GSW History Series Part 4 – The Start of Grinder’s Switch Winery
After making his first award-winning wine, Joey had to decide what he wanted to do next. The experience had lit a huge spark—but was it just a hobby, or the start of something bigger?
“It was at this point that I had to decide if I was going to continue with just a few vines or expand into a larger, commercial-type vineyard. I knew that I wasn’t getting any younger, so the next year, 2005, I planted about 3 acres of vines.”
With a passion for winemaking and the knowledge to back it up, Joey took the leap.
“In 2006, I decided to open a winery since I knew how to make wine. It was very small but exciting. My first harvest of grapes would come in 2007. I didn’t allow the vineyard to produce any fruit—I wanted all their energy to be directed to the roots. That’s where the grapevines need to mature.”
As the seasons changed, his young vineyard began to show promise.
“As the weather warmed and the buds began to appear, I was happy with the way the vineyard looked. Many shoots with lots of young grape clusters. March 2007 was the warmest March on record and the vines were exploding.”
Then mother nature reminded him that she held the reigns in the vineyard.
“Unfortunately, the first weekend in April 2007 was the coldest on record. It destroyed the vineyard. But the winery was open and it had to be replanted. It was 2010 before we had an estate wine.”
From a few vines to a full-fledged winery, Joey’s story is one of perseverance, passion, and a deep-rooted belief in the process. His first estate wine wasn’t just a product—it was a milestone, years in the making.
Read part 5 of our History series to learn how this small venture turns into a family legacy.
GSW History Series Part 3 – The First Taste of What Would Become Grinder’s Switch Winery
In Part 3 of our history series of Grinder’s Switch Winery, we’re stepping back into the 1980s to hear the story straight from the man behind the vines, Joey Chessor. This chapter is all about discovery, perseverance, and the long road from an unexpected glass of wine to award-winning vintages. In his own words:
“My first appreciation for good wine was in Chicago at a reception while at a sales conference, sometime in the 1980s. I was offered a glass of dry red wine, which I had never experienced, and was blown away. My first thought was wondering if I could grow grapes that made that kind of wine. I knew nothing about growing grapes.
A few years later I was at an auction that was selling grapevines, and I bought 10 for $5.00. I had no idea what kind they were. Half of them were De Chaunac. I don’t remember the others. I planted them but had to move them around over the years. A few years later I had not gotten any grapes from them. I did some research and learned that they needed to be pruned. I attempted to prune them and, voila!, the next year I had grapes. I was excited.
As they increased in size I noticed small black spots on them. A few weeks later I had no grapes. I had learned about grape diseases. Then I learned how to spray for them. The next year I actually had grapes get ripe. Not many, but I made wine out of what I had.
I bought several books about growing grapes and making wine. I decided to plant an experimental vineyard and ended up with about 1/3 acre vineyard with about 20 varieties of grapes. Over the next few years I learned the problems of growing grapes; weather issues, disease issues, and nearly every animal loves to eat grapes. It was daunting but not impossible to grow them. I also learned which varieties made the best wine.
Finally, in 2004, I made a very nice dry red wine out of Cabernet Sauvignon and Touriga Nacional grapes. I entered it into the TVOS, Tennessee Viticulture and Oenology Society, statewide amateur winemaking contest. It won Best of Show. I had achieved my goal of making a very nice dry red wine.”
It was the beginning of what would eventually become something much bigger than a backyard vineyard—Grinder’s Switch Winery. And this was just the beginning.
Read part 4, where passion turns into something even bigger—and the winery begins to take shape.
Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard
GSW History Series Part 2 – A Hobby Out of Control: Where Joey’s Winemaking Journey Began
Many of you who’ve visited our tasting rooms have heard it before—what started as a ‘hobby out of control’ has grown into something far beyond what we imagined. Now, we’re taking you back to where it all began, as our founder Joey Chessor shares the full story behind the passion, the vision, and the journey that brought us here.
“A Hobby Out of Control” – The Story, Straight from Joey Chessor
“The first time I made wine was from 5 gallons of grapes off my parents’ concord grapevines, sometime around 1975. Mom called me and said she’d used all the grapes she needed for jelly, and that I could have the rest. So I made 5 gallons of juice.
I found a recipe for wine, followed it step by step, and ended up with 5 gallons of homemade wine. The recipe said to put the wine into 5 one-gallon milk jugs and stretch balloons over the spouts to keep the air out—otherwise it would turn into vinegar.
I stored the jugs in a cabinet to age. A month later, I checked on them and noticed one of the balloons had burst. I figured that jug was a lost cause and saved it for vinegar.
Around that time, I acquired a winemaking kit—it had a large plastic bag and instructions to put the wine in a dark place and wait a year before tasting. So I did. At the end of the year I pulled it out and anxiously poured a glass. It looked terrible. It was cloudy, smelled bad, and tasted worse. I poured it all out.
But a couple months later, I found that ‘ruined’ jug of wine and opened it and began to pour it down the sink. Then I realized it was clear, smelled amazing, and tasted even better. I had made some good wine after all! That was my first real lesson in winemaking.”
From that first gallon to what we do today, it’s been a journey of trial, error, and a lot of heart.
Read part 3 for more of the story.
