**Hospice du Rhône is back! Contact us to book this amazing event in Spring 2015**
This week I had the privileged opportunity to visit this culinary mecca in the Tennesse Smokies where I spent quality time with the James Beard award winning chef, the master gardener, the baker, the cheese maker, the forger, the butcher, the jam lady, the chocolatier, the restaurant manager, the sommelier, the events and operations teams and so many artisans— who blend their unique talents to create what many believe to be one of the very best hotels in the country – Blackberry Farm.
So, I will be direct – if food and wine are not really a big deal to you, then honestly, Blackberry Farm would be a waste of your money perhaps! However, if you are interested in exceptional culinary experiences, the farm to table movement, and unique and rare wine offerings, then Blackberry Farm is must on your culinary bucket list!
After an “exhausting day of meeting the team” we are welcomed to the barn with some homemade beer!
This privately owned 3000 acre farm is visually stunning and oh so relaxing. The hotel manager just smiles when guest complain about he lack of cell phone service, because he knows it will only take a few hours before they realize the disconnecting with the office and reconnecting with those that really matter is coming soon!
However activities abound, fly fishing, skeet shooting, horseback riding, cycling, hiking, paint ball, tennis, spa, and archery are all Blackberry activities on offer – guests can opt to explore on their own or to have a guide customize an entire itinerary.
However for those who just prefer to chill out on their own, laze on a river-side hammock or wonder through the vegetable gardens are certainly at liberty to do just that.
There are several accommodation options at Blackberry, but I strongly suggest you splurge for a cottage to really get the full mountain escape experience. Those on a tighter budget can stay in the Inn, but various cottage offerings are available and I would be delighted to walk your through my favorites!
Even the biggest wine snobs will be surprised and delighted with the unique labels available and the massively knowledgeable team. You can bring your own, but much better to let the Sommelier spoil you on so many levels.
Chef Joseph won the James Beard award and was kind enough to do a cooking class with us – He has a great story and loves to mingle with Blackberry guests!
We had idyllic weather and were escorted to lunch on a horse drawn carriage!
Blackberry has multiple special events throughout the year from culinary, to cycling, to shooting, to concerts – each event is intimate with exceptional access to the celebrities or talent hosting the affair. Please ask me about special happenings that are taking place in the coming months – I can guarantee they will be a calendar highlight for your year!