Andrew Economon, left, executive director of hospitality for the Chumash Casino Resort, joins Shelby Sim, president and CEO of Visit Santa Ynez Valley, in the “I Love Rosé Lounge” at the inaugural Solvang Grape Stomp. 
Lucy Ricardo look-alikes Tracy Farhad, left, and Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau board member Laura Hanberg. 
Hannah Sacks gets up to her knees in grapes at the Solvang Grape Stomp. 
Lisa Lynch and Brett Escalera of the Sanger Family of Wines. 
Wendy Wolfe, left, and Janelle Hamilton. 
The Bryan Titus Trio provides toe-tapping music. 
Contestants in the Lucy Ricardo look-alike contest. 
Suzanne Schweizer of Sherman Oaks wins the Lucy Ricardo look-alike contest. 
Video personality Rebecca Brand, left, with Andrew Economon of the Chumash Casino Resort and Shelby Sim of Visit Santa Ynez Valley. 
Alex Uribe displays crowd-pleasing tacos from the California Tacos food truck. 
A sign at the “I Love Rosé Lounge” tent. 
Tasting room manager Jacqueline Boone of Lions Peak Vineyards. 
Event volunteers, from left, Tamara Brown, Rosie Caballero and Beatriz Mercado. 
Solvang Grape Stomp apparel for sale. 
Grape stompers clean up after the Solvang Grape Stomp.
The inaugural 2018 Solvang Grape Stomp was presented on a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon by the Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau along with sponsors Visit Santa Ynez Valley, the Chumash Casino Resort and the City of Solvang.
Proceeds from the entertaining event will benefit Santa Barbara Vintners.
The VIP hour and main event attracted a big crowd of local residents as well as out-of-town visitors.
Some traveled hundreds of miles to participate in the Lucy & Ricky Ricardo Look-alike Contest. Suzanne Schweizer of Sherman Oaks won for being the best Lucy Ricardo depicting the iconic TV epidosde when she takes a job in a vineyard stomping grapes and gets in a fight in the grape vat.
The Ricky Richardo look-alike contest was swept by West Hollywood plastic surgeon Steven Svehlak, who was the only entry but gave the crowd an authentic shout of “Lucy, I’m home” to the admiring crowd.
Lots of fun was enjoyed by guests who stomped their feet in vats of grapes freshly picked that morning and donated by Solvang’s own Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards. The winery donated four tons of grapes, which most guests described as “cool and squishy” while stomping.
Thirty world-class tasting booths operated at the outdoor festival, including Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Brick Barn Wine Estate, Carivintas Winery, CrossHatch Winery, D. Volk Wines, Feliz Noche Cellars, Fiddlehead Cellars, Grace Wine, Hilliard Bruce, J. Wilkes Wines, Kita Wines, Lafond Winery and Vineyards, Larner Vineyard & Winery, Lions Peak Vineyards, Lucas & Lewellen/Toccata, Lumen, Martellotto Winery, Martian Ranch & Vineyard, Melville Vineyards & Winery, Pence Vineyards & Winery, Santa Barbara Winery, Sevtap Winery, Spear Vineyards & Winery, Solvang Brewing Co., Sanger Family of Wines, Twenty Mile Winery and others.
The Chumash Casino Resort sponsored drink specialties and rosé wines in the “I Love Rosé Lounge.”
Well-selected vendors offered food fare inside the festival area, including Cecco Ristorante’s gourmet pizza oven and California Tacos and First & Oak food trucks. California Tacos offered up a tasty menu of tacos, rice and beans.
“The beans are so delicious because we use a combination of beans and use only corn oil, no lard,” owner Alex Uribe told Noozhawk. “We have restaurants in Solvang, Buellton and Lompoc, and are opening in two weeks in Isla Vista.”
The hay bale and pumpkin strewn stage was active with performances by bluegrass folk band Bryan Titus Trio and country/western rockers The Rawhides.
Click here for more information about the Solvang Visitor Center, visit it at 1639 Copenhagen Drive, or contact Executive Director Tracy Farhad at tracy.farhad@solvangusa.com or 805.688.6144.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at rrose@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.