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If you’re looking for a fun day trip, consider checking out some of the best wineries in Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. This area is home to several great wineries, each with their own unique offerings.
There are even two wine trails in the area where you can get a wine tasting passport to visit all of them (five on each trail) and enjoy free tastings!
Today we’re going to take a look at the 15 best wineries in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area. First we will take a look at the wineries on the Gatlinburg Wine Trail, then some other great wineries in Gatlinburg that aren’t on the wine trail, and lastly we will look at the wineries on the Rocky Top Wine Trail.
So, if you’re a wine lover, get ready, because you’re in for a great time!
Wineries on the Gatlinburg Wine Trail
The Gatlinburg Wine Trail is made up of five local wineries. It’s a self-guided tour where you pick up a passport at your first stop and get free gifts at your third and final stops – and enjoy free tastings! You don’t have to visit all on the same day, so if you’re in town for a day or more it’s definitely worth a visit if you enjoy delicious wine.
Here are the wineries you can visit on the Gatlinburg Wine Trail:
Cades Cove Cellars (2 Locations – Townsend and Sevierville)
Two stops on this wine trail are the same company, so we’re combining them into one to discuss their offerings. One is in Townsend, the gateway of the Smoky Mountains, and the other is in Wears Valley in Sevierville. This is a family run company with a great history, and they make some amazing wine.
Famous for: Their wine of the month, which is always packed with flavor. Example: July’s wine of the month was Strawberry Wine, made with local Seyval Blanc grapes and real strawberries. They also offer moscato, chardonnay, and a wonderful selection of other types of wine.
Offers: Free wine tastings
Locations: 7126 East Lamar Alexaner Pkwy, Townsend and 3184 Wears Valley Rd, Sevierville
Learn more about Cades Cove Cellars here
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Sugarland Cellars
This local winery gives their wines names associated with historical places, figures or events in the area. They have a rich history of wine making in the Smokies and releases a seasonal wine with local artwork to raise money for Friends of the Smokies, a nonprofit that helps preserve and protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Famous for: Elkmont wine made from Loganberries, dark cherry wine (Cherry-kee), pinot noir, malbec and so much more.
Offers: Tours, free tastings, wine slushies, cheese trays, wine by the glass
Location: 1133 Parkway, Gatlinburg
Learn more about Sugarland Cellars here
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Bootleggers Homemade Wine
Bootleggers uses all natural ingredients for an amazing wine experience. This wine was created by two sisters who use small batch techniques without fancy equipment. Their wine is still bottled by hand! In fact, it’s so popular that they can barely keep up with the in-person demand, so you can’t get this wine shipped.
Famous for: Small batch wines such as peach, strawberry and other fruit wines along with table wines, dessert wines and seasonal holiday wines.
Offers: Free tastings
Locations: 903 Parkway, Gatlinburg (this is the wine tour stop) and a Pigeon Forge location at 131 The Island Drive
Learn more about Bootleggers Homemade Wine here
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Little Bear Winery
This is the newest winery in Gatlinburg, and it offers fun, vibrant wine flavors. This winery also has an attached restaurant, so if you’re on the wine tour and need lunch or dinner, plan a stop here for some food with your wine.
Famous for: Fun wines such as Two Berries, which is the perfect blend of blueberry and blackberries and our Blueberry Twist made with real lemons and blueberries, plus many others.
Offers: Outdoor seating, restaurant on-site, free tastings, pet friendly, cider.
Location: 631 Parkway, Gatlinburg
Learn more about Little Bear Winery here
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Other Great Gatlinburg Wineries
Smoky Mountain Winery
This is Gatlinburg’s oldest winery, dating back to 1981, and it offers a wonderful selection of local wines. It’s really a hidden gem, just off the main parkway, and worth a visit if you love trying different local wines.
Famous for: More than twenty locally produced vintages that showcase the best of Tennessee wine making. Sweet fruits wines are really popular, especially blackberry, and there are many others to choose from. Really something for every palate.
Offers: Free tastings
Location: 450 Cherry St, Gatlinburg
Learn more about the Smoky Mountain Winery here
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Tennessee Homemade Wines
This winery offers really fun wines, including an experimental series! They offer free tastings and a wine club, so stop by and check out the fun flavors.
Famous for: Fruit wines such as strawberry, peach, grape and more plus muscadine and more. Definitely try their varieties of apple wines, which are 100-year-old recipes that use local apples. The experimental series is super fun and includes flavors such as pineapple, strawberry cream, peanut butter and jelly and even mountain chocolate (plus more).
Offers: Free, fun tastings
Location: 643 Parkway, Gatlinburg and also 1645 Parkway Ste 950, Sevierville
Learn more about Tennessee Homemade Wines here
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Gatlinburg Wine Cellar
This unique wine cellar opened their doors in 2017. They have very knowledgeable staff that can help you pick out the wines that are most suited to you. Even if you don’t like wine, let them know that up front and they will help you choose wines that have won over others who thought they didn’t like wine.
Famous for: They have world-famous cotton candy wine, plus many other sweet wines like muscadine, peach, and berry wines and also dry offerings.
