Chateau Morrisette

Chateau Morrisette
287 Winery Road SW
Floyd, Virginia
USA 24091
Phone: (540) 593-2865
http://www.thedogs.com

Contact: David & Nancy Morrisette
Email: [email protected]

Chateau 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 Chateau 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 classmate Bob Burgin’s winery in Mississippi, David came home to Virginia and became Chateau Morrisette first official winemaker. In 1982, the first commercial wines were produced, a modest 2,000 gallons, under the Woolwine Winery label.

Not long thereafter, Bob Burgin joined David at the winery which continued to grow both in quality of wines produced and in production quantity. Bob had been winemaker at his family winery and with facilities in Tennessee and North Carolina when he received a call from William Morrisette in 1990. By that time, he was well experienced in Southern viticulture. Bob was a perfect fit for the vision of Chateau Morrisette and he has helped shape and perfect that vision since joining us. David Morrisette credits Bob with knowing who our customers are, where we’ve been and where we want to go; his dedication has helped make us the winery we are today.

As production increased, so did David and Bob’s duties. Bob became more involved in the overall operations leaving the duties of winemaker ever pressing. Soon, additional winemakers were added to the staff to assist Bob with increasing production work. In 2001 Chateau Morrisette hired Dan Tallman, formerly of Clos Du Bois Winery in California, as its principal winemaker and recently promoted Rick Hall from Assistant Winemaker to Winemaker.

For nearly twenty eight years, Dan Tallman has dedicated himself to becoming an expert enologist. He has worked in both small and large winery settings and is known as a premium quality winemaker who pays attention to all the details of winemaking, from production to bottling. A graduate of the University of California at Davis, Dan brings ‘style and complexity’ to Chateau Morrisette which enhances our original vision.

It was many years before Chateau Morrisette saw black ink on its balance sheet. Wine production has increased rapidly each year and has now surpassed 60,000 cases per year. Our exciting and consistent growth rate necessitated a new production facility. The Morrisettes invested a great deal in expanding and modernizing all aspects of the winery in 1999, ranging from a new wine production facility to the 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 given us room to grow.

Stainless steel tank capacity at is approximately 130,000 gallons with an additional 50,000 gallon capacity in French and American oak. The winery currently produces fifteen different wines and utilizes production from over 150 acres of vineyards either on site or from growers throughout the Commonwealth. remains an industry leader in quality wines.

Chateau Morrisette is located in a spectacular natural setting in rural Floyd County. From a ‘small reality,’ we 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.

Our 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. Chateau Morrisette is both a relaxing and exciting experience for anyone who enjoys fine wine, good food and natural surroundings. It has become one of Southwest Virginia’s premier destination points.

Winemaker: Dan Tallman

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