Highland Manor Winery – Jamestown, TN
Visiting wineries is something we enjoy as we travel the country. We like to taste the different variety of grapes as well as how the soil affects the taste and texture. It is not often that one of our visits involves history. Yet in Jamestown,TN we found history. Highland Manor Winery is the oldest licensed winery in Tennessee.Wine making began on the Cumberland Plateau over 100 years ago. Before Prohibition, Tennessee grew more grapes for wine production than most other states. The growing of grapes and the making of wine came to a halt when Prohibition passed Congress. Not everyone obeyed the Prohibition Law; bootleggers became a means of obtaining alcohol.
Gertie and Butch Campbell began Highland Manor Winery over thirty years ago. You could probably say, they were carrying on a family tradition. Gertie’s father, Dave Smith, was one of the Tennessee bootleggers supplying alcohol during Prohibition. The Campbell’s operated the winery until seventeen years ago when they sold to their nephew and his wife, Frederick and Rhonda Moody.
We enjoyed learning the history of the winery and the region, but we came to taste the wine. After many tastings we decided on a White Riesling.
The plan for the day was to bring a picnic lunch to the winery, pick a wine and enjoy both on the grounds of the winery. So we had our lunch and wine and rain. We were invited to go down to the wine cellar and enjoy lunch and wine at one of the tables. Wine was opened, local cheese was purchased and downstairs we went. Lunch was an unexpected intimate affair, enjoyed on a rainy day, in a beautiful wine cellar, on the Cumberland Plateau.
Happy travels and many adventures along your journey.
Enjoy these wine barrel earrings. Great for any wine enthusiast. Fun to wear.
Available from CAJUNVILLE.
