Michelle Chartier of Central Valley (left) and an unidentified "Lucy" stomp grapes at Palaia Vineyard on Saturday.
September 14, 2009
The grapes have ripened at Palaia Vineyard and a group of enthusiastic wanna-be winemakers showed up on Saturday to begin the process by stomping on the grapes.
Winery owner Jan Palaggi said that the annual Lucy Look-Alike contest attracted 13 women who dressed up in a costume similar to that worn by Lucy O’Ball in a hilarious television program in which she and her friend Ethel stomped grapes in Italy.
Palaggi described how, despite the light rain that was falling, the women stood in bins of grapes to crush the fresh grapes underfoot. “We had a great time and all the ‘Lucy’s’ went home with a bottle of wine for being such good sports,” Palaggi reports, noting that one fellow showed up as “Ricky,” determined to win over a Lucy at the stomping event.
Check out the original “I Love Lucy” grape-stomping episode below.
