For my family, summer is a time for travel. This year, we decided to take an almost three-week road trip that took us from Florida to New York and back with many stops along the way. Of course, traveling to many new locations gives us the opportunity to visit wineries. While I have already checked Tennessee off my 50 State Wine Tour Goal, we couldn’t resist checking out Corey Ippolito Winery in Blountville, Tennessee.

 

Corey Ippolito Winery in Blountville, Tennessee

 

After an enjoyable visit to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, we packed up the car and headed to Virginia to stay with some friends. We gave ourselves eight hours to make the five-hour drive which left us time to stop and explore our route.

A few hours into our drive, we stumbled upon Darrell’s Dream Boundless Playground at Warriors Path State Park. While letting the girls play, I decided to explore Google Maps to see what was in the area for lunch. During my search, I discovered that not that far away was Corey Ippolito Winery in Blountville, Tennessee. Seeing my husband was doing all the driving that day, I figured why not stop for a quick tasting before grabbing lunch.

 

A Beautiful Winery

From first sight, I was in love with the winery. It sat on a little hill surrounded by beautiful land covered with grape vines. The property was gorgeous, and it was no surprise to me to learn that weddings are held at the vineyard. It seriously made me wonder why I did not have a destination wedding at a winery.

Before we took the time to explore the grounds fully, we made our way inside to the tasting room. For a small fee, I was able to taste a variety of red and white wines.

 

Learning About the Grapes

During the tasting, I was able to learn a lot about both the winery and the grapes that are grown on the property.

18 years ago, the vineyard first opened and began with growing grapes for other wineries. Shortly after, the owners started to produce the property’s own wines in addition to selling their grapes. All wines that are made at Corey Ippolito Winery in Blountville, Tennessee use only grapes grown in the vineyard.

One of the reasons I love visiting wineries wherever I travel is because it gives me an opportunity to learn about how the region impacts winemaking and the grapes that grow in the area. During my time at Corey Ippolito Winery, I learned that the humidity levels in the area make it hard to develop some grapes effectively. Therefore, hybrid grapes are the best option for the region.

However, in addition to the hybrid grapes grown on the property, Corey Ippolito Winery also makes wine that uses a kind of grape that dates to when Native Americans planted and harvested the area.

 Exploring the Property

After the tasting, and purchasing a bottle to enjoy later, we were told to take our time exploring the property. As I mentioned before, it was beautiful! It’s no wonder that it is used as a wedding and events venue.

There is a goal to bring even more events to the winery. If you are in the area or visiting, be sure to check out their Facebook page or website to learn about upcoming events.

 They Are Living My Dream!

In the spring of 2018, the winery switched hands to its current owners. I must say, the new owners are living my dream!

They started out as hobby wine makes and lovers, and always talked about owning a winery one day. (Just like me!)

After meeting the previous owners, they started to help with the harvest so they could learn more about running a winery and making larger quantities of wine. They have since purchased the winery, and with the help of their son and daughter-in-law, they are now living their wine maker’s dream.

Someday, I hope for this to be my life, too!