Hillside Winery brings flavor
of Europe to the Smokies
By Scott Brooks
The Smoky Mountains historically aren’t known for an abundance of wineries.
But the owners of Hillside Winery in Sevierville are slowly changing that.In Nov. 2008, Hillside opened its 10,000 square-foot facility on Collier Drive, in the heart of the Governor’s Crossing area.
At first it may seem like an odd place for a European-style winery. But owner Don Collier said it makes sense to go where the people are.
“We are here to capture the tourism dollars,” he said. “We offer a product you can’t find outside of Tennessee.”
Collier said he uses grapes grown almost entirely in 13 different East Tennessee counties.
The entire process is contained within the facility, from crushing the grapes to fermentation to bottling and labeling.
Hillside even makes its own champagne.
Hillside can also provide these products to weddings and other private events.With the storage capacity and room to make up to 80,000 gallons of wine a year, Hillside is among the largest independent wineries in the state.
But don’t ask to sniff the cork. Hillside uses only screw caps, except for the champagne.
“Corks are on the way out. The technology has finally caught up so we can get proper closure using caps,” said Collier. “In 20 years you won’t find a cork in anything except French wines.”
Hillside specializes in sweet wines and Italian-style table wines as well as champagne.
Varieties include Pinot Grigio, Raspberry Blush and Spumante among several others.
“We have professional wine makers and we take it very seriously,” said Collier, who learned the craft by spending two years touring wineries and studying the process before he opened for business.
Wine making itself is a growing trade. Collier said there are roughly 4,600 wineries spread out across all 50 states. “The future is bright for wine in this country,” he said.
Collier credits much of the growth to “baby boomers” and “Generation X’ers,” people in their 30s through their 60s, who have discovered a taste for wine.
Collier also believes in keeping the product affordable.Bottles at Hillside go for $11.99 to $18.99.
Everything is sold directly from the facility, not through wholesalers or distributors.
“That cuts out the middle men,” said Collier.
A visit to the winery can also include a tour and free tasting.
Hillside is open daily year-round between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
For more information, visit the Web site at www.hillsidewine.com or call (865) 908-8482.
