Page 56 - Grapevine NovDec 2021

Around The Vineyard

Sweet Vines of Tennessee

By: Hanifa Sekandi
W they think about whiskey. There is no The lineage does not run deep and is not riddled
hen most people think about Tennessee, world, winemaking in Tennessee is in its infancy.

disagreement that people are talking
weather fluctuations that one would find in South
about the best bourbon in town or the best whis- with the same political turmoil and unpredictable
key they ever had. The dispute of who makes it Africa or Germany. There is no sad story to tell.
better can last hours. But what about wine? Does Perhaps a few good stories about hidden wine that
viticulture have a place among the crown spirit of bootleggers used to sell during Prohibi-tion. Wine,
the south and the best whiskey? It seems it does, just like the music in this state, is the birth of some-
and it is just as good as your taste buds can imag- thing new. It becomes something you never stop
ine. There is more to southern wine than strawber- hearing about when done right and given a little
ry wine, and for North American wine enthusiasts patience.
supporting local and imbibing in something home-
grown is a palate-pleasing dalliance. Tennessee winemaking is a new, lucrative fron-
tier, thanks to settlers from Europe who migrated
Viticulture in the South to the region in the mid 19th century and brought
their winemaking skills. During this time, it was a
In comparison to other wine regions across the burgeoning wine industry with only approximately

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