Chateau Morrisette Winery

William Morrisette began experimenting with grape growing in the early 1970s on the advice of the Virginia Tech Fruit and Science Department.^[2] After graduating from Mississippi State University's Viticulture and Enology program, David Morrisette returned to Virginia and ripped out the vines that his father planted.^[2] In 1978, William, Nancy and David Morrisette planted the first vines, starting the Chateau Morrisette Winery.^[3] Chateau Morrisette was one of the six wineries started in Virginia prior to 1980, making it one of the oldest wineries in the state.^[4] David Morrisette became Château Morrisette's first official winemaker. In 1982, the first commercial wines were produced, beginning with approximately 1,500 gallons.^[3] The winery has 13 acres and wine production is now in excess of 60,000 cases.^[3] The Winery underwent an expansion and modernization in 1999, including a new wine production facility and hospitality center. Blue Ridge Timberwrights constructed a building from salvaged timber from the St. Marie River and from a Seattle warehouse to create one of the largest salvaged timber-frame buildings in North America: 32,365 square feet (3,006.8 m²) with over 132,000 board feet of recycled Douglas-fir timbers.^[3]