Feet in the vat with friends at The Stomp, with t2
TT Bureau
Published 10.03.18, 12:00 AM
Whether you love wine or not, you cannot not love the first step that goes into making it. Grape-stomping, meant to usher in spring, is an age-old practice in the wine-making regions of the world that brings people and grapes together in a huge tub. It’s loads of fun and t2 joined a bunch, kicking off the shoes and stomping on grapes on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon. Where?
At the second edition of THE STOMP Wine Carnival, organised by Vedic Village Spa Resort in association with t2 — a carnival of sorts where 450-odd wine lovers let their hair down and sipped on their favourite drink... lots and lots of it!
“We came up with this concept one-and-a-half years back. Today a lot of people are interested in wine, they are more aware than they were 20 years ago. To sum it up, we wanted to give our guests a good afternoon, bidding farewell to winter and welcoming spring with good food and good wine,” said Abhijit Bose, president, Vedic Village Spa Resort.
Stomp... stomp... stomp! The ‘vat’, as it is traditionally called, with grapes, right in the middle of the venue, was the place to be at. And the most Instagram-worthy spot too.
The venue had three zones — one with a dance floor, the second with a vat for the stomping, and the
sip-and-bite area.
Red to white, pink to sparkly and even dessert wine — the options available were enough to spoil any wine-lover. One could take their pick from the stalls set up by different brands and the best part was that they could drink as many glasses as they wanted to, for no extra cost. The entry charge of Rs 1,500 had it all covered.
Wine glass in hand and feet dipped in grapes, actress Koneenica Banerjee spent the afternoon with her family. “The music, the mood... everything is great. I haven’t ever tried grape-stomping before, so I was very excited to do it here,” said Konee, who is “majorly” into wine. Her top picks? “I don’t like sweet wine. My favourites are the ones from France and Italy. I like Chilean wines too, the ones that aren’t too sweet.”
Friends and big smiles calls for a groupfie, isn’t it? It was Tanwi Tahlani’s (with a dummy bottle in hand) first time at the STOMP. “Though I am not that big a fan of wine, I wanted to experience stomping and also take part in wine tasting. Live music, wine, stomping and early summer... all together it is such a different and fun experience. I wish more such events are hosted in Calcutta,” said the homemaker.
It wasn’t the first time that friends Shivika Seksaria and Keshav Bansal attended the STOMP. “I had come for the first edition and thought it was wonderful... something so uncommon in Calcutta. So I had to come this time and I think this year it’s even better. I am loving the cheeses, the wines... and of course the stomping!” said Shivika, an entreprenuer.
For Neeraj Kapoor, who attended the wine carnival for the first time with wife Kiwi, it was a family outing. “Stomping on grapes with our feet, gorging on lipsmacking delights and the lovely ambience made for a perfect day,” said the entrepreneur.
Short summery dresses, denim shorts and tee, nude make-up and sunnies. This girl gang was dressed just right for the occasion. “The concept of grape-stomping was very new to me. That’s why I decided to come here with my friends. I love the ambience and we are enjoying it thoroughly,” said Pooja Bachhawat (right), a Calcutta-based pastry chef, sipping on wine and making the most of the afternoon with her squad.
A wide spread of food ensured that visitors kept refilling their plates. (From top) Roast Chicken, Chocolate Sugarcane and Gurer Rajbhog Tre Leches created a lot of foodie buzz.
