Leiper's Fork & Arrington Vineyards: Nashville's Wine Country

Twenty-five miles south of Nashville, the forested hills of Williamson County contain two of the most enjoyable half-days accessible from any American city. Leiper's Fork — a crossroads village on the old Natchez Trace where country music artists have lived since the 1970s — has antique shops, art galleries, and a general store in a setting that looks like 1950s Tennessee. Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant in Leiper's Fork is the genuine article: a working general store converted into a gathering place with live music on weekend evenings and food that reflects what the county actually eats. Arrington Vineyards, 15 minutes east on 400 rolling acres, is owned by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and is one of the most scenically situated wineries in the South — the tasting terrace looks over vineyard rows and the limestone hills of the Harpeth River watershed. Open Tuesday through Sunday, with live bluegrass on most weekends.