Are you looking for something romantic to do with your significant other? Wine tasting is a great activity to add some extra romance to your Smoky Mountain vacation. Or, grab a group of friends and sip your way through the Smokies for a fun afternoon! Here’s a list of some of the best Pigeon Forge wineries where you can sample local wines together.
1. Mountain Valley Winery
Mountain Valley Winery is located right on the main Parkway in Pigeon Forge. This winery is one of the oldest in the state and has been producing award-winning wines for over 30 years. Mountain Valley Winery specializes in sweet, fruity wines. Some of their most popular wines include Rhubarb, Watermelon, and Red Velvet, which actually tastes like a slice of cake. You can enjoy a free tasting of a selection of a few of their 200 exclusive wines. If you’re interested in exploring more, you can go on a personal behind-the-scenes tour of the winemaking process for just a small charge.
2. Bootleggers Homemade Wine
Over in The Island in Pigeon Forge you’ll find Bootleggers Homemade Wine. This Pigeon Forge winery offers free wine tastings where you can try their homemade country wines, which they hand-craft in small batches using family recipes. Bootleggers Homemade Wine prides themselves on only using all-natural ingredients and regular kitchen equipment to produce the best product possible with that homemade taste. You can try a variety of local wine to find your favorites. Some of their most notable flavors include their Homegrown Scuppernong, Redneck Reserve Dessert Wine, Homegrown Strawberry Wine, and Bootleggers Mountain Muscat. If you're in the Gatlinburg area, be sure to stop by their Gatlinburg location!
3. Hillside Winery
Hillside Winery crafts more traditional Italian-style and celebratory wines. You can find this winery on Collier Drive just outside of Pigeon Forge in Sevierville. Hillside Winery partners with local grape farmers to produce wine from over 856,000 pounds of Tennessee grapes each year. During a free tasting you can try their traditional Sangiovese, their best-selling Black and Blue wine, and the award-winning Muscadine Mist. Once you find a variety you like, you can purchase a glass to sip on or a bottle to bring back home.
4. Apple Barn Winery
On the banks of the Little Pigeon River sits the Apple Barn Village, where you can find the Apple Barn Winery. This Pigeon Forge winery makes hand-crafted wine from locally grown apples instead of grapes. You can try a few flavors with a free tasting where the staff can tell you all about the inspiration behind each wine. They have wines that combine apples with other fruit flavors, such as raspberry, pomegranate, and peach. In the same complex, you can find the Apple Barn Cider House, where you can enjoy a free tasting of hard ciders crafted on-site.
More Things to Do if You Love Pigeon Forge Wineries
If you visited a Pigeon Forge winery and are looking for similar experiences, consider visiting a distillery in Pigeon Forge! Distilleries provide visitors the opportunity to sample local moonshine flavors and other tasty spirits. Some tastings are free, while others only charge a small fee that can be put toward any purchase in the store. For help deciding where to go, check out these Pigeon Forge distilleries.
