East Tennessee Wine

East Tennessee's wine country occupies the Appalachian foothills and ridge-and-valley terrain between Knoxville and the Virginia border, at elevations between 1,000 and 2,500 feet. The higher altitude moderates Tennessee's summer heat and extends the growing season on south-facing slopes, allowing European and hybrid grape varieties to achieve quality impossible in the hotter western portions of the state. Several producers in the Clinch Mountain and Great Smoky Mountain foothills are making genuinely interesting Cabernet Franc, Norton, and Vidal Blanc that show the region's potential. The wine tourism pairs naturally with Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the most visited national park in the US), Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg's tourist infrastructure, and Knoxville's growing food and craft beverage culture.