Winemakers are said to be both engineers and artists. This certainly holds true for our winemaker, Chuck Belt.

Chuck managed a private engineering consulting firm in Knoxville, Tennessee for many years. He eventually purchased the firm and ran it as an independent company for 11 years. He then sold the business to an energy services firm with whom he maintained his employment until he retired in June of 2016.

His interest in the grape and wine industry began in 1974 with the emergence of the California wine industry. He visited Napa in 1976 and 1996, and those trips further peaked his interest in the scientific processes and art of winemaking.

After retirement, Chuck and his wife Alice were looking for more space and a less intense way of life. This search led them to purchase a farm in Grainger County, Tennessee which was originally owned by Alice’s uncle, a cattleman.

While evaluating the property, they decided it would be the perfect site for a vineyard and winery, and a second career blossomed from there.

Chuck has a unique approach to winemaking thanks to his extensive engineering background. He truly is an engineer and an artist.