Just outside of Nashville, in the beautiful area of Franklin and tucked away from the main roads, is Arrington Vineyards. We had family in town and decided on a picnic here at the vineyard and we could not have found a more perfect place to enjoy a summer day.
All through Nashville you can find an abundance of bars and restaurants owned by some country artist or another. But one country artist wanted something different than the bar scene and set out to create a more relaxing and welcoming place where families and friends could gather to enjoy some music and locally made wine. And so Arrington Vineyards came to be.
Arrington Vineyards was founded by Kix Brooks (of the country duo Brooks and Dunn). He wanted to create the wine country experience here in the picturesque hills of Tennessee. They have a set of 12 award winning wines to choose from, all bringing with them the tastes of this area.
One of the great secrets to the wine made here is that they use old whiskey barrels in storing the wine while it matures. So all over the property you’ll see rows of barrels holding the wine and giving it that little extra taste of Tennessee.
We parked our car and were greeted by a golf cart driver offering us a tour of the property. We piled onto the cart and made our way up the hill, past the rows and rows of grape vines, to see all that Arrington Vineyards has to offer. Picnic tables were spread out everywhere, inviting visitors to come and enjoy. You can bring your own food or there is a selection of items at the store.
The feel of the vineyards is very relaxed and unpretentious with all the charm of a Southern town. A walk through the store gave an idea of not only their wine selection but also gifts and housewares. I thought over buying the Kix Brooks cookbook they had there with all the recipes from his growing up in Louisiana but I’ll save my attempt at Cajun cooking for another time.
Besides being a place with great wine, Arrington Vineyards is also a place for great music. There are three different stages around the vineyards where artists of every genre come to perform. Some of the bands are big names (with the occasional performance of Brooks himself) while some of them are the rising stars of the area. We sat by the big red barn and listened to some bluegrass. They have a variety of music events all year long which they fondly call ‘Music in the Vines’.
What could be better than a summer day with family, wine, and music. Arrington Vineyards was a perfect place for such a combination. It is warm and welcoming with simple tastes and natural beauty-much like the people of Tennessee themselves. A wonderful new part of Tennessee to discover.
If you have enjoyed this visit to the local vineyard, you may be interested in these other places:
Jack Daniels Distillery- Tennessee
Thanks for coming along on this visit to Arrington Vineyard. May your summer breeze carry the sound of music and the taste of wine.
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