North Georgia Mountain Getaways

It’s Friday at 2 pm and you’re looking to start the weekend early only to find yourself sittin’ in that infamous Atlanta traffic (ranked 4th worst in 2009) unable to go just a few miles without gridlock.  Arghh!  Oh, and if there’s any kind of precipitation then you’re in for a real treat!  It comes with the territory of being a hustling and bustling metropolis and international hub where you must trade the misery of such daily trials and tribulations with many wonderful benefits including a fairly healthy job market, choice arts & entertainment venues as well as every type of food & dining experience you can dream of.  So, what is an Atlien to do in order to slow things down a bit and re-charge the mental well-being before tackling the rat race come Monday?  Look no further than the north Georgia mountains just one hour north of the city where there was once gold in them thar hills.  Only now, the gold is in country lifestyle getaways, hiking, cycling and other tourist activities, including wine tours.

The mountains of north Georgia form the southernmost tip of the Blue Ridge mountain chain and is the start of the Appalachian mountain trail.  When most think about Georgia they may envision southern hospitality (Hey, Y’all!), the “backwoods” (can you hear the banjos, Ned?), peaches, peanuts, pickup trucks and camouflage.  And when it comes to wine, folks may think more about Scuppernong, a species of the bronze and musky Muscadine family of vines, which is definitely an acquired taste, or even fruit wines.  Now, while some of these still hold true, especially the Southern hospitality, the wine country is blossoming with fine wines made from European Vitis Vinifera as well as some French-American hybrids bringing local and regional tourists alike.  Only Savannah had more visitors than Dahlonega-Lumpkin County in the state, which sits at the heart of the North Georgia Wine Trail. 

At the beginning of the 20th century Georgia was #6 in wine production until Prohibition went and messed things up and the vineyards were removed to make way for other crops, such as peaches and tomatoes.  In 2006, Georgia was #24 with approximately 136,000 gallons produced compared to a mere 713 Million gallons produced in California.  There are currently about 25 bonded wineries which is up from about 15 just five years prior and many are producing fine wine from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Vidal and Seyval among others.  A few of our favorite wineries that we often visit and write about include Montaluce Winery & Estates, BlackStock Vineyards, and Wolf Mountain.  The elevation in the Dahlonega area is approximately 1,500 feet, which helps aid against disease, like Pierce’s disease, and pests and often produces excellent airflow dynamics to many vineyards.  Most of the soils are well-aerated and contain iron and other metals that oxidize to give it the renowned Georgia clay red coloring, similar to that of Italy’s “terra rossa.”

That’s a great segue to the discussion of Montaluce Winery & Estateswhich is the dream of Rob Beecham, who is trying to “bring home Tuscany” and the wine country experience without requiring a week-long expensive vacation to Europe or California.  Complete with Tuscan villa communities, cottages and a state-of-the-art winery, Rob is trying to bring an eco-friendly, sustainable, all-in-one luxury resort experience to those who love wine, food and the lifestyle it accompanies.  Many Atlanta retirees end up residing in the Dahlonega area to begin their second life.  And, by keeping with the European lifestyle theme, the wine is meant and developed to accompany the food, not necessarily to stand on its own or be all-powerful.  Montaluce celebrated their inaugural releasethis year which included a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Risata(Sangiovese Rose’), Viognier and Chardonnay.

Wolf Mountain is the first winery we ever visited after moving to Atlanta.  The views are just spectacular and their brunches, accompanied with accomplished bluegrass musicians, are infamous to those in the region.  Oh, and their award-winning winesare, well, worthy of their awards!  My favorite is the Instinct, which is a Rhone style blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Touriga, followed closely by the Coupage, but there is something I like in each and every wine that they make.  Wolf Mountain’s wines showed well at this year’s Georgia Fine Wine Festival, which was well-represented by the owner’s son and Assistant Winemaker, Brannon Boegner.

Finally, Blackstock Vineyards, was a catalyst in the area back in the late 1990′s for showing that many varieties of Vitis Vinifera grapes could be grown and succeed in the region.  David Harris, owner of BlackStock, is also a lover of Viognier and has produced a very aromatic, crisp and satisfying version.  Additionally, BSV produces a Sangiovese Rose’ that makes a nice summertime sipper to enjoy on their deck with BBQ and local musicians overlooking the mountains as well as the ACE Family Reserve for those looking for a jammier, black fruit and herbaceous blend.

There are many other wonderful wineries in the area that are worthy of your patronage when you are in the Atlanta area.  Just check out the list linked HERE for wineries in the area and enjoy a little of the South in your mouth!

Y’all come back now, ya’hear!  And check out more local and regional wineries at DrinkLocalWine.com!