The St Josef's Grapestomping Festival started in 1983 when there were less than 30 wineries in Oregon. Proprietors, Josef & Lilli who emigrated from Germany, wanted to pass on a little bit of the harvest spirit to the burgeoning Oregon wine industry. Since running a vineyard and winery is a lot of hard work, they believed it was important to start the busy crush season off with a lighthearted approach. It all began with lively music, local foods and of course, stomping grapes in a barrel. It has grown to stomping next to a 1200 gallon Oak barrel that holds 3,000 bottles of wine, great music & locally made foods in a casual, relaxed European atmosphere.
