Georgia Wine

Peter Teske

Lagniappe Staff

“There’s wine in them thar hills.”

That’s what the t-shirts say. And, the people wearing them, the employees of Three Sisters Vineyard, don’t seem to be joking.

An hour north of Atlanta and about seven hours north of Mobile, at the southern tip of the Appalachian trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains, you will discover beautiful estate wineries along a path of charming small towns where a cordial cluster of communities make a living off of the gorgeous land and a touch of familiar southern hospitality.

Three Sisters – one of more than 30 vineyards that run along, or just off of a few twisty mountain highways in northeastern Georgia – is hosting a wine festival today. It’s hot, typical for high noon in the Georgia summer, although no one in particular seems to notice. It’s becoming blatantly apparent that there are more than a few sets of red teeth on the lawn.

I keep hearing, “Try the Fat Boy Red.” Not one to be speculative of a suggestion that’s being uttered repetitively in a crowd of close to 200 people, it seems I will benefit from making my way to the “Fat Boy” tent.

When my turn comes to get a pour, two things become obvious. For starters, “Fat Boy” is really, really good, and even better, my glass is almost completely full. Not something I imagine you’d be likely to experience in Napa Valley, but I’ll spare you my thoughts on the whole glass half full/half empty debate.

Later, I learn they’re serving chocolate-covered strawberries along with a far more modest sampling of Fat Boy, a combination that one taster is quick to describe as, “so (expletive) good,” followed with a hearty, baritone and seemingly carefree chuckle.

Wine country in Northern Georgia is contentment, to say the least. From the guy who tried to fit an entire bottle of wine in my glass to the folk artists and the food vendors and especially the taster that likes Fat Boy and chocolate strawberries, there isn’t an unhappy soul to be found at Three Sisters on this steamy summer day.

The wine region Three Sisters calls home is served by two organizational bodies whose purpose is to uphold the quality of wine produced in the area. The Georgia Wine Council boasts the membership of most of the vineyards in the region, while The Winegrowers Association of Georgia, in addition to ensuring quality, operates in more of a cooperative capacity with affiliate members that provide lodging, shopping and dining.

Prohibition and Georgia’s reputation as a moonshiners paradise halted a healthy wine growing industry at the turn of the century, but vineyards have been steadily sprouting within the last 25 years. President of the Winegrowers Association of Georgia, Steve Gibson, is proud of his developing terrior, or specific wine growing locale.

“We’re making an inroad to making our own distinct statement about our industry and the products we can produce here,” said Gibson.

Gibson sees nothing but growth, and naturally, a successful future for Georgia wine based on the explosion of the industry in states to the north.

“We’re very optimistic here in Georgia because we have some great examples of success in wine industries close by. Virginia and North Carolina’s industries have really mushroomed in the last two or three decades. Virginia had about 15 wineries in the ‘70s and now they have about 150.”

Adding to Gibson’s confidence is the simple fact that Northern Georgia has an edge in being the southernmost viniferous growing region in the east. The most widely grown variety of grape in the region is a vinifera or French-American hybrid grape. This aint no muscadine.

“When you come north, the first place you can get to where you can find European varieties is Northern Georgia,” Gibson explained. “You can’t get to all the wineries in one day, but you can certainly do it over the course of a weekend and we’ve got affiliate members where you can stay along the way,” he added.

Tour de Georgia anyone?

Mary Beth and Fred of the Cedar House Inn will be waiting for you at one of those stops. Along with their dog, Stu and cat, Karma, they’re proving that the lodging situation can be just as quirky as that nut who’s probably still crazily filling people’s wine glasses to the brim. Offering a totally eco-friendly bed and breakfast close to a variety of activities is priority number one for the owners of two, count ‘em, two yurts. In case you’re unaware, a yurt is a circular tent-type, but more permanent dwelling that originated in Mongolia.

Mary Beth enjoys running the Bed & Breakfast because of the constant interactions with new guests.

“The people we meet are fantastic. We really appreciate those who stay with us that are eco-friendly and I think my husband really enjoys teaching people different ways to improve our planet,” said Mary Beth. “We really enjoy what we do here,” she added.

Lodging, of course, is only a home base for those who want to see and do everything. And when you need a break from tasting the fruity drink that brought you here, the nearby towns of Dahlonega and Helen will keep your bellies full and wallets empty with an excellent variety in cuisine and shopping. The question is, what’s behind which door?

Well, You can eat at a pizzeria or any number of ethic fine dining restaurants and then walk into the musty antique bookstore with copies of every Life magazine since the first issue, or, a dusty potter’s gallery with unique statues and bowls sparsely scattered throughout the space.

Once you’ve taken care of the sleeping, eating, shopping and drinking, you might decide on spending some time outside, you know, at least to go on a walk or something. Steve Gibson, our buddy at the Winegrowers Association has some suggestions.

“You can come to North Georgia for the Wine and you can do a whole lot more. There’s lots of state parks, hiking, fishing, waterfalls (over 110), and all sorts of things that can make your visit an enjoyable experience. The scenery is absolutely beautiful,” Gibson said.

For more information check out georgiawine.com and georgiawinecouncil.org.

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