2014 Nashville Lawn & Garden Show
When: Feb. 28-March 2; Wine Festival is Friday and Saturday, Noon-7 p.m., each day
Where: Tennessee State Fairgrounds
Cost: $10 general admission. Wine Festival tickets are $22 per person, per day, and include admission to the Lawn and Garden Show. Includes admission to the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show.
Tickets are available for purchase at the door or nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com
Participating Wineries:
Coffee County: Beans Creek Winery, Manchester
Cumberland County: Stonehaus Winery, Crossville
Davidson County: The Winery at Belle Meade Plantation
Hickman County: Grinders Switch Winery, Centerville
Madison County: Century Farm Winery, Jackson
Marshall County: Pickers Creek Winery, Lewisburg
Maury County: Amber Falls Winery and Cellars,
Hampshire; Keg Springs Winery, Hampshire; Natchez Hills Winery, Hampshire
Montgomery County: Beachaven Vineyards and Winery, Clarksville
Putnam County: DelMonaco Winery and Vineyards, Baxter
Sevier County: Apple Barn Winery, Sevierville; Eagle Springs Winery, Kodak; Sugarland Cellars, Gatlinburg
Williamson County: Arrington Vineyards, Arrington
The Nashville Lawn and Garden Show has added a wine festival to the mix as the event celebrates 25 years of showcasing the best of the best of local agriculture.
In partnership with the Tennessee Farm Winegrowers Alliance, the festival will incorporate locally produced wine from some of the state’s wineries for two days of the four-day show.
“We have never brought in any other entity like that,” says Sharon Elder, co-director for the lawn and garden show. “We are hoping that it encourages more visitors to our show, but also spreads the news about our local wine growers and our wineries.”
Festival-goers will enjoy wine tastings, a complimentary wine glass and will also have the opportunity to purchase wine produced Tennessee. Because some state wineries don’t have a wholesaler to distribute their products in liquor stores, many wines that are usually only available at the winery will on site during the show.
“That is the beauty of the festival,” says Tammy Algood with the winegrowers group. “You will be exposed to a lot of boutique wineries who don’t have their products available in a liquor store. The wineries really saw the opportunity to reach a different set of customers than they would normally gather at their businesses on a regular day.”
There are nearly 40 state wineries in the TFWA, and 15 of them will be represented at the festival.
“I think wine drinking and gardening go hand in hand,” Elder says. “People might see signs for the wineries [as they are] going down the interstate, but they don’t really understand that these are also major grape growing productions around here. It is just another part of the state’s horticulture.”
One myth Algood hopes to dispel is that state wines are overtly sweet. Festival goers will have the opportunity to sip dry and sparking varieties as well.
“We certainly do have that segment for people who appreciate those types of wines, but at the same time, we are pretty well-known worldwide for winning awards, nationally and internationally, for all kinds of wines,” she says. “We really have a wine for everybody, and wineries are going to have a huge range of options for everyone to taste and buy at the festival.”
State-grown grapes go into all of the wine that will be represented, as well as a number of other local fruit. There won’t be room for any demonstrations, and the grape stomping season is at the end of summer anyway. But, wine lovers will be able to participate in talks that range from highlighting the best wine-related gadgets to how to successfully grow grapes for wine in your own backyard.
Festival attendees will also learn more about an important part of state agriculture and be able to tuck that knowledge away for their next road trip so they can support local wine growers while on the move.
“A lot of people travel in state, and it is nice to be given a roadmap of the wineries,” Algood says. “We want local wineries to be part of your travel no matter where you are going in Tennessee.”