Review: Blackberry Farm

Tucked at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee, Blackberry Farm is a sweeping countryside enclave: Its 9,200 rolling acres of green are home to an on-site creamery, bakery, and charcuterie, not to mention 68 uniquely intimate suites. Guests have a choice between 6 different accommodations ranging from two-room cottages to five-bedroom houses, which run the gamut from rustic Estate-chic—think fine art, stone chimneys, and wooden chandeliers—to bright, clean, and modern.

Inspired by the seasonal produce grown just a few feet away, meals are either served in The Barn, a turn-of-the-nineteenth-century outbuilding, or at the newly opened The Dogwood, where head chef Sarah Steffan churns out genuine Foothills Cuisine (there’s a whole book on this culinary phenomenon, in case you were wondering). These rugged yet refined Southern eats—most notably the Sweet tea brined fried chicken and slaw, preceded by a light salad of rhubarb, shaved fennel, and strawberries, and topped with hazelnuts—pair well with any of the wines from the farm’s 180,000-bottle cellar, or any of the 600 different Bourbons, Ryes, Scotches, and Japanese whiskies from its Barn Bar. The hotel is kiddie-friendly, too, especially around the holidays, when activities like ornament making, s’mores and storytelling around a bonfire, and complimentary holiday films are offered to help round out the day.