Beachaven Vineyards & Winery, Clarksville TN

I’ve made frequent trips from Illinois to Knoxville over the last several years, and the first time I quickly noticed this intriguing winery off Interstate 24 in Clarksville. Unfortunately, my family does not hold an endearing attitude toward wine as I, so I observed from a distance; until two years ago. I was family-free and attended a meeting in Nashville with a fellow wine lover and had an opportunity to finally check out this little place. I say little, only because that is how I observed it at the time. What I have actually found is that Beachaven is more than a contender in the wine industry and in addition to producing a great number of excellent wines, they have built a community of followers due to their true hospitality and many events.

In 1986, Judge William O. Beach, along with his son-in-law Edward Cooke and Louisa Beach Cooke founded Beachaven Vineyards & Winery LTD.  This was six years after Judge Beach and Ed planted the large commercial vineyard.  There are three acres of vineyards at Beachaven, and they acquire grapes and fruit from several other states to produce their wines. Beachaven has earned well over 500 awards, including 7 Consensus Gold and hundreds of gold and silver medals at regional, national, and international award competitions over 23 years.

Beachaven currently has over 20 wines from dry reds and whites to semi-dry, off-dry, sweet, fruit and dessert wines. I was surprised to find a winery in Tennessee producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Well, maybe not so much that they are producing them, but that they are so good.  My absolute favorite is Barrelhead Red, followed by the Syrah and Chardonnay.

Beachaven has come to be known for more than just great wines. They host many regular events like “Jazz on the Lawn”, which has free admission and parking and draws thousands of guests to enjoy picnics, wine and music. In addition, they hold special events like the “Solar Eclipse Viewing Party” on August 21, 2017. Louisa says this will be a prime viewing location for this “event of a lifetime”.

I would like to thank Louisa for her warm welcome and hospitality when I mentioned that I wanted to showcase Beachaven on our website. She offered access to see their operations and to take photos, which they of course also provide during their regular tours, but she had a staff member take time to show us around and introduce us to their winemaking team.  I know I will be back through Clarksville in the future, and plan to stop by every chance I get.

Find out more at BeachavenWinery.com