals. | Photo: Courtesy
Leaving the Santa Barbara train station just before 10 a.m., the round-trip Amtrak route (which costs about $60) heads along the Gaviota Coast and then through shockingly beautiful landscapes like Hollister Ranch, the Dangermond Preserve, and Vandenberg Air Force Base that you can’t usually see otherwise. It arrives around noon in downtown Guadalupe, where you can snap some selfies in front of the town’s colorful murals, and then settle into a deliciously authentic Mexican lunch at La Simpatia, El Tapatio, or one of the many other options.
The “Great Grape Stomp,” which costs $45 and is for ages 21-plus only, then runs 1-4 p.m., ending just in time to make the 5:45 p.m. train back to Santa Barbara. Van Wingerden suggests getting some pies from Two Guys Pizza delivered to the station, providing ample snackage for the sunset ride home.