Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries Near Center Hill Lake
A good tasting day should feel like a Tennessee back-road excursion—not a race to collect pours. Here are six worthwhile stops, with official information and Google directions from The Little Lake House.
Last reviewed July 2026 · Recheck hours, tours and events before leaving.
Center Hill Lake sits within an easy back-road drive of Upper Cumberland wineries, small-batch breweries and a working-farm distillery. Choose one area—or at most two compatible stops—then leave time to come home for the deck, hot tub and fire pit.
Six stops worth knowing
Use “Read its story” to stay inside Tony’s Guide. Google directions open only when you are ready to leave, while official sites marked ↗ are optional outside sources. Hours, tours and events change, so reconfirm before leaving the cabin.
DelMonaco Winery & Vineyards
A broad, visitor-friendly winery experience with tastings, vineyard grounds, patios, events and scheduled winery tours. This is the easiest choice when the outing itself should feel like the occasion.
- Best for: couples, celebrations and first-time wine visitors
- Expect: tasting options, flights, bottles and vineyard time
- Plan: confirm tour availability or reserve a special experience
Northfield Vineyards
A family-owned Upper Cumberland Wine Trail stop with Tennessee wines ranging from dry reds and Chardonnay to muscadine, blackberry and fruit-forward bottles. The gift shop adds locally made goods to the visit.
- Best for: local flavor, relaxed browsing and regional wines
- Expect: wine, gifts and a less formal vineyard stop
- Plan: check hours and events before driving
Short Mountain Distillery
A small-batch distillery on a working farm, rooted in Cannon County moonshine and whiskey history. Tours and tastings make this the strongest spirits-focused excursion from Center Hill Lake.
- Best for: whiskey fans, history and a rural Tennessee drive
- Expect: spirits, a production story and changing tour options
- Plan: verify hours and reserve the experience in advance
Calfkiller Brewing Company
A small-batch brewery known for characterful ales and a shady, relaxed beer-garden setting along the Calfkiller River. It is the most distinctive brewery outing to pair with a Sparta day.
- Best for: craft-beer fans, outdoor seating and an unhurried stop
- Expect: rotating house beers and a rustic destination atmosphere
- Plan: verify taproom hours before making the drive
Red Silo Brewing Company
A downtown Cookeville craft brewery with a broad tap list and an easy walkable setting near restaurants and the courthouse square. It works well as the anchor for an evening in town.
- Best for: a casual downtown beer and nearby dinner
- Expect: house-made beer, seasonal choices and a social taproom
- Plan: check the current menu and opening hours
Dream Country Brewing
A Cookeville brewery bringing Old World beer styles into the Upper Cumberland, with locally sourced, foraged and farm-grown flavors appearing across the menu.
- Best for: curious beer drinkers and locally rooted flavors
- Expect: a warm industrial taproom and a changing beer menu
- Plan: confirm the day’s schedule; hours vary by weekday
Four ways to build the day
Choose a route that keeps the driving sensible. Google directions on every stop card begin at The Little Lake House.
The vineyard afternoon
- Slow cabin breakfast.
- DelMonaco tasting or scheduled tour.
- Early dinner using Tony’s dining guide.
- Return before sunset for the hot tub or fire pit.
The Calfkiller–Northfield loop
- Check both venues’ hours first.
- Choose Northfield or Calfkiller as the main tasting.
- Add lunch and plenty of water in Sparta.
- Use a designated driver and take bottles or a growler home for later.
The downtown beer day
- Start with a proper meal in Cookeville.
- Choose Red Silo or Dream Country as the anchor.
- If visiting both, keep pours small and walk between downtown stops where practical.
- Let the designated driver set the departure time.
Whiskey & Woodbury
- Reserve Short Mountain first.
- Add Woodbury’s square, coffee or antiques.
- Keep the distillery as the only alcohol stop.
- Return to the lake for a quiet evening.
The part of the plan that is not optional
- Choose the driver before the first pour. Rural ride-share coverage can be limited and should not be assumed.
- Do not combine tasting with boating, swimming, cliff jumping or driving unfamiliar lake roads.
- Eat first, drink water and use tasting pours as tastings. Buying a bottle for the cabin is often the better move.
- Everyone tasting must be 21 or older with valid identification. Check each venue’s current guest and child policies directly.
- Reconfirm hours the morning of the trip. Small wineries, breweries and distilleries change schedules for events, production and private bookings.
What about Cellar 53?
Cellar 53 in Brush Creek may appear in older wine-trail searches, but its official visitor page currently says the tasting room is closed and asks visitors not to enter the property except for arranged wine pickup. Tony’s Guide does not recommend it as a tasting stop unless the winery announces that public visits have resumed.
Check the official noticeCheck before you go
This guide was reviewed against current official and regional listings. Prices, hours and tasting formats remain the businesses’ responsibility.
- DelMonaco Winery & Vineyards — official site and experience information.
- Upper Cumberland Wine Trail — regional winery network and trip planning.
- Northfield Vineyards — trail listing, wines, location and published hours.
- Short Mountain Distillery story — history, context and visitor planning inside Tony’s Guide.
- Calfkiller Brewing Company — brewery information.
- Red Silo Brewing Company — official taproom information and hours.
- Dream Country Brewing — official location, hours and menu information.
- Cellar 53 visitor notice — current tasting-room closure.
