Many of our readers are familiar with the usual suspects of French, Italian, California and Washington wine, but true oenophiles would be remiss to snub some of the country’s lesser-known but burgeoning wine regions, such as Missouri and Georgia.
The Dahlonega Plateau, tucked in the middle of the Georgia Gold Belt, offers a climate uniquely suited for growing a wide variety of grapes, and the city of Dahlonega has become the heart of Georgia’s burgeoning wine country. That’s not to say that growing grapes there comes easy; there are plenty of factors that make cultivating usable grapes a daunting task. But the perseverance of Georgia winemakers is astonishing. And their efforts and solutions make Georgia wines worth wholly unique and certainly worth exploring.
We were invited down to experience some of the many wineries that are making an indelible mark on the wine industry, and we’ve collected a handful of those for you to plan your own wine excursion in the area.
Montaluce Winery & Restaurant
The journey through the hills to Montaluce feels like taking a trip through central Italy, and the architecture of the area helps reinforce that feeling, as all the buildings in the area are built to resemble Tuscan villas. The winery and restaurant, which unsurprisingly features Italian fine dining, offer fantastic views of the rolling hills. Winemaker Craig Boyd manages the winery’s list of reds, with classics pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon and specialty wines including sangiovese, tempranillo and petit verdot, and white wines, including the classic chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, a sparkling raspberry demi sec, viognier and tramonto. montaluce.com
Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery
Wolf Mountain stands over all the surrounding hills. Leaning into a mountain lodge aesthetic, the Boegner family has created an incredible experience with an unbeatable view of the mountains of Georgia. The restaurant looks out over the rolling hills and estate vineyard, where the cabernet sauvignon, malbec, syrah, mourvedre, tannat, and touriga nacional are grown. The menu features carefully prepared dishes, fantastic pizzas and “grits fries” served with a pimento cheese sauce. wolfmountainvineyards.com
Three Sisters Vineyard & Winery
Three Sisters is named for three mountain peaks that can be seen from a gazebo on top of a hill that overlooks the grapes growing on the surrounding hills. The winery tucked in the valley below offers a quiet place to rest next to a small pond and sample flights from their extensive wine list that includes Cynthiana, cabernet franc, merlot, vidal blanc, pinot blanc, chardonnay and more. threesistersvineyards.com
Kaya Vineyard & Winery
Kaya was one of the first and largest wineries in the area, and they have several locations around Dahlonega to sip their creations, such as Sylvan Valley Lodge & Cellars, Dahlonega Resort and Vineyard, and the Dahlonega Square Hotel and Villas. They also offer comfortable lodging in adorable luxury cottages. Kaya’s offerings include chardonnay, viognier, muscat, albarino, touriga, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and malbec. kayavineyards.com
Accent Cellars
Accent Cellars is a more modern take on a winery. The trio of husband-and-wife Tristen and Katie Vanhoff and Katie’s brother, Tyler Barnes, create incredible wines from grapes sourced from around Georgia and the U.S. And their nontraditional setting and aesthetic is designed to welcome everyone in to relax and enjoy drinking wine with family and friends and enjoy live entertainment. accentcellars.com
Photographs courtesy of Discover Dahlonega
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