Château Morrisette is the result of a love affair between the Morrisette family and the rural Virginia countryside. In 1978, William, Nancy and David Morrisette planted the first vines and the vision of Château Morrisette became a small reality. Mrs. Nancy Morrisette stated in 1988 that the winery began as a hobby that soon got out of hand.
David Morrisette is a graduate of Mississippi State University’s first class in enology and viticulture. After a brief stint working for a winery in Mississippi, David came home to Virginia and became Château Morrisette’s first official winemaker. In 1982, the first commercial wines were produced, a modest 2,000 gallons, under the Woolwine Winery label. As production increased, so did David's duties. Soon, additional winemakers were added to the staff to assist with increasing production work. Skilled and talented winemakers hired throughout their thirty plus year history continue to bring style and complexity to Château Morrisette wines to enhance their original vision of what great wine should be.
It was many years before Château Morrisette saw black ink on its balance sheet. Wine production has increased rapidly each year and now surpasses 60,000 cases per year. The Morrisettes invested a great deal in expanding and modernizing all aspects of the winery in 1999, from a new wine production facility to a spacious hospitality center. Blue Ridge Timberwrights constructed a unique building from salvaged timber from the St. Marie River to create one of the largest salvaged timber frame buildings in North America: 32,365 square feet with 135,000 board feet of Douglas fir recycled timbers. This one-of-a-kind building has provided significant room to grow.
Stainless steel tank capacity at Château Morrisette is approximately 130,000 gallons with an additional 50,000 gallon capacity in French and American oak. The winery currently produces nineteen different wines and utilizes production from over 150 acres of vineyards either on site or from growers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Château Morrisette remains an industry leader producing quality wines and is located in a spectacular natural setting in rural Floyd County. From a ‘small reality,’ they are now one of the largest wineries in Virginia. Nationally, Virginia is ranked tenth in commercial grape production and grape bearing acreage. The Virginia Commercial Grape Statistical Report shows 4,120 tons produced from 1,730 bearing acres.
Their location on the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway has helped introduce thousands of visitors to premier Virginia wines. The restaurant and winery are open year round and special events are held throughout the year. Château Morrisette is both a relaxing and exciting experience for anyone that enjoys fine wine, good food and natural surroundings. It has become one of Southwest Virginia’s prime destinations.
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