With more than 150,000 bottles of wine to choose from in Blackberry’s wine cellar, an unrivaled selection of premium liquors and an award-winning Beverage team, our goal is simply to offer the most exciting wine and spirits experience to each of our guests, from beginners to the most dedicated connoisseurs.
Andy has always had an interest in how things taste. After working his way through local restaurants, Andy headed straight for the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to round out his education in the culinary arts and restaurant management. After a stint at Little Nell, Andy found his true interest in the front of house. He graduated from the CIA in 2002, moved to Walland, Tennessee, and began his career with Blackberry Farm in 2002. He soon became involved in the young wine program. In less than six years, Blackberry's wine cellar grew from 17,000 bottles to 160,000. With Andy Chabot's talent on the floor, the wine program has become synonymous with the success of Blackberry Farm. In 2007, Andy took on the role of director of Food and Beverage, running all aspects of the service and beverage departments at Blackberry Farm. The Barn at Blackberry Farm, under Andy’s direction, has been honored with three James Beard Awards: Best Chef Southeast 2013, Outstanding Wine Program 2014 and Outstanding Service 2015. With the opening of Blackberry Mountain in 2019, Andy expanded his leadership to guide the development of menus and the wine cellar at the new resort as the vice president of Food and Beverage at both properties.
In 2022, Andy was promoted to senior vice president of Food and Beverage for Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain. Today, Andy is responsible for all aspects of the food and beverage programs at both resorts, encompassing seven restaurant outlets, all wine and spirits programs, the Farmstead areas as well as overseeing special events and groups at the properties.
Andy’s media features include Imbibe Magazine, Wine Spectator Magazine, Food & Wine Magazine, The TODAY Show, Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 and more. In 2023, Andy became NetJets’ sommelier partner, curating the wine selection for their fleet of private planes. Andy has proceeded past the advanced level of the Court of Master Sommeliers Exam and was the recipient of the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship.
Always having a love for the hustle and bustle of the Food & Beverage industry, Kelly Schmidt quickly fell in love with the challenge of multi-tasking while still exceeding expectations. Starting in a dive-bar slinging cold beer and cheeseburgers, Kelly then became a food runner in The Barn and finally assistant director of Food and Beverage for the Main House, the Dogwood and The Barn. Kelly went to The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, studying Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, while planning on going to medical school. In her role now, Kelly oversees a team of 14 sommeliers and bartenders, working with them behind the scenes to support them in their operations, while also keeping 150,000 bottles of wine organized. As you can see, she is very busy. Outside of work, Kelly loves spending time with her three children and husband Chris, playing dominoes and making delicious meals. Though she doesn’t have much time to make special drinks at home, Kelly does love a margarita and says that she would drink champagne every day.
