Nine vineyards and wineries spread out across the Northeast Georgia mountain landscape provide multiple destinations for a driving and tasting tour of Georgia burgeoning wine industry. View an interactive map showing the locations of all nine wineries on the tour. Photo by Blackstock Vineyards.

A driving tour of Georgia wine country is the perfect way to explore the Northeast Georgia mountains while at the same time sampling the award-winning wines at the nine Georgia vineyards and wineries that are members of the Wine Growers Association of Georgia.

The Northeast Georgia Mountains combine the perfect terrain, soil, drainage, and elevation necessary for vineyards to produce wines that reveal a “sense of place,” or terroir, which separates the wines of the region from those made in other geographically diverse regions. The soil composition is very much like that of Italy’s Piedmont region, which produces some of the most prestigious wines in the world.

All of the wineries on the tour are members of the Winegrowers Association of Georgia, a non-profit corporation organized to promote and market Georgia wines, to improve the market environment for Georgia wines, to increase public awareness of Georgia wines, and to facilitate research in Georgia viticultural and vinification techniques to improve already noteworthy Georgia wines. Annual members must qualify with a minimum of five acres in Georgia of vinifera or French-American grapes in production, or with a minimum of 1,000 cases of wine produced annually from Georgia-grown vinifera or French-American grapes.

Links:

• Read a feature blog about Habersham Vineyards and Winery.
• View profiles of all nine vineyards and wineries on the tour, as well as other Georgia vineyards and wineries.
• View an interactive map showing the locations of all nine wineries on the driving tour.
• Download a copy of the 2009 Georgia Wine Association Brochure.
• Read more about the Winegrowers Association of Georgia.
• Find places to eat in Northeast Georgia.
• Find places to stay in Northeast Georgia.

Rope making. Michelle Bourlet and a group of home-schoolers make rope the old-fashioned way during one of Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center’s two annual events celebrating the history and culture of Appalachian America. Self-guided tours of over 20 hand-made log structures, and a gift shop are part of the experience at Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center in Mountain City, Georgia.

The Foxfire Magazine started in 1966 as an attempt to engage high school students in the English curriculum and to involve them in their own learning. The simple idea of students producing a magazine grew into an educational success story unlike any other and has endured in the classroom - The Foxfire Magazine is still in production at Rabun County High School today. In 1972, an anthology of the student-authored Foxfire Magazine articles was gathered and published as The Foxfire Book. Over 40 years have passed since then, and 12 more books have been published, selling over 8 million copies. A 40th anniversary book was released in September 2006 at the Foxfire Fall Heritage Festival.

Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center
Royalties from The Foxfire Book series led to the purchase of land and funded the acquisition and construction of the 20+ log structures of The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center. This facility serves as a functional museum of Southern Appalachia with self-guided tours for visitors, featuring artifact displays in and around the cabins themselves, which represent a mixture of authentic, replica, and modern log construction. The Museum features a gristmill, a blacksmith’s shop, a replica church, a wagon collection (including the only known existing wagon that crossed the Trail of Tears), and several single- and multi-room cabins. Authentic Appalachian artifacts are housed throughout the Museum, and the Museum also serves as a resource for community interaction and education for visiting school, summer camp, and other tour groups. Sharon Grist, The Village Weaver, Foxfire’s Artist-in-Residence is available most days to share her craft with visitors, and broom-maker Carole Morse can be found demonstrating many days throughout the summer.

Gift Shop
The Gift Shop features handcrafted pottery, homemade soaps, handmade textiles, and wooden toys alongside The Foxfire Book series and a large selection of related books, covering topics such as Appalachian history, folklore, ghost stories, cookbooks, plant/animal identification, and how-to titles for traditional crafts and skills. Admission to the Gift Shop is free, and self-guided tours of the Museum are $6.00 per person; children ten and under are free. Admission includes one souvenir tour booklet per family/group. Guided tours are available for groups of 6 or more, by reservation only-please. Sorry! The Foxfire Museum is not accessible by large tour buses or extra-large motor homes.

The Foxfire Fund, Inc., is a not-for-profit, educational, and literary organization based in Rabun County, Georgia. Founded in 1966, Foxfire’s learner-centered, community-based educational approach is advocated through both a regional demonstration site (the Museum) grounded in the Southern Appalachian culture that gave rise to Foxfire, and a national program of teacher training and support (The Foxfire Approach to Teaching and Learning) that promotes a sense of place and appreciation of local people, community, and culture as essential educational tools.

Links:

• Read more about Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center.
• View a Gallery of Foxfire photographs.

Habersham’s Stonepile Vineyard. Located north of Clarkesville, Stonepile is Habersham’s original and oldest vineyard with plantings dating to 1980. Current plantings of about 30 acres yield 125 tones yearly on average. 

Producing Georgia wines since 1983, Habersham is one of Georgia’s oldest and largest wineries.

Some of the finest award-winning Georgia Wines have been produced at Habersham Vineyards and Winery since 1983. Over 150 medals have been awarded to Habersham Wines in both national and international competitions. The Winery was located in Baldwin, Georgia until November 1998 when construction on a new facility was completed at Nacoochee Village in Helen, Georgia.

Complimentary Tastings and Self-Guided Tours
The winery is open daily for complimentary tastings and self guided tours. In addition to a large selection of Georgia grown and produced wines, the tasting room also features a gift shop with gourmet foods and wine specialty gift items.

Tour Nacoochee Village
The winery is located one half mile south of Alpine Helen in the Nacoochee Village (pictured at right with Habersham Winery in the foreground). In addition to being the home of Habersham Winery, the Village is home to an historic grist mill, antiques, shopping, dining, cabin rental, and flyfishing. At Nacoochee Village, not only will your family enjoy a visit of the winery, but the other unique shops that are part of the Village.

Links:
Read more about Habersham Vineyards and Winery.
Read more about Nacoochee Village.

Georgia > Northeast Region > Habersham County > Clarkesville

By JAMES SULLIVAN

The Soque River.  Author and outdoorsman James Sullivan explores the headwaters of  the Soque River in Habersham Couny’s Tray Mountain Wilderness on rugged four-wheel-drive Forest Service roads, then returns to civilization to eat and shop at locations like the Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville, pictured here.

Sitting on the rock outcrop along the trail to the Tray Mountain Appalachian Trail shelter, a spectacular view of a steep, wild watershed unfolds to the east. This is the headwaters of the left fork of the Soque River, which is a 29-mile long major tributary of the Chattahoochee River in the headwaters area.

Most of the left fork of the Soque is in the Tray Mountain Wilderness Area, providing a wonderful opportunity for adventurous folks to explore a wild headwaters area. The area has no marked or maintained trails, but there are many trails and old roadbeds to use. You will feel more confident with a USGS topographical map and compass or GPS to find your way to the waterfalls and beautiful campsites on the North and South Prongs of the Soque and Wolfpen Branch.

There are only two reasonable ways to access the Soque headwaters area.

Hiking from FSR 79 north of Chimney Mountain Road, you can climb over the ridge to the South Prong. Chimney Mountain Road does a loop north of GA 356 in White County northeast of Unicoi State Park. The last time I drove FS 79, the road was not in good enough condition to travel in a passenger vehicle; a very high clearance 4-wheel drive was needed to get up to the places to cross over into the Soque Watershed.

Hiking from the end of FSR 166 gets you into Wolfpen Branch and the North Prong. Take GA 197 0.1 mile north from GA 356, turn left onto Goshen Creek Road, go 1.2 miles then left on Goshen Mountain Road, go 0.5 miles to end of pavement, bear right on gravel 2 miles to FSR 166 on left, another 0.5 mile brings you to a parking