East Tennessee Opens a Third Wine Trail That Includes Cider

East Tennessee – A brand new wine and cider trail has opened this fall in Nine Lakes Wine Country of East Tennessee, skirting along 100 miles of the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nine Lakes refers to the nine TVA-made lakes in the region.

Foothills Wine & Cider Trail encompasses four wineries and a cider mill in Hartford, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Townsend and Madisonville, with plenty of adventurous fun along the way at nearby attractions.

Visitors can take a walk on America’s longest swinging bridge or soar down the highest zip line in the Smokies at Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park, home of Wyile Cider Barn. Experience the peaceful side of the Smokies by visiting Tuckaleechee Caverns or travel the Cherohala Skyway Scenic Byway, both near Cades Cove Cellars and Tsali Notch Vineyard.

Visitors may want to schedule a couple of days for the wine and cider trail.

Participants who visit all five establishments will receive a commemorative wine trail glass, and be entered to win quarterly prizes.

To kick off its opening, Foothills Wine & Cider Trail is offering a Wine Adventure Giveaway, a package of prizes that involve area attractions as well as the trail. The package includes two zip-line passes to Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park, near Wyile Cider Barn in Sevierville, two splash passes from River Rat Rafting Company, which runs whitewater rafting in Hartford near the Pigeon River Winery, and a tubing venue near Cades Cove Winery in Townsend, a $50 Gift Certificate to Flap Jacks, near Mill Bridge Winery in Pigeon Forge, and two passes to The Lost Sea, an underground cavern near Tsali Notch Vineyard in Madisonville.

Read more about the giveaway at http://www.FoothillsWineandCiderTrail.com.

This trail features some of Tennessee’s most awarded wines. Tsali Notch Vineyard’s Hiwassee wine, a dry Muscadine varietal, has won more awards than any other Tennessee wine, including gold and silver medals from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Wine Competition.

The Appalachian Region Wine Producers Association’s mission is to grow the wine industry in East Tennessee. The association was the recipient of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Value Added Producer Grant in 2016. The association has established two wine trails, hosted the first Nine Lakes Wine Festival in May 2017, and has begun the process of establishing East Tennessee’s first American Viticultural Area.

An AVA is an official grape growing region designated by the U.S. government, and helps establish an identity for Tennessee wines.

For more information, visit www.ninelakeswinecountry.com. 

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