Wine stomping is not something very regular in Kolkata. In fact, why Kolkata? We rarely see it in the eastern part of the country. And luckily, Vedic Village is one of the very very few places near Kolkata, where we can experience a grape stomping event. But what is wine or rather grape stomping?
Story of grape stomping
Wine stomping is a pretty wrong term. Wine, honestly, is never stomped. What is being done, is we stomp the grapes and the pulp and juice combined, is used for making wines. Now, this tradition is there from the 4000BC in Armenia. Afterwards, it has been documented/ seen in Egypt and to Roman paintings and documentation as well. Now, extracting juice by stomping them is, by no means, an efficient method. But it looks good and probably engages a crowd. And thus for the fun purpose, it’s being done.
However, do check the video here for more details
About the grape stomping event at the Vedic Village
Grape stomping, or wine stomping is an annual event at The Vedic Village, Kolkata. Now, for those who have yet not visited, Vedic Village is a hamlet, around 45 min drive from Salt Lake, Kolkata. It’s a luxury bunglow resort with huge activity area and a good swimming pool.
Please check the blogpost below for a detailed idea.
About the event at Vedic Village
The grape stomping festival at Vedic Village is held around the end of January, or the starting of February every year. And I try to make it to at least this invite there. The pictures that you’ll be seeing here, is mostly from the old archive (this year, I didn’t shoot and just enjoyed the company of friends)… but you can easily get a feel of the vibe there.
The main event is held in the huge ground beside the clock tower inside The Vedic Village. And the entire premises is decked up as a mela/ festive zone. On one side, is the wine and beer counter and on the other, there is the hut for cold cuts, salad bar and cheese. And it’s generally a pretty good spread. My personal favourite is their Bacon Jam and Chicken Liver Pate and they are definitely not to be missed.
In the centre, as expected, is the stomping deck with a cute short staircase. Proper cleanliness and hygiene is maintained for whomever is going for the stomp. For booze, there is mostly wine and beer (as expected), but there is a huge food zone, on the other side with more than 50 varieties of delicacies.
Most of the pictures in the below segment are taken (with permission) from Dipyaman Basu.. Do check his instagram profile here…
The food counter at the wine stomping, or grape stomping event at the Vedic Village, is actually huge. From dedicated kebab counter to live grill… from thin crust pizza to Indian delicacies, it’s a treat to be there. Just one suggestion, anytime you visit this event, apply some sun tan and carry your shades with you.
Overall, I feel this is probably the only Grape stomping or wine stomping event in the Eastern part of India and is a great option for family day out. Do let me know if you have attended any other such event and let’s share stories.
Do check the below video to have a feel of the entire event.
I can be reached at indrajit.lahiri@ymail.com
