Grape-stomping at Singletree Winery.
Taste of Abby is the annual food festival, hosted by Tourism Abbotsford. It is designed to feature “unique culinary experiences at the peak of the harvest season”. (As taken from the website). And as its second year, the Taste of Abby Fall Food Festival has only gotten bigger and better. A week of eating and drinking fun, with aspirations of having it be a month long affair in the future.
The city invites folks to “explore a selection of diverse events, tasting menus and limited-edition creations” through a week long series of events where you are sure to “treat your palate to Abbotsford’s rich history, culture and cultivations at this premiere celebration in the beautiful Fraser Valley”.
The kick off was last Friday, an evening night market held at Jubilee Park in Historic Downtown Abbotsford. There was “live music from local musicians, artisan shopping, and fall flavours from Abbotsford’s makers including farmers, chefs; and winery, brewery and cidery owners.” With more people than anticipated stopping by, they had to turn folks away, and are already scooping out a larger space to host it next year.
Other events included a guided tour of Circle Farm, a pickle ball and pints event, and today’s grape stomping at Single Tree Winery.
We could not say no to the chance to kick it old school, with the ability to climb into a bucket or grapes and milk them of their juice by stomping on them until smashed: separating juice from skin and flesh.
This took place on a sunny afternoon at the hub of Singletree’s outdoor event space.
Sadly, the grapes we stomped were not authentic wine grapes from the property’s vineyard; as that would be too costly and we then would not have enough of their popular siegerrebe grapes for their “ziggy wine”. Not to mention the premise was just to experience this decades old tradition, no longer in use due to sanitary and practicality reasons.
We would removed our shoes and socks, roll up our pants, and climb into a giant, shallow wooden tub. There, waiting within were grocery store bought grapes on stem to crush. Each person had five minutes to stomp, dance, squish, and shuffle; with the goal of having juice pour out from the spout, into a plastic bucket.
Sadly, all in the tub and in the bucket was discarded, due to the same reasons as to why this method of juice extraction is no longer being performed commercially.
When done, there was a cleaning station set up to rinse and wiped down our feet with soapy water and paper towel.
Afterwards, guests were invited to enjoy Singletree further by purchasing a bottle of wine to enjoy on their covered picnic tables or a glass or two on their backyard patio.
We would sip on a glass of their signature Ziggy paired with a charcuterie box for two from Honey + Oak grazing boards.
This was the Siggy 2018 100% Siegerrebe grape wine from the Fraser Valley. A dry white that is cool fermented in Stainless steel; with notes of pear, crisp apple and stone fruit notes. A very easy drinking summer and patio wine.
And we were then further treated to a taste of the siegerrebe wine as a sweet grape juice, before the fermentation process. Provided and poured by Singletree’s principal winemaker.
Guests were able also wander through the vineyards and do a wine tasting in Singletree’s tasting room and retail shop.
Although you may have missed this complimentary event, there are still a few other ways you can take part in Taste of Abby, fall festival. This includes attending Harvest Fest 2023, a long table dinner; signing up for a foraging work shop; and enjoying Field House Brewing’s Field to Fist beer extravaganza. For more on these events and how to get tickets, visit the link below.
