The Barn at Blackberry Farm
World-Class Cellar, Smokies Backdrop, Zero Compromises
Walland · Walland · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 5, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at The Barn lands like a serious collector's library — somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 selections, with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Screaming Eagle sharing real estate alongside Penfolds Grange and Sassicaia. This isn't a restaurant that bolted on a wine program as an afterthought; wine is clearly load-bearing here. You're in the Tennessee foothills, and somehow the cellar reads like it belongs in a three-star Parisian dining room.
Selection Deep Dive
The list covers serious ground: California cult producers like Harlan Estate, Marcassin, Kistler, and Sine Qua Non anchor the domestic side, while Burgundy goes deep with Domaine Leroy Chambertin and DRC in the mix. Rhône is properly represented — E. Guigal's La Landonne alone tells you someone here is paying attention. Italy doesn't get treated as an afterthought: Antinori Solaia and Sassicaia sit alongside the French heavyweights, and Spain, Germany, Oregon, and Washington all get genuine consideration. The gaps are hard to find; this list has been curated over nearly two decades of Wine Spectator Grand Award recognition since 2006, and it shows.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious commitment for a property this size, and with a team of eight sommeliers running the floor, the glass program actually gets attention. Expect pours ranging from approachable entry points around $15 up to genuinely special bottles opened at $500-plus per glass — this is a place where someone will open a grand cru for a table of one if you ask the right way. Rotation exists, but given the resort setting, the list leans toward consistency over surprise.
Ridge Monte Bello — $60 (estimated entry bottle)
In a list built around four-figure trophy bottles, Ridge Monte Bello represents one of California's most legitimate long-aging reds at a price point that doesn't require a second mortgage. It's serious wine that earns its place next to the cult names without the cult markup.
E. Guigal La Landonne
Everyone at this table is eyeing the Burgundy section, but La Landonne — a single-vineyard Côte-Rôtie from one of the Northern Rhône's most obsessive producers — is the sleeper. Dense, smoky, and built to age, it tends to get overlooked when DRC is on the same page. Their loss.
Opus One
A fine wine, yes, but Opus One at a resort property is a reliable markup target — it's the bottle guests recognize by name, which means the kitchen knows they'll pay for the familiarity. With Harlan, Marcassin, and Sine Qua Non all on the same list, there are far more interesting places to put your money.
Kistler Vineyards Chardonnay + Farm-raised trout
Kistler's Chardonnay brings enough richness and precision to stand up to the farm's beautifully prepared trout without steamrolling it — the wine's restrained oak and bright acidity mirror what good mountain water does to a clean fish. It's a pairing that lets both the kitchen and the cellar shine.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The Barn at Blackberry Farm is the rare destination where the wine program is genuinely worth the drive — or the plane ticket — on its own merits. Yes, you're paying resort prices, but eight sommeliers, a 1,500-bottle list, and nearly twenty years of Grand Award pedigree make this one of the most serious wine experiences in the American South.
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