Revered in ancient cultures from
the Aztecs to the Anglo-Saxons of Beowulf’s world, the
mythology of mead now lives on in Anderson County. In
October of 2007, Shady Grove Meadery opened as Anderson
County’s first and only winery. Now in its new location at
709 Norris Freeway (U.S. 441) outside Lake City, TN, Shady
Grove Meadery features mead, a special wine made from honey.
Travelers visiting the winery can sample a selection of
traditional sweet meads, and Shady Grove’s unique champagne-style sparkling mead, which is offered in several
varieties, from dry to sweet, including pear, muscadine, and
apricot meads.
Some of their dry meads include the Sparkling Musky Mountain
Mead; a lightly sparkling mead fermented with bronze
scuppernong muscadine grapes. The Sparkling Wolf Valley Pear
Mead offers a tart but fruity pear flavor and goes well with
almost any food pairing. The Apricot Mead, the sweetest of
the sparkling meads, is a clover mead, offering a hint of
Apricot.
For wine lovers who like the more traditional, sweet mead
flavor, there are some delicious choices available for them
as well. The Poplar-Clover Mead is a traditional
non-sparkling blend of tulip poplar and clover honey with a
hint of oak finish. It is similar to a semi-sweet Riesling
in character.
The
Sourwood-Clover Mead is fermented from delicate mountain
sourwood and clover honey and offers a sweet floral body and
finish. Finally, the Blackberry - Wildflower Metheglin is a
non-sparkling complex blend of blackberry and wildflower
honey infused with nutmeg and a subtle finish of wild cherry
and oak.
In Shady Grove Meadery’s gift shop you’ll find an assortment
of meads as well as Tennessee cheeses, crackers, honey,
honey jellies, and biscotti. For those who enjoy arts and
crafts there is a fine selection of works by local artists
and crafts men and women including paintings, photography,
stained glass, cards, jewelry, candles, honey soaps and bath
products made with mead.
Shady Grove Meadery is also home to special events and
musical performances throughout the year make the experience
truly unique. They are open Monday through Friday from 10:30
am to 6 PM, Saturday from 10:30 am to 7 PM, and Sunday from
noon to 6 PM.
Learn More
Shady Grove Meadery is located .5
miles off the I-75 Lake City Exit 128 on Hwy. 441 South,
just 4 miles north of historic Norris Dam. For more
information, call (865) 426-4900 or visit them online at
www.shadygrovemead.com.
