The Tennessee Wine and Grape Board was established by legislation and signed into law by Governor Bill Lee in May of 2019. The Board was established to support the growth of the wine industry and was allocated funds that must be used to:
(1) Increase the number of wineries in this state;
(2) Improve the quality of wine produced by wineries in this state;
(3) Promote the wine industry and viticulture in this state; and
(4) Implement and maintain a wholesaler rebate program for Tennessee wineries.
In 2023 Tennessee’s Wine and Grape Board created the Quality Assurance Program (QAP) as a way to both improve the quality of wine produced in the state and promote the wine industry.
The purpose of this project is to encourage Tennessee wineries to assess their wines through laboratory analysis and independent judging. Any wine that is “blended, cellared, produced, vinted, made, or prepared” in accordance with TTB regulations and bottled/packed by a Tennessee winery is eligible. Excluded are wines simply bottled in TN or bottled out of state.
Subsidized Wine Analysis at commercial laboratories:
Malic acid content, pH (mg/100mls), Free SO2 (mg/L), Total SO2 (mg/L), TA (g/L), VA (g/100mls), Alcohol (%) & Residual Sugar (%)
Subsidized Competitions:
- Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
- San Francisco International Wine Competition
- International Eastern Wine Competition
- New York International Wine Competition
- American Wine Society Competition
Wines that pass this laboratory analysis and medal at one of the named competitions will be eligible to participate in Tennessee’s Quality Assurance Program.
The following wines have qualified for this distinguished award:
