How the state’s largest Muscadine vineyard is bringing visitors to Monroe County

by: Naomi Hillmer

Posted: Jun 25, 2026 / 12:40 PM EDT

Updated: Jun 26, 2026 / 05:41 PM EDT

MADISONVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — From selling wines, jellies, and juices to hosting local events and weddings, Tsali Notch Vineyard in Monroe County is helping boost its local tourism economy.  

Located just off Highway 68, near the Lost Sea, and along the way for those traveling to the Cherohala Skyway, General Manager JD Dalton said the vineyard has grown not only in size, but also in popularity in the 17 years since they opened.  

“It’s never a day of work,” he said. “If you can’t have fun, then we need to be doing something else.”  

Outside of tastings and tours, the vineyard also hosts several special events. In the fall, Dalton said they allow people to pick the fruit straight from the vine, and more people are getting interested in what they have to offer.  

“I mean, it seems to grow leaps and bounds. U-Pick is a biggy, big, big thing for us in the fall. But, with all the festivities that we try to do, the second Saturday deal, we try to have some functions starting in April. We run April, May, June, we’ll take off July and August because it is so warm,” he said.  

Each second Saturday of the month, he said, Tsali Notch will host an event like pop-up markets, spring markets, or painting classes.  

However, one of the biggest changes to their company came when a 2012 law allowed them to start bottling the fruit they are known for.  

“Once that established, I do know people go miles and hours out of their way to try a new wine. Some people have had not had muscadine wine forever, some people have never had it, some people have never tasted a muscadine. So I do think that we draw people wanting to know what a muscadine is,” said Dalton.   

While people will travel from across the country just to try the muscadine wine, he said some people living in Monroe County are unaware that they are just down the road from the largest vineyard in the state, spanning 208 acres.

“It is very shocking when you say that you’re the largest is something, people are like, now wait a minute. But yes, there are people, and there’s still some locals, that don’t even know that we exist,” said Dalton. “So, although we’ve been around for a little bit, there’s still a lot of education to be done and a lot of education on muscadine wine, because most people think all muscadine wine is all super sweet or sweet.”  

Selling around a thousand cases a year, and operated by a tight-knit group of about 10 people, he also said visitors use this as a jumping-off point to learn more about the county.  

“We are very fortunate to have some fantastic other folks. The Lost Sea, Benton’s, things in Tellico, downtown Sweetwater, there’s so many it’s hard to even name,” said Dalton. “When my customers come in, we will pull up the website for Monroe County, and we’ll say, hey, what are you looking to do?”  

He added that the vineyard is still growing, rolling out its first cider at the end of last year, and plans to launch a piece of the statewide wine trail in Monroe County.