Wine
From beginning as a small inn that couldn’t sell alcohol to becoming home to one of the largest and most exciting wine collections in the country, the development of the wine program at Blackberry Farm is an incredible example of growth over the last five decades. With the belief that food and beverage are inseparable in providing a top guest experience, our award-winning wine team, led by Andy Chabot, focuses on finding the perfect pairings for our signature cuisine and offering exclusive opportunities to complete the full experience for guests.
When the Bealls bought Blackberry Farm in 1976, Blount County was a dry county. Early guests had to bring their own alcohol if they wanted to consume it on the property, because establishments like Blackberry Farm were prohibited from selling it.
In the 1990s, guests could join “Blackberry Mountain Club” to gain access to the property’s small wine collection during their stay, and the property slowly started to build an onsite collection.
By the early 2000’s, new laws had been passed, and Sam was determined to make Blackberry Farm a wine destination. Sam had a deep appreciation for wine and recognized the potential for creating a remarkable wine program at the resort.
Tennessee's unique alcohol laws posed a considerable challenge when it came to growing the program. The struggle was persuading exceptional wineries, some of which had only a single case available, to partner with a distributor in nearby Knoxville for the purpose of supplying a small resort in Walland.
One way of addressing that challenge was to launch a wine and food event series. These events served as a platform to invite winemakers and chefs to Blackberry Farm, allowing them to connect firsthand with the guests who would appreciate and enjoy their wines.
Slowly, the team’s hard work began to make an impact, and the wine program outgrew its storage space. Sam built a wine cellar within The Barn at Blackberry Farm®, designed to house an extensive and carefully curated collection of wines from various regions, showcasing the diversity and quality of American and international wines. In six years’ time, Blackberry Farm’s wine collection grew from 17,000 bottles to 166,000 and was recognized with the prestigious Wine Spectator Grand Award, an honor it has held every year since 2006.
In 2014, Blackberry Farm was given the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program, solidifying it as one of the best wine programs in the country. In September of 2016, another dream came to life with the opening of the Wine Tunnel, a vision of Sam’s to connect The Barn to Blackberry Farm’s event space, Bramble Hall. The tunnel, which is divided into two parts by an underground whiskey tasting room, houses roughly 14,000 bottles of wine.
What started as a small, humble wine program has grown into one of the most robust and celebrated in the world. But the goal of Blackberry Farm’s wine program remains the same: to offer the most exciting wine experience to every guest, from beginners to the most dedicated wine connoisseurs.
