Part Once can be read here!
Part Two: Cocktails and Chocolate can be read here!
Part Three: The Smoky Mountain Brewery can be read here!
Part Four: A Taste of Japan can be read here!
Part Five: Breakfast can be read here!

We would never claim to be wine connoisseurs, but we do enjoy a good glass every once in a while. While doing some research online to find some fun, free date opportunities in the Smokies we came across a few wineries offering free tours, tastings, and gifts. What more can one ask for in a date? I mean, really, it's free wine!

There are three wineries, all affiliated with each other, within a ten mile radius. We decided to hit up all three in the same day. It was a journey well worth it's weight in grapes!

We started at the Hillside Winery in Sevierville, TN. Hillside specializes in sparking and Italian wines.  After the tour, we tasted several of the wines and decided on three to take home with us: The Zinfandel, The Cantina Bianco, and The Black and Blue.




Each wine has a unique label with a butterfly on it. The photographer works out of Knoxville, TN.

Next we headed to the Mountain Valley Winery. They have a large variety of sweet wines that are all made with several types of berries and fruits. Including grapes, (of course) raspberries, strawberries, and peaches. We went with the Blackberry.



If you choose to tour a winery, this is the one to go to. It is a much more extensive tour and you see more of the machinary used, etc.


Stainless steele vats that hold the wine while it is fermenting.


Part of the winemaster's lab where it tests a million different things to make sure the wine is just right.




The bottling machine where everything is cleaned, bottled, and corked.


The labeling machine.



Oak casks that certain wines are aged in.


A not so great picture of the hostess that served us the wine during the tasting. She also shared many ideas and recipes for using their wines.


at the bar

After that tasting, we made our way over to the Apple Barn Winery. This winery is part of a massive complex. The Apple Barn includes three resturaunts, a candy store, ice cream store, general store, a bakery, and several other shops. You can not get a tour of this winery, but tastings are free. Most of their wines have the apple flavor in them. They also use several other fruits, including peach, raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, and grapes (of course). After tasting several, we decided on the Orchard White.


I forgot to get a picture before we broke into this one! Very good with cheese, if that's your thing.

You may not think of the Smokies as wine country, but sampling what they have to offer is definetly worth your time!


The Tennesse Collection!

Part Seven can be read here!

Part One can be read here!
Part Two: Cocktails and Chocolate can be read here!
Part Three: The Smoky Mountain Brewery can be read here!
Part Four: A Taste of Japan can be read here!

There are a million and one pancake houses in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. Every corner you turn there is a sign that hails the greatest pancakes or flapjacks you've ever tasted. They are all well advertised and you can find commercials for them all on local tv stations. One place that you won't find all that hoopla is The Log Cabin Pancake House. A place that is well steeped in local history as well as fine, southern dining.



The resturaunt is inside a 200 year old cabin. You can see original yellow poplar timbers on the outside as well as on the inside cross beams. You can find every available space in the foyer covered in bears. Whether they be stuffed, drawn, or painted. Hanging from the rafters, you will find many different banners from SEC schools (as well as a few others...the ones that matter )



We were there during the off season, so the place was only open for breakfast and lunch (9:00 am to 2:00 pm) During the regular season, you will find a wonderful lunch buffet that changes daily. In the off season, the buffet is only offered on Sunday. On any given day, you will find fried chicken and mashed potatoes. True southern style. Other days you will find, in additin to chicken, bbq ribs, steak and gravy, roast beef, meatloaf, and fried fish. The vegetables change with what's in season and dessert is always a fruit cobbler.

They serve breakfast all day long. The breakfast menu is HUGE, including all manner of pancakes, french toast, waffles, crepes, and omelets. The bacon is thick and peppered, the sausage slightly spicy, ham can be found in sugar and salt cured, and of course what southern menu would be complete without grits or all you can eat biscuits and gravy.

We went for breakfast on a cloudy Thursday morning. Seating was immediate, the staff courteous and helpful, and refils never had to be asked for. I ordered the Pancakes Royale and Hubby ordered the "Hold the Pancakes Special" (he was probably sweeted out from all the chocolate we ate at the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen).


Four HUGE  fluffy, pillowy pancakes served with bannana wedges, butter, and an incredibly delicious cream cheese sauce. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, of course!


The "hold the pancakes" special came a choice of breakfast meat, eggs, potato, and bread. Hubby chose bacon, two eggs over easy, hashbrowns, and toast.

This place isn't a five star resturaunt, but it is a staple in Tennessee dining!

Part Five can be read here!

Part One can be read here!
Part Two: Cocktails and Chocolate can be read here!

Tucked away between shops of junk and other street food vendors, you will find the Smoky Mountain Brewery. We had read several great reviews of this place and decided to give it a try for lunch. Needless to say, we were not disappointed.

We arrived shortly after it opened for the day (around 11:30 am), and decided that it was five o'clock somewhere and ordered the in house made micro-brews. I ordered the Cherokee Red (similar to any Irish red that you would order). Hubby ordered the Velas Helles (a German lager, he couldn't put his finger on what it reminded him of).




Cherokee Red is on the left, Velas Helles is on the right. We didn't realize that the brews would be this big, but who are we to complain?

For the actual food, hubby ordered a Philly Cheesesteak and I ordered a Chicken Reuben. Both were delectable, sorry for the lack of pictures. We were so eager to dig in that I forgot to take the camera out of my bag to snap a few shots. Pictures wouldn't do it justice anyway! Both sandwiches come highly recommended by hubby and myself!

Leaving stuffed and slightly intoxicated (the beers were huge after all), we made our way back to the hotel  by way of window shopping up and down the main drag of Gatlinburg. After much napping, it is a vacation after all, we started trying to decide what to have for dinner. We settled on snacks that we had the room, but a couple hours later we were restless and hungry once more. Back to the brewery we headed!!! Mainly because we saw servers bringing out awesome looking pizzas, and they stay open past 10:00 pm.

We were greeted at the door by the sounds of Karoke and the intoxicating smells of homeade pizza and beer in the downstairs kitchen. The hostess took us upstairs and the sounds of wannabe rockstars flooded our ears. Several large screen TVs broadcasted ESPN and local sports from their glaring screens. Hubby wanted to throw that in there for the male audience who love their sports!

We couldn't decide what brew to have this time, so we decided on a sampler. We tried the Black Bear Ale, the Tuckaleechee Porter, the Thunder Road, the Velas Helles, the Appalachian Pale Ale, and a seasonal brew that was similar to Blue Moon.


The beer readers should be drooling right now!

To get the meal started, we tried their deep fried mushrooms with a honey mustard dipping sauce. Delectable was the verdict!


These are Hubby's favorite appetizer (when they are done correctly). I agreed to them, and didn't regret the decision.

After witnessing all the pizzas being delivered to tables at lunch, we decided to try one. Went with the Brewmaster pizza and found it to be one of the best pizzas either of us had ever placed in our mouths.


It had a white sauce with spinach, tomatoes, grilled chicken and mozzarella cheese. Hubby and I agree that a few ingredients can go a long way when on a homeade crust! Total bliss for the tastebuds.

We thought about karokeing with the locals, but Hubby (even with the liquid courage) couldn't bring himself to do it The deal was he had to do one if I was going to do one. We chickened out!

Part Four can be read here!