KEWAUNEE – The public is invited as Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery celebrates the upcoming grape harvest with its annual Harvest Fest from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 9.

Parallel 44 is celebrating its grape-filled vineyard just waiting to be harvested with an event that fittingly showcases the wines made from the grapes grown in the vineyard and other vineyards across the state. Last year’s event drew nearly 1,000 wine fans.

The winery was recently named Wisconsin Winery of the Year in the 2017 New York International Competition, and its Frozen Tundra White was judged a Top 40 Wine in the World at the Ultimate Wine Challenge in New York. In August, the pink Sparkler wine from Door 44, Parallel 44’s sister winery in Door County, was named Best Wine of Wisconsin in a statewide competition.

Wine sampling will be available at Harvest Fest for $6 and includes a commemorative wine glass. Along with wine sampling, there will be vineyard tours given by the winemaker and live music by rock band Slide.

Local food vendors will be at the festival, including Pay It Forward – Taste of Ethiopia, Smoked to the Bone, and Monzu Bakery. Numerous arts and crafts vendors also will display and sell their work.

This event also includes a traditional grape stomp starting at 3 p.m. Those who think they have what it takes to stomp out the most juice should arrive early and enter their names into a drawing for a chance to stomp. Following the traditional stomp, the winery’s annual Kid’s Stomp for ages 9 to 14 will take place; again those who want to take part should enter their names. Kids’ games and wagon rides also will be offered during the festival.

Parallel 44 was started in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Steve Johnson and Maria Milano, pioneers in Wisconsin wine making. Johnson’s father experimented early on with growing grapes in Wisconsin, and Milano’s Italian-born father made wine for family celebrations.

The winery is on the same latitude as the storied wine regions of Bordeaux, France and Tuscany, Italy, thus the name Parallel 44. The winery’s 35-acre estate includes more than 7,000 vines and counting, and it has nearly 25 wines in its lineup. In summer 2013, the owners opened their second winery, Door 44, on the northern outskirts of Sturgeon Bay.

Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery is at N2185 Sleepy Hollow Road, Kewaunee. Admission to Harvest Fest is free. For more information, call 920-388-4400 or go to www.Parallel44.com.

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin: Parallel 44 Winery to host annual Harvest Fest