Celebrating 31 Years! 1994 - 2025

14706 Lee Highway, Amissville, VA 20106, US

540-937-4869

540-937-4869

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    • Home
    • Winery Hours
    • Directions
    • A Tour Of Gray Ghost
    • Wines
    • Awards
    • Calendar Of Events
    • FAQs
    • Wine Library Tastings
    • News
    • Newsletters
    • History
    • Purveyors
    • Wine Shop Tastings
    • Winemaker Dinners
    • Area Accommodations
    • Transportation Partners
    • Contact
  • Home
  • Winery Hours
  • Directions
  • A Tour Of Gray Ghost
  • Wines
  • Awards
  • Calendar Of Events
  • FAQs
  • Wine Library Tastings
  • News
  • Newsletters
  • History
  • Purveyors
  • Wine Shop Tastings
  • Winemaker Dinners
  • Area Accommodations
  • Transportation Partners
  • Contact
Gray Ghost Vineyards

Exceptional Wines, Southern Hospitality

Exceptional Wines, Southern HospitalityExceptional Wines, Southern HospitalityExceptional Wines, Southern Hospitality

History

The Kellert Family and Gray Ghost Vineyards A Brief Biography

 

A  family owned and operated winery, Gray Ghost Vineyards is the dream  turned reality for Al and Cheryl Kellert. A chemistry major in college,  Al was first introduced to winemaking by a college professor who  assisted him in his first fermentation experiment in 1969. Not long  after, he met and married Cheryl, and a career transfer landed them in  Virginia amidst the beginning of what would soon become the burgeoning  wine industry in the state. 


Years of studying, touring and  tasting at wineries, while growing grapes and making homemade wine in  their Washington, D.C. suburban backyard, led Al and Cheryl to pursue  their dream in earnest.  After two-years of searching for the perfect  grape growing location, the Kellerts bought property in Rappahannock  County.  Amissville proved to be the ideal location for their venture as  the former apple orchard possessed complex, fertile soils, while the  Blue Ridge Mountains directly west helped shield a delicate crop from  damaging rains. 


The Kellerts moved in 1986 along with each of  the meticulously transplanted 160 vines from their Northern Virginia  neighborhood.  The plantings continued for a number of years and Gray  Ghost currently cultivates over 8,000 vines on 13 acres with such  varieties as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot,  Riesling, Vidal Blanc and Seyval Blanc.


While perfecting their  winemaking techniques and renovating a 13 stall horse stable into a  winery, Al and Cheryl sold their grapes to surrounding wineries.  In  1993 the Kellerts retained their entire crop and thus the first vintage  of Gray Ghost wines was born.  And after years of work gutting and reconstructing the stable themselves, the winery opened in July of  1994.  Subsequent vineyard and winery enhancements have included  securing more property, an addition which houses an underground barrel  room, renovations to the original winery structure and most recently an expanded tasting room.


But from the beginning, the Kellerts focus  has been on producing the highest quality wines possible.  And the results are evident.  Gray Ghost wines are produced by using the gentlest care possible beginning in the vineyard and through the winemaking process.  Every vine is personally pruned by Cheryl and every bottle that leaves the winery has been touched by Al in the winemaking and packaging process.


Since Gray Ghost’s inception, the winery has garnered over 3,000 awards including numerous coveted honors of “Best of Show”, “Best Dessert Wine in the United States”, and “Chairman’s Best of Class” – all in renowned  international wine competitions spanning from California to New York.   In addition, the winery was named “Best of the East” four consecutive  years by Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine for producing the  most awarded wine in the country outside of California for Gray Ghost’s Adieu.

Gray Ghost Vineyards

14706 Lee Highway, Amissville, VA 20106, US

(540) 937-4869

Copyright © 2003 - 2025 Gray Ghost Vineyards - All Rights Reserved.

Open 11:00 am to 5:00 pm Friday, Saturday & Sunday

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