Did you know that Tennessee has been churning out homegrown wine since the late 19th century (thanks to traditions brought over by European immigrants)? According to the Tennessee Farm Winegrowers Association, the state produced nearly 65,000 gallons of vino in 1880. And were you aware that part of the modern-day burgeoning of the Volunteer State’s winemaking industry very much includes the Great Smoky Mountain region? Well, you’ll find out firsthand if you take to the Rocky Top Wine Trail—and you very much should!
This officially designated Wine Trail—which touts itself as the most popular one in the state—encompasses five different wineries scattered from Sevierville to Pigeon Forge:
- Hillside Winery (229 Collier Dr, Sevierville, TN)
- Apple Barn Winery (220 Apple Valley Rd, Sevierville, TN)
- Apple Barn Hard Cider Company (234 Apple Valley Rd, Sevierville, TN)
- Apple Barn Dessert Wine Shoppe (226 Apple Valley Rd, Sevierville, TN)
- Mountain Valley Winery (2174 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN)
It shakes out to better than 60 different varieties of wine ready to be sampled via free tastings—and, of course, glasses, bottles, growlers, and the like—at these friendly establishments, which count some lovely Smoky Mountain foothills scenery as their backdrops.
Hillside Winery in Sevierville specializes in what it describes as “Italian-style and celebration wines,” with Black and Blue being its most popular label; other options include Muscadine Mist, Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Pink Moscato, and Spiked Sangria.
As the name suggests, Apple Barn Winery (also in Sevierville) leans more heavily on locally harvested apples rather than grapes for its wines, which include Apple Blush and Apple Peach. But you can also enjoy Merlots and Muscadines in its tasting room.
Close by, check out some delicious hard apple cider made with a sterile-filtration process that better preserves original flavor over at Apple Barn Hard Cider Company, and give dessert wines boosted by apple brandy a try at the Apple Barn Dessert Wine Shoppe.
Finally, Mountain Valley Winery in Pigeon Forge ranks among the oldest operating commercial wineries in Tennessee, and turns out everything from Chardonnay and Cabernet to Mountain Valley Red and Watermelon.
Self-guided tours of the Rocky Top Wine Trail (which overlaps with the statewide Tennessee Wine Trail) are very much a thing. There’s even an official Rocky Top Wine Trail Passport you can present at each tasting room—which offer free tastings of up to four wine samples—to receive stamps, which thereby qualify you for free prizes.
Alternatively, you can book an organized tour of the Rocky Top Wine Trail, taking advantage of a readymade designated driver as you sip your way from tasting room to tasting room. Multiple kinds of outings are available, from the basic Wine Trail VIP Tour to the Shots & Glasses and Taste of the Smokies tours, which work in some local distilleries along the way so that you can also give some Smoky Mountain hard stuff (moonshine, bourbon, etc.) a go.
The Rocky Top Wine Trail is a blast, and certainly a definite must-try for any travelers in the Great Smoky Mountain region who also count themselves oenophiles of one degree or another!
Insider Tip:
If you tag the Rocky Top Wine Trail (#RTWT) in your social-media posts while visiting its wineries, you’ll be entered into drawings for additional prizes.