Autumn Wine Tour: White Squirrel Winery and Delta Blues Winery
White Squirrel Winery and Vineyard
By Ellie Simmons
White Squirrel Winery is located in the quiet town of Kenton, Tennessee near the North Fork River. Bill Sanderson, the owner, built it back in 2014 on his family’s gorgeous 90-acre farm. The scenery is so stunning that it looks like something you might find in a storybook, complete with an 18-acre orchard and almost 150 rose bushes. The barn-style tasting room was built almost entirely out of Tennessee Yellow Poplar wood, with towering bi-fold doors made of Western Cedar, giving it an airy, yet cozy, almost cabin-like feel. An intimate, romantically designed 5-star AirBnB suite with spectacular views of the sprawling vineyard was recently added to the upstairs portion of the tasting room. There’s also a large outdoor pavilion at the back of the building, which features a huge brick fireplace. It’s no wonder why White Squirrel has become an extremely popular venue for weddings and other private events!
“There are wineries that have live music, tons of activities all the time, and are filled to capacity on most weekends. However, White Squirrel Winery is a far more intimate location, where you will be immediately greeted when you arrive, and you’ll depart as a friend,” says Tanya Sierra, the Social Media Coordinator for White Squirrel Winery and Vineyard. “We have had visitors from all around the U.S. and the world who have commented on the peacefulness and intimacy that the location offers that is not available in other vineyards and wineries. It is a unique, one-of-a-kind destination that caters more to smaller groups, as well as individuals, couples, and families seeking smaller, more intimate settings.”
In the past eight years since the winery was established, it has grown immensely. The vineyard at White Squirrel supplies grapes for several other wineries throughout the state. In addition to having over 80 vendors throughout West Tennessee, White Squirrel Wines will soon be available for purchase at one of the biggest retailers in the United States, which is a major milestone for this rural, family-owned business.
Tanya explains, “We have just solidified a partnership that will take White Squirrel Wine to a Walmart near you in Tennessee, and eventually in Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas.”
Bill Sanderson and his family have been very involved in all aspects of the winery and the vineyard to ensure the quality of the wine and the fruits that they produce. The end of summer is one of the most crucial times of year in the vineyard because the grapes and fruits are ready to be picked. The team at White Squirrel Winery has been all hands on deck in recent weeks as they work tirelessly to harvest all 18-acres of fresh fruit growing on the property.
“Summer is a busy time at most wineries, but an especially busy time when you are a small family farm,” explains Tanya. “Bill and his son, Garrett, are involved in the vineyard from the pruning process that begins in March all the way through harvest, which typically happens around Labor Day. Once the Vineyard work is done, then begins the work of processing grapes, making and bottling the wine, and of course selling it!”
With 25 different types of wine affordably priced from $12.99-$16.99, White Squirrel is sure to have something to please any pallet. Bill’s favorite flavor is the Chambourcin-Syrah, which is actually aged for two years inside of whisky barrels that were previously used by Full Throttle Saloon in Trenton, Tennessee. Its flavor is described as a “full-bodied red with a white and black pepper aroma and a smoky flavor of currant and licorice.” White Squirrel carries all of the classic varieties of wine including Moscato, Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio. However, they also offer an array of wines that are not so conventional. One of the more unusual flavors that they have is called Sweet Heat, which is described as “grape wine with an infusion of Tennessee grown chili peppers.” They offer a large assortment of sweeter, fruity wines as well, including Chocolate Strawberry, Sangria Shindig, Tennessee Blackberry, Tennessee Peach, and Cranberry. They even have a non-alcoholic option available called Red Muscadine Juice.
“The Moscato wine is by far the most popular and the most frequently requested wine at the winery. It’s best served chilled, and although it comes from a Moscato Grape, it’s not as sweet as you would expect. Absolutely delightful!” says Tanya. “I personally am a red wine drinker, so I really enjoy the Caernet that we have available as well.”
