Delicious wines in a beautiful setting: That’s the Sip TN Foothills Wine Festival in a nutshell.
“We want folks to come out, have a great time, and discover just how good our local wines really are,” said Yardley Sawyer, General Manager of Cades Cove Cellars in Townsend, one of the wineries involved.
Katie Hart, festival coordinator for Tennessee Wines, agreed: “The goal of the Sip TN Foothills Wine Festival is to promote the vibrant wine culture in Tennessee by connecting local wineries, cideries and meaderies with the community and encouraging support for Tennessee-made wines.”
Sip Tennessee Foothills Wine Festival takes place on Saturday, April 25, noon to 5 p.m., at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus.
The participating producers are Apple Barn Hard Cider Company, Beachaven Winery, Beans Creek Winery, Cades Cove Cellars, Currahee Winery, Hillside Winery, Honeytree Meadery, Mountain Valley Winery, Old Mountain Wine Company, Smokin’ Banjo Wine Company, Tennessee Cider Company, Tennessee Homemade Wines, Trazo Meadery, Tsali Notch Vineyard, and XXX Cider Company and TN Shine Wine.
“The festival promises a day full of tasting and community!” Hart said. Attendees can listen to live music and talk with the growers and producers of the wines, ciders and meads. Other local vendors will have art and artisan creations for sale, and food trucks will offer up delicious fuel for the festival-goers.
The collaboration with Pellissippi State makes the event truly special, Sawyer said. “One of the things that makes this event special is the partnership with the culinary program at Pellissippi State. It gives us the chance to offer a VIP experience that pairs wine with food in a way you don’t usually get at a standard tasting.”
Wine-making is truly a local enterprise, Hart explained. “East Tennessee wines are special because they truly reflect the land they come from.” She pointed out that “Winemakers often use locally grown fruit, from native muscadine grape varieties to blackberries, which creates distinctive, one-of-a-kind wines rooted in their local community.”
That variety inspires Sawyer, as well. She loves “how unique” regional wines are. “Tennessee has a growing wine industry, and there’s a lot of creativity happening here,” she said. “You’ll find a wide range of styles, and there’s always something new to try. It keeps things interesting, even for people who have been around wine for a long time.”
Creativity makes the Sip TN Wine Festival a feast for seasoned wine connoisseurs as well as new aficionados. Prior knowledge is not required to have a good time.
That approach underpins Cades Cove Cellars’ overall philosophy, Sawyer said. “We’ve always believed wine should be approachable and enjoyable. Not everyone who walks through our doors is a wine expert, and that’s exactly how we like it.”
Enjoying wine is not about snooty wine culture, she believes. “We focus on making quality wines that people genuinely enjoy drinking, whether that’s something traditional or something a little more creative. For us, it’s just as much about the experience as it is the wine itself.”
“Experience” is key for the Sip TN Wine Festival, too. That’s why Hart and her team have worked so hard to include as many producers and artisans as possible. But the festival has a hidden benefit, too: helping our local community, which these producers are a part of.
“When you enjoy a local wine festival, you are supporting the farmers who grow the grapes, apples, and produce the honey these wineries need to make their products,” she said.
“This is the best chance to sample and take home wines, ciders, and meads from true Tennessee wineries all in one place—and the best part is the funds stay local, supporting Tennessee agriculture and education.”
Tickets to the festival should be purchased in advance. The General Admission ticket ($40) includes drink samples and a souvenir wine glass. A limited number of VIP tickets ($90) include the General Admission benefits plus access to an indoor VIP space, curated gourmet food pairings and chocolate and cheese pairing workshops. A Designated Driver ticket ($10) includes admission to the festival but no alcoholic drinks.
Pellissippi State’s Blount Campus is located at 2731 W. Lamar Alexander Pkwy., in Friendsville, Parking will be available on campus.
