Grape Stompin’ at Kirkwood Winery

Kirkwood Winery has more than 40 unique flavors of wine. And you can try them all at their annual Grape Stompin’ Festival on Sept. 20 & 21, 2014.

Only $12 will grant you access to:

• Local crafters and vendors
• Live entertainment, including music from Southern musical favorites like the Davisson Brothers, Farrah & Distant Thunder and The Hillbilly Stompers, as well as traditional dance performances, including clogging, and more
• A chance to squish grapes through your bare toes in a big vat (dress appropriately!)
• Grape eating and stomping contests
• A tasting glass to keep
• And of course, tastings!

This is a family friendly festival and those 20-12 get in to enjoy all the happenings (minus the tastings!) for $5. Under 12 gets to have fun for free.

Your Festival Must-Sip List

All of Kirkwood’s flavors are interesting and delicious. Many take from traditional Appalachian flavors to create regionally-inspired drinks you might not find around the rest of the country.

Here are 6 distinct wines inspired by Southern WV flavors 

Dandelion
Yes, the yellow weeds. Turns out they have a use! It’s an old-time tradition to use the little yellow buds for flavoring. You won’t be able to look at them with the same disdain when they spring up in your yard next season.

Appalachian Ramp
For those not privy to the ramp, it is a wild onion that grows in West Virginia. The onion itself has a heavy taste and smell, and the wine has a garlicy flavor. It doesn’t sound compelling at first, but it will surprise you, and it’s great for cooking.

Black Satin Blackberry
Been blackberry picking? As soon as the berries ripen, you’ll find people out wandering the blackberry patch with baskets, harvesting some of the sweet fruit for themselves They’re a local favorite, and the deliciousness of the berry is preserved in this rich wine.

Ginseng
There is no family bonding like foraging for wild ginseng. Once common in the area, this Appalachian herb is best harvested from the wild, when you can pluck its small roots to use in herbal medicines. Its earthy flavor has an energizing kick.

Swiss Chard Rhubarb
A staple of home-baked pies, these leafy veggies also make a great white wine… with a kick.

Wild Elderberry
We in WV respect our elders as much as you should respect the full flavor of this elderberry wine. Folk tales say the plant can cure sicknesses, and Kirkwood’s beverage sure tastes powerful enough to do so.

You can give all the wines a sample, and buy a full glass if one tickles your taste buds. You’ll also be able to try the Isaiah Morgan Distillery‘s signature whiskeys.

Which wine are you most excited to try?