Cades Cove Cellars Tasting Room

Why go: A satellite tasting room for the award-winning Cades Cove Cellars winery in Townsend, this Wears Valley stop pours free samples of the label’s full range, stocks location-exclusive bottles, and serves wine slushies on a deck framed by mountain scenery.

About Cades Cove Cellars

Cades Cove Cellars operates this Wears Valley tasting room as a satellite of its flagship winery in nearby Townsend, bringing the label’s award-winning wines to the Sevierville side of the Smokies corridor. The winery was founded by two families who brought a combined eight decades of winemaking experience to East Tennessee, guided by a commitment to fresh fruit, trusted recipes, and making wine the honest way.

The Wears Valley location carries a rotating selection from the full Cades Cove Cellars catalog alongside a handful of location-exclusive bottles you won’t find at Townsend. Free tastings are available every day the tasting room is open, with no reservation required. The lineup spans dry reds, crisp whites, sweet dessert wines, Tennessee-grown varietals, and lightly effervescent fruit wines. When the weather cooperates, the deck is the place to settle in with a wine slushy and take in the mountain scenery.

The tasting room is also an official stop on the Foothills Wine and Cider Trail, making it a natural anchor for a day spent exploring East Tennessee’s wine and cider producers. Visitors who want to see the production side of Cades Cove Cellars, including the laboratory, tank room, and working bottling line, can do so at the Townsend location.

Getting to Cades Cove Cellars

Cades Cove Cellars Wears Valley sits along Wears Valley Road (TN-321 S) in Sevierville, on the scenic corridor connecting the main Smokies gateway strip to Townsend and the western entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From downtown Sevierville, follow Wears Valley Road southwest through the valley; the tasting room is well-signed from the road and has on-site parking. The drive itself is a highlight, with mountain views opening up as the road drops into the valley.

Why Choose Cades Cove Cellars

Whether you are a dedicated wine enthusiast or just looking for a quieter alternative to the main Parkway, the Wears Valley tasting room gives you several good reasons to stop:

• Free tastings, no appointment needed. Walk in any day the tasting room is open, work through available pours at your own pace, and leave without spending a cent if nothing catches your eye.
• Rotating exclusives you won’t find in Townsend. Some bottles are available only at this location, making it worth a stop even for visitors who have already been to the main winery.
• An award-winning catalog. Cades Cove Cellars wines have earned competition medals across multiple categories, from dry American oak-aged reds to locally grown Tennessee varietals and antioxidant-rich muscadines.
• A scenic setting off the beaten path. The tasting room sits along one of the most picturesque drives in the Smokies area, and the deck offers a genuinely relaxed spot to enjoy a glass or a slushy away from the strip.
• An official Foothills Wine and Cider Trail stop. The Wears Valley location is a verified trail waypoint, fitting naturally into a day spent exploring the broader East Tennessee wine and cider scene.

Meet the Wines

The Wears Valley wine list rotates seasonally, and not every bottle in the catalog is available at both locations. The wines below represent the range of styles you are likely to find on any given visit:

• Abrams Falls. A dry Seyval Blanc grown from local Tennessee grapes, light and crisp in the style of Pinot Grigio. A clean, versatile pour suited to cheese, salads, and lighter fare.
• Fall Bounty. A medium-bodied dry Chambourcin from Tennessee grapes, lightly aged in American oak. If Pinot Noir is your preference, this is the bottle to reach for.
• Whispering Woods. A semi-sweet Chambourcin with rich dark berry flavors, a smooth velvety finish, and a track record of being one of the most popular bottles in the lineup.
• Sweet Red Muscadine. A classic Southern dessert wine built on antioxidant-rich Muscadine grapes, with a flavor profile that is genuinely true to the fruit.
• Smoky Mountain Sunrise. A sweet blend of Vidal Blanc and Red Muscadine that drinks similarly to an icewine. Excellent on its own or alongside peach, apricot, or mango desserts.
• Roaring Fork. A sweet Niagara white with a fruity, summer-ready profile that also works well as a white Sangria base.

What to Expect

The Wears Valley tasting room is a relaxed, walk-in experience. Here is what a typical visit looks like:

• Walk-in tastings at no charge. No reservation, no tasting fee, and no pressure to purchase. Staff will walk you through available pours and answer questions about the wines.
• A rotating wine list. The selection changes over time, so specific bottles may vary between visits. If you are coming specifically for a title you tried before, calling ahead is worthwhile.
• Bottles to take home. Most poured wines are available for purchase by the bottle, and Wears Valley exclusives can only be bought at this location.
• Deck and slushy service. On open days, the deck is a comfortable place to enjoy a glass or a wine slushy with a view of the surrounding mountains.
• No on-site food service. The charcuterie box program operates at the Townsend location only and requires advance notice. Plan to eat before or after your tasting visit.
• Tuesday closures. The Wears Valley location does not operate on Tuesdays. Hours for remaining days are listed in the summary above.

Nearby Restaurants in Sevierville

• Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. A Tennessee homestyle landmark on Apple Valley Road serving country breakfasts and scratch-made Southern staples in a setting surrounded by apple orchards.
• Applewood Farmhouse Grill. The companion restaurant to the original Applewood Farmhouse, offering a distinct menu in the same orchard setting on Apple Valley Road.
• Chubby’s Restaurant. A longtime Sevierville spot for generous portions of homestyle cooking, popular with locals and visitors heading to or from the Smokies.
• Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin. A breakfast-focused stop on the Parkway known for stacks of fluffy pancakes and a full lineup of hearty morning plates.
• Big Daddy’s Pizzeria. A Sevierville Parkway pizza stop serving wood-fired pies and Italian-American classics in a casual, family-friendly setting.

Explore More

My Smoky Mountain Guide Sevierville is a great resource for finding things to do and places to eat.

• Sevierville Food and Beverage Guide. Browse restaurants, coffee shops, distilleries, and dessert stops in Sevierville, organized by category.
• Sevierville Attractions. From outlet shopping to attractions and entertainment venues, find out what else is happening along the Parkway and beyond.
• Sevierville Outdoor Adventure. Hiking, paddling, ziplines, and more outdoor options in Sevierville.