ROSE HILL, N.C. – For nearly 50 years, Duplin Winery has invited people to experience making wine the old-fashioned way, by stomping grapes with their bare feet and celebrating the harvest at one of North Carolina’s most famous fall events.

The invitation is extended once again this year for everyone to join the vineyard festivities this Saturday.

Grape Stomp is a day-long party in the stunning Rose Hill vineyards where guests get to see the grape vines in all their glory, pick America’s native muscadine grapes, taste new wines and work their stomping muscles in a competition to see who can crush the most juice from fresh grapes.

Grape Stomp started in 1976, when Duplin co-founder Dave Fussell Sr. needed help crushing grapes for the then-tiny operation’s first batch of muscadine wine. He invited the local community to come lend not a hand but their feet! Hundreds of people showed up to support the winery. Grape Stomp went on to become one of North Carolina’s most beloved festivals as Duplin grew into the world’s largest muscadine winery.

“Our family has cherished the muscadine harvest season ever since my dad put on that first Grape Stomp, before we had the mechanical grape crushers we use today. But the harvest also means a lot across the South,” Duplin co-owner Jonathan Fussell said. “These are America’s native grapes, used to make the first American wines. We are honored to continue the tradition and share it with everyone at Grape Stomp.”

Grape stomping is the main attraction at this true harvest festival, but sampling the fruit of the winemakers’ labors is just as enticing. Bartenders pour many of Duplin’s 40-plus wines, including the first-in-the-world Muscadine Moscato white blend and an exceptional, citrus-infused Orange Blossom blush.

Attendees will be the first to try the winery’s yet-to-be-revealed 2023 holiday blush wine. “Every year, in addition to our traditional Christmas wines, we release a highly anticipated, seasonal blush, and this year’s is not only spectacularly refreshing, but it also has what may be our most collectible label ever — a tribute to our new location in Panama City Beach, Florida,” Fussell said.

Tickets to attend the Grape Stomp festival and concert cost $15. The additional grape stomping ticket – including a bottle of wine, special gift and the chance to stomp grapes — costs $30. Duplin slashes $5 off the stomping ticket price when it and the festival/concert ticket are purchased in advance at duplinwinery.com/grape-stomp.