As someone who has some Cherokee Indian blood, I was more than a little intrigued by a lone mountain, or “bald,” between the cities of Cleveland and Helen, Georgia given the name Yonah, which is Cherokee for “bear.” My wife and I first stumbled across this mountain, more than 80 miles north of Atlanta, about 2 years ago when surveying some property near its base that appeared promising as a vineyard. Alas, we were fortunate enough to decline the urge to borrow yet again, as the great recession was about to bust wide open just a few short months later. However, in talking with other wineries in the north Georgia area since then, we soon learned a vineyard had already been started in the same area.
Fast forward to the present where we have now learned that newcomer Yonah Mountain Vineyards indeed had planted vines about a year prior to our visit. Due to the infancy of the vineyard, they have not yet made wine from their own fruit, however, they have been sourcing fruit from places like New York, California and Georgia to establish their winemaking facility, promote their craft and begin building a rapidly growing fan base. Joe Smith is the winemaker who turned a 10 year “hobby” that outgrew his home in New York and the desire to live in a beautiful countryside he and his wife had recently discovered into a full-time job making wines for owners Bob and Jane Miller. We had the opportunity to visit Joe at the vineyard as well as the newly constructed tasting room in Sautee.
The property is fairly well-hidden off the main road, which is winding as most mountain routes do, however, my wife did manage to catch a glimpse of a few vines from the road as we approached. At the entrance is an old barn freshly painted with classic red and white paint really giving you the back country, farmer feel. Once inside the gates the property opens up to a majestic view of the great bald “Bear” in the background. The day was perfect for such a setting with cloudless blue skies and warming sunshine. Obviously, a para-glider agreed as we caught eye of him at the top of the mountain taking off as we chatted with Joe on the crushpad.
In addition to the Yonah label, Joe has brought his own label, Serenity, into the mix as well. Between the two, there are at least a dozen wines available, including a “sweet collection.” When asked why they made so many wines instead of focusing on just a few varietals, Joe responded that they like to maintain a broader view of the customer base and provide an option for differing tastes. In essence, they don’t want to appear to be elitist. The big stars in my opinion is the Genesis, which is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Paso Robles as well as the Traminette sourced from New York. Say What?! What the hell is Traminette?
Traminette is a white grape variety that has characteristics of Gewurztraminer and Seyval Blanc. In fact, the grape was bred from Gewurztraminer and produces larger clusters and is more hardy than its parent. We tasted this wine from the tank and it was very unique with floral and citrus aromas, great texture and significant acid that gave it zing.
Joe shared a Chardonnay with us as well which was a blend of 5 different barrels made from different yeasts. The lees were stirred in these lots giving the wine more time on the yeast hulls imparting mouthfeel as well as hazelnut and a light toasty aromas. I don’t recall from where the Chardonnay fruit was sourced, but this is going to be something I go back for once bottled because this shizz has funk! Getting back to the Bordeaux blend, I want to note that the fruit on the nose is plush and followed by caramel, vanilla and coconut. The Merlot really fills out the mid-palate of this wine while the Cab Franc adds a degree of elegance.
These were the wines of note for me and Jonjie, however, as I mentioned there are several options available for every wine drinker. The vineyards aren’t much to see yet, however, the mountain view is phenomenal. I am sure you can call for appointments to visit the property and check out the barrel room which is inside a cave dug out of the side of a hill. Otherwise, check out the cool tasting room in Sautee where they are adding a stage and some amphitheater seating space outside for concerts as well. Unfortunately (fortunately?) we didn’t see any live bears on this trip, but maybe next time…
Tasting Room address: 2454-B Highway 17, Sautee-Nacoochee, GA 30571
Phone: (706) 878-5522
Cheers!
