![\"Morais](\"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Morais-Vineyards-3-300x225.jpg\")
Joe Morais, owner of Morais Vineyards and Winery in Bealeton, loves to ask the question \u201cWhat\u2019s the smallest room in the house?\u201d Hmmm\u2026let\u2019s think.<\/p>\nJoe Morais, owner of Morais Vineyards and Winery in Bealeton, loves to ask the question \u201cWhat\u2019s the smallest room in the house?\u201d Hmmm\u2026let\u2019s think.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the dining room,\u201d he quickly replies. The dining room? Yep. And why? Because it\u2019s not used that often. Morais (more ice) thinks that\u2019s a shame. \u201cThe master bedroom is the largest room\u201d but it\u2019s used for sleeping.<\/p>\n
He goes on to share his life philosophy driving the simple question. Family is everything. He has three daughters, six grandchildren and a large extended family.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dining room is where we talk with the family,\u201d said Morais. So many families eat out today and often \u201cyou\u2019ll see the kids playing with their iPhones or other devices. Are they talking with their parents? No. My dining room seats 40 people and provides space for our family to share their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of us could not afford a 40-person dining room but it\u2019s emblematic of his belief the family is the center of life. His home is in Lake Manassas and was built with family in mind. His winery fosters the same atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Morais and his five brothers are successful businessmen. He arrived in the United States 47 years ago and today his construction and concrete companies employ 400 people. Hard working and focused defines the man.<\/p>\n
But work was also stressful so he opened his winery in 2011 to help slow down and enjoy life more. Nonetheless, even the grand opening was an earth shattering event—literally. It was August 23, 2011; the day the famous 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Virginia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the first meeting of a local business association at the winery. They were meeting in our hall,\u201d said Morais. While it was a \u201cjolt\u201d for the attendees all went well and the winery did not sustain damage. It\u2019s been peaceful sailing ever since.<\/p>\n
Dream winery<\/strong> Morais owned the 178 acre site for 30 years before building the winery. During that period his children rarely visited the property. Today, the family frequently enjoys what he calls the \u201cfarm\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople will call me and I tell them I am with the other family\u201d, he said. Taken aback, they say they didn\u2019t realize he had two families. \u201cYes, I have a family at the farm too. When they see my car coming, they run up to the fence so I can feed them. I have goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and more and they have free run\u201d in the woods and pastures of the fenced property.<\/p>\n Just as he enjoys the farm winery with both of his \u201cfamilies\u201d, he encourages visitors to do the same. He wants families to come out, enjoy the Virginia countryside, bring picnic baskets, sip his wines and spend a day on the farm.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can bring all the food they want. I will even help them eat it too!\u201d said Morais laughing.<\/p>\n The wines<\/strong> All of the wines are grown, produced and bottled on the estate. Morais is not seeking to increase production but to focus on quality not quantity.<\/p>\n To that end, he brought a young winemaker from Portugal, Vitor Guimar\u00e3is, to man his cellar. \u00a0Guimar\u00e3is is a fourth generation winemaker and holds a Masters Degree in Viticulture and Enology from Lisbon\u2019s Superior Institute of Agronomy, one of Europe\u2019s leading colleges in the field. Many of his wines are award winners.<\/p>\n Joe Morais has an enduring message he shares with everyone. \u201cGet away from the phones; get out to the Virginia countryside—not just to Morais Vineyards. America is beautiful; enjoy the views.<\/p>\n \u201cOur lives pass on. We all should leave something behind before we go. Leave behind the good deeds not just the good times. That\u2019s our point of view,\u201d said Morais.<\/p>\n Sound advice. And no better place to start than by spending an afternoon at Morais Vineyards and Winery.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Morais](\"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Morais-Vineyards-1-300x225.jpg\")
As one drives up the curving lane to the winery and crests a small rise a dramatic building appears. It is the tasting room and event hall embodied in a replica castle from Portugal where his middle daughter was married. They commissioned an architect to eliminate the middle floor from the original castle; otherwise, it looks like a piece of history direct from the Old Country.<\/p>\n![\"FullSizeRender](\"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/FullSizeRender-31-150x150.jpg\")
The winery also hosts some 30 weddings a year. \u201dI call this my dream place. But people come here to satisfy their dreams too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe winery has 14 acres under vine. The vineyard includes Albarino, Muscatel, Vidal Blanc, Touriga Nacional, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a few additional plantings. Annual production is 2,700 cases, or 32,000 bottles.<\/p>\n