After many months of construction, Monroe Bay Vineyard’s Straw Bale Barn is ready for its Grand Opening!

Monroe Bay Winery had been selected by StrawBale.com to be the site of a workshop series led by world renowned straw bale builder Andrew Morrison and helped to build a new winery facility primarily out of straw bales. Monroe Bay Vineyard intends to add recycled wine bottle accents into the walls to bring natural light into the facility.

“The straw bale barn will not only be an exciting and wonderful event for Westmoreland County, but it will also help Monroe Bay Vineyard market themselves as a unique, exciting, and interesting winery destination,” said Bettina Ring, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. “The winery is an excellent addition to our agritourism industry, setting a wonderful example for other Virginia businesses on the importance of being proactively environmentally friendly.”

“We believe in recycling and using green products and that this will be a unique facility for Colonial Beach,” said Kiki Apple, owner of Monroe Bay Vineyard.

“Colonial Beach is an ideal place for a straw bale barn,” said Andrew Morrison, owner of Strawbale.com. “This is our first winery facility we have built out of straw bale. I have been working with Kiki on the design and believe it will be an exceptional facility and learning experience for all participants.”

Established in 2013, Monroe Bay Vineyard is a Virginia Department of Agriculture AFID grant recipient and produces wine and hard cider that is sold at Monroe Market in the Town of Colonial Beach. This expansion will increase production, accommodate more patrons in the larger tasting room, and will serve as a venue for weddings and events.