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A California vineyard is giving Liquor Enthusiasts get the chance to fulfill their dreams of becoming farmers in special “Grape Camps”.
Affluent wine lovers are shelling out $5,000 each or $7,500 for two to attend the Sonoma County Grape Camp, an excursion that allows them to experience every stage of a bottle of wine’s lifecycle – from plucking grapes from the vine to stomping on them in giant vats, wall street journal Report.
The harvest season in California’s wine country runs from August to November, with farmers working through the night to pluck grapes from the vines, meaning that regardless of the weather, grape camp participants are also sent through the fields at all times.
“Everyone was saying it was like a Lucy moment,” said real estate investor Lisa Roth, who lived through the experience with her stepmother. magazineReferencing the iconic “I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy comically chokes grapes to her knees.
Roth said, “I thought it was just for show, but they were like, ‘Oh no, we’re not wasting any grapes. These grapes will be extra delicious.'”
Camp participants were eager to receive a bottle of the wine they had helped produce. The grapes they ate are set to be turned into rosé next year at Limerick Lane Cellars in Healdsburg, California.
While they are being put to work, the three-day excursion also offers luxurious living quarters and some of the best cuisine in the area, including farm-to-table meals and curated dinners.
Camp Grape also gives participants “behind the scenes” winery tours and sommelier-led training sessions to learn about aroma, flavor and texture.
This program was started in 2007 Sonoma Wine Producers and promises attendees that they will have the opportunity to “work a little, eat a lot, meet locals who do this for a living and drink the fruits of your labor.”
Camp took several years, but was revived this year due to continued resentment from longtime fans of the program.
Campers also get a chance to participate in a winemaking competition, which is won by Roth and his stepmother.
According to the report, for the competition, teams were given a base wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, which they had to mix with other varieties to create a unique blend. The results were then evaluated by a local winemaker.
“We beat the food and wine publisher!” Roth excitedly told the outlet.
“I like wine but I don’t know much about it,” she said. “Now I feel sorry for anyone who comes to my house, they have to hear the whole story.”