Offers: Free wine tasting, wine club
Location: 702 Parkway, Gatlinburg
Learn more about the Gatlinburg Wine Cellar here
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Goodwater Winery Gatlinburg
The Goodwater Vineyards have a tasting room in Gatlinburg, and it’s worth a visit. If you’re interested in visiting a real vineyard, be sure to make the drive to Goodwater Vineyards for tours and tastings right where it’s made.
Famous for: Sweet wines made with local fruit (the bestseller is Everything Peachy), plus many other selections.
Offers: Catered picnics at the vineyard, tastings at both locations, tours of the vineyards and winery
Location: Vineyard is located at 1865 Goodwater Rd, Mosheim and tasting room at 651 Parkway #105, Gatlinburg
Learn more about Goodwater Vineyards here
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Elkmont Winery
The Elmont Winery has Southern wines with modern flavors. The name originates from the Elkmont region of the Smoky Mountains, and they are committed to representing the region with true Southern flavors. They have free tastings, so don’t miss their peach cobbler moscato!
Famous for: Peach Cobbler Moscato, but you can also find several other Moscato flavors like huckleberry, grapefruit and watermelon, as well as sangria, fruit wines and more.
Location: 754 Parkway, Gatlinburg
Learn more about the Elkmont Winery here
Related: Moonshine Tasting in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Rocky Top Wine Trail
The Rocky Top Wine Trail is Tennessee’s most visited wine trail, and it’s in the area surrounding Gatlinburg. There are over 75 varities of wine to choose from along the trail, so plan on a day or two for this experience.
The wine trail is 100% free. Simply pick up a passport at any of the wineries listed below, then present your passport at each location to get a stamp. You will receive a free souvenir wine glass if you visit three locations, and you will get another free gift if you complete the passport by visiting all five!
Hillside Winery
Hillside features Italian-style and celebratory wines to the area. They offer more traditional wines, from dry wines to different kinds of wines you’d find in upscale restaurants. They have a great selection of popular wines.
Famous for: Italian-style wines. The best selling is Black and Blue, and other popular choices are Sangiovese and Muscadine Mist.
Offers: Outdoor seating, tours, wine by the glass, free tastings, wine slushies, cheese trays, pet friendly
Location: 229 Collier Dr, Sevierville
Learn more about Hillside Winery here
Apple Barn Winery
The Apple Barn, and all it has to offer, is legendary in the area. There are two restaurants on site, a creamery and bake shop, a cider house and a winery. There is an on-site apple orchard and the apples are used extensively in all of their offerings. This is one you don’t want to miss!
Famous for: Apple wine. They use the apples grown on the orchard to make wine instead of grapes, then they handcraft the wine on-site! Enjoy apple flavors like apple raspberry, apple blush, apple pomegranate and so many more.
Offers: Free tastings, outdoor seating, restaurant on-site, wine slushies, pet friendly
Location: 220 Apple Valley Rd, Sevierville
Learn more about the Apple Barn Winery here
Apple Barn Cider House
Get ready for something a little different with the Apple Barn Cider House! While this might not be considered a true “winery”, these hard ciders are amazing. They take special care to retain as much of the apple flavor as possible in their ciders. You’ll find this along with the Apple Barn restaurants, winery, creamery and more in Apple Barn Village.
Famous for: Hard apple ciders in flavors such as South Cider, Lemon Head and Berry Patch, plus many more.
Offers: Outdoor seating, restaurant on site, pet friendly, free cider tastings
Location: 226 Apple Valley Rd, Sevierville
Learn more about the Apple Barn Cider House here
Mountain Valley Winery
One of the oldest wineries in Tennessee, Mountain Valley features some of the most unique wines in the country, especially fruit wines. In fact, they have produced over 200 exclusive wines and won more than a thousand awards for their excellence.
Famous for: They specialize in sweet fruit wines, so you’ll find flavors like watermelon, rhubarb and even red velvet (which tastes like cake).
Offers: Visit between the hours of noon and 5pm to enjoy a personal tour of the winemaking area on site, enjoy free tastings, wine slushies, cheese trays, wine by the glass and they have outdoor seating and are pet friendly.
Location: 2174 Parkway, Pigeon Forge
Learn more about Mountain Valley Winery here
Mill Bridge Winery
Located near the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, the Mill Bridge Winery offers a variety of local wines and handcrafted hard cider. Sit on their patio, take in the views of the Little Pigeon River and enjoy a glass of wine or a cider flight tasting.
Famous for: Both dry and sweet wines including flavors such as Millstone, Indian Summer, and Mountain Falls, and also try their handcrafted hard cider with flavors like Iconic Tonic and Cider House Blues.
Offers: Free tastings, wine and cider slushies, outdoor seating, wine by the glass, restaurant on site, pet friendly
Location: 3331 S River Rd, Pigeon Forge
Learn more about Mill Bridge Winery here
Final Thoughts
Enjoying the local wine is a great way to spend a day (or two) in the Smoky Mountains. With so many wineries to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect one (or five) for you!
Be sure to get your wine passport (or try both trails!) and enjoy free tastings at all of the participating wineries. Cheers!
Happy Tasting!
Amanda