White Squirrel Winery has its own Wine Club that ships members anywhere from 3-12 bottles of wine on a quarterly basis. There are three different tiers of memberships to choose from, based on how many bottles of wine you would like to receive, and members can also choose whether they prefer to receive dry wines, semi-sweet wines, or a mixture of both. To purchase a membership or to get more information about membership rates and the additional perks that members receive, visit www.WhiteSquirelWinery.com/club.
White Squirrel Winery and Vineyard is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 1:00pm-6:00pm, and on Sundays from 1:00pm-5:00pm. Information for private event packages can be found on their website at www.WhiteSquirrelWinery.com/events-weddings. To make reservations or to book a private event, please call the winery (731) 796-1713, or email them at info@WhiteSquirrelWinery.com. For daily updates on what’s happening at White Squirrel Winery, or for details on upcoming events, follow @WhiteSquirrelWinery on Facebook.
Delta Blues Winery
By Ellie Simmons
Delta Blues Winery is located in an unassuming, remote area on the outskirts of Lakeland. If you happen to drive by the sprawling property on Stewart Road, it’s sure to take your breath away, even from a distance. If you venture through the iron gates at the entrance and down the long, winding driveway, you’ll be greeted by 15-acres, their vineyard and a peaceful lake, tucked in behind a canopy of trees surrounding the outer edges of the property. At the end of the driveway is the tasting room, which features a charming wraparound porch and an outdoor music venue on the backside of the building.
“The atmosphere is very peaceful and people often come to relax by the water or to sit on the porch and sip wine,” says Hayley Hensley, the Assistant Winemaker and Tasting Room Associate at Delta Blues.
Delta Blues Winery was established in 2013, opening officially in 2015 making it a relatively young vineyard. The grapes used in Delta Blues Wine are currently imported from other West Tennessee vineyards. However, within the next couple of years, the vineyard will be mature enough to supply its own grapes.
Currently, Delta Blues is growing four different types of grapes: Sangiovese, Barbera, Tempranillo, and Primitivo. Having such a wide variety growing on the property will allow the winery to continue producing a diverse range of flavors once the vineyard is finally mature enough to become self-sustaining.
Delta Blues Winery produces dry white, dry red, semi-dry, and sweet wines, so they are sure to have something to suit any wine drinker! Bartender Daryl Cole says that the bestsellers are the sweet wines, which come in six different flavors: Bodacious Blackberry, Just Peachy, Plum Delicious, White Muscadine, Red Muscadine, and Southern Rosè. Their semi-dry options are called Cayuga and Make Me Blush. Their dry white wine is called Dry Niagara, and they have five different types of dry red wine: Rustic Red, Corot Noir, Chambourcin, Delta Red, and Norton.
“My favorite is the Cayuga because it’s very light and refreshing. If you’re a white wine drinker, I’d recommend that one as well as Dry Niagara, ” says Assistant Winemaker Hayley. “If you prefer sweet wines, Just Peachy is our best seller! If you like dry reds, Delta Red is for you.”
Tastings are currently $8 to sample four different types of wine. If you want to purchase a bottle, you have to visit the Delta Blues tasting room at 6585 Stewart Road in Lakeland, Tennessee. These exclusive wines are not available for shipping or in any stores.
If wine isn’t your thing, Delta Blues now has their own cider as well! Long Road Cider is brewed on site at Delta Blues Winery, making Delta Blues Tennessee’s first ever craft cider brewery! The cider is free of concentrates, artificial flavors, chemical additives, and gluten. Unlike the wines, Long Road Cider can also be found at Meddlesome Brewery.
Delta Blues also has live music every Friday night at the Pavillion behind the tasting room, and on Sunday afternoons they have more low-key live music performed either inside of the tasting room, on the pavilion, or on the wraparound porch, overlooking the picturesque scenery. They’ve also offered “Paint and Sip” Yoga Sessions and are working on organizing a karaoke night.
Delta Blues Winery is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 12pm-5pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 12pm-7pm. For more information about the wines and the venue, you can visit their website at www.DeltaBluesWinery.com. You can also follow them on Facebook for updates on upcoming live musical performances and other events at the winery.