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Award-winning, handcrafted wines from a small family winery
nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains
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ROCKHOUSE WINTER SCHEDULE
Our tasting room will close for the winter on December 18, 2011.
We will reopen March 8, 2012.
Work in the vineyard and cellar will continue,
of course, so if you would like to make a special appointment,
please call us at 828-863-2784. |
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History |
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The
first Rockhouse vines were planted in 1991 on a 200-acre farm owned by
Lee Griffin and Marsha Cassedy. Over the years, the married couple had
traveled widely for business as well as for pleasure. Wherever they
happened to be -- California, Europe, South America, or Australia and
New Zealand -- they always investigated the local wineries and
vineyards. When they purchased their farm in Tryon, North Carolina, in
1989, it was with the intention of planting grapes.
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The initial plantings were a mixture of both vinifera and
French-American hybrid vines. Soon, however, Rockhouse began to
concentrate exclusively on vinifera grapes. Each year more vines were
planted and experiments carried out to determine the best clones and
rootstocks for the Tryon area. Early trellis systems were modified to
encourage proper canopy management. By 1996, there were four acres of
Chardonnay planted, with smaller quantities of Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon. |
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In 1998, after a number of years of home winemaking, Griffin and
Cassedy decided to take their "hobby" commercial. Rockhouse
Vineyards was bonded as a North Carolina winery in September of
1998. The first commercial harvest included 100 cases of Chardonnay,
55 cases of Merlot, and 75 cases of Chambourcin. Rockhouse enjoyed
unexpected success with its first vintage: a Bronze medal for both
its 1998 Chardonnay and its 1998 Merlot at the San Diego National
Wine Competition, and a Silver medal for its 1998 Chambourcin at the
International Eastern Wine Competition in New York.
In 1999, the vineyard was expanded, with 3-1/2 acres planted to
Viognier and 3-1/2 acres planted to Cabernet Franc. Total Rockhouse
acreage stands at 10 acres of producing grapes. |
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The Rockhouse philosophy of winemaking is to produce small
quantities of naturally crafted wines. Winemaking starts in the
vineyard with low yields of concentrated fruit. Constant
experimentation with oak barrels and native yeast fermentation
techniques will continue to enhance our wines.
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