🌿 Business Visit: Starview Vineyards 🍷

Recently, the UCCEO team had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful Starview Vineyards, where we met with Brett and Regina Morrison, who have owned this popular local business for the past 13 years.

Raised in Pennsylvania, Brett and Regina actually attended the same high school. What started as a summer job to earn money for a dirt bike turned into a full-time position for Brett, managing a large vineyard and overseeing many of its operations. Regina pursued a degree in Business Administration, and after graduation, the two reconnected, fell in love, and got married.

As Brett’s experience and passion for winemaking grew, so did his dream of owning a vineyard. Regina, having grown up in a family-owned business, shared that entrepreneurial spirit and also began working at the winery herself, gaining firsthand experience in the tasting room and the customer side of the business. Together, Brett’s deep knowledge of winemaking and Regina’s business background and hospitality experience sparked the shared vision that ultimately led them to Southern Illinois and Starview Vineyards.

More than a decade later, their dream has flourished into a thriving business! They have a one-acre vineyard and source additional grapes from other growers. All of their wine is made and bottled on-site, and Brett’s craftsmanship has earned multiple awards over the years.

Starview is open seven days a week and offers both indoor and outdoor seating, delicious food, and live music on weekends — inside or outside depending on the weather. They also remodeled an existing barn into a charming event venue perfect for showers, parties, and special occasions, and they even have a vacation rental on-site that stays booked most weekends.

Regina shared that one of her favorite parts of the business is the people they meet — many customers have become close friends who now feel more like family. Their little girl, Lily, is growing up right alongside them in the business, surrounded by this extended Starview family and the warm community that has supported their journey from the start.

Giving back is super important to Brett and Regina, as seen by their active involvement in the community. Regina leads the Cobden PTO, they are members of and involved with the Cobden Lions Club, and they are huge supporters of animal rescues, often hosting special events at the winery to benefit local organizations and causes close to their hearts.

The AJ Wildcats student, Foster Needling shares his key takeaways:

“Wednesday, My team and I met at Starview Winery with Regina and Brett Morrison to learn about how they started their business. I personally hosted this visit, and I can confidently say that Regina is one of the nicest people I have ever talked to. She was so easy to set up a time to talk and very understanding when I stumbled upon a road block and had to come up with something else to say.

Brett seemed like a very chill dude and very passionate about his business and the ways he does things. I think they are the perfect rendition of ‘if you love what you do then you will never work a day in your life’, and I think that is great because they are so young and seem to really love what they do.

Brett mentioned that making wine is his art and I found that so poetic and fascinating in how much work goes into making the wine. This visit also showed us the importance of taking risks and following your dreams because you never know what can happen. This visit really showed the class the importance of trusting the process and just letting everything fall into place through hard work.”

We had such a wonderful time visiting Starview Vineyards and learning about Brett and Regina’s journey and success. 🍇

Thank you, Regina, for welcoming us so warmly and sharing your story — your passion and hospitality truly shine!