East Tennessee's wine scene benefits from the most powerful tourism engine in the American Southeast: the Great Smoky Mountains. Over 12 million people visit the national park each year, and the gateway towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville have built a hospitality infrastructure that increasingly includes wine tasting.
The region's producers range from traditional Muscadine operations keeping centuries of Southern winemaking alive to modern craft producers working with cold-hardy hybrids and European varieties. Fruit wines, particularly apple and blackberry, capitalize on the Appalachian foothills' abundant orchards and berry patches.
Wine tasting in the Smokies is a family-friendly, accessible experience. Many tasting rooms sit along the main tourism corridors and welcome visitors who may never have set foot in a traditional winery. The wines are approachable, the staff are enthusiastic educators, and the mountain scenery outside every window makes the whole experience memorable.
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