What's the deal with grape stomping?

The Morning Call Podcast

Morning Call Podcast host Kayla Dwyer has been invited back to the Great Allentown Fair Grape Stomp being held Sunday, Sept. 1, at 3:15 p.m. on Centennial Stage in Ag Hall. For this occasion, we're replaying an old favorite. You might think you know all there is to know about grape stomping -- it's something our ancestors did to make wine, and it lives on as a cultural spectacle at harvest festivals. But that's not the full story. This episode answers some key questions: Is it sanitary? Why grape stomp with feet at all, when wine presses have been around for thousands of years? Are there any wineries that still do it and then sell that wine? Special guests include Michela Centinari, an assistant professor of viticulture, and Molly Kelly, an enology educator, both at the Penn State Extension. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.