Sculptor Gino Miles three decades ago thought his then-new Grape Crusher statue would become a landmark of sorts, if for no other reason than its size.

After all, the bronze statue is about 12 feet tall and sits on a hill overlooking world-famous Napa Valley. People passing by on Highway 29 can’t miss this giant depiction of a worker wearing a wide-brim hat straining to operate a grape crusher, beefy hands on the handle and one foot braced against the basket.

The Grape Crusher at age 30 is the attention-getter Miles foresaw and something more. Fans describe the statue as a Napa Valley entry feature conveying the hard work that helped create wine country glamour.

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Napa Valley Register, September 1, 2018