The Winery:
Driving South on Stewart Road just after getting off 385, you won’t miss the black, iron gates that open up into the long, scenic driveway of Delta Blues Winery, located at 6585 Stewart Road in Lakeland, Tennessee. To the left of the driveway is a small, calm lake, the vineyard growing and twisting along the grounds around it. Trees, standing stoically, border the entire property, making the winery feel like a special, hidden place in a valley. At the end of the sloping driveway sits the Delta Blues Winery tasting room, where winemaker, Dr. Ed Stevens, his wife and manager, Dianne Day, and the owner, Jerry Michie, operate their establishment on three unwavering principles acultivation, dedication, and plenty of wine.
Padding softly up the stone steps, you find your way to the wraparound porch. French doors open up into the building where the entire room is open with a wraparound bar that juts centrally from the back of the building. To the right, a gift shop displays products from local businesses. To the left, an open sitting area with large, inset windows looks out across the vineyard and over the lake.
What was the driving force is behind opening up a business, particularly a winery, in West Tennessee? It was simply the love of wine and sharing that love for fine wine. For years Delta Blues Winery was just a seed of an idea planted and dormant, much like a lot of ideas that have to be pushed aside for daily life to carry on but it has finally taken root.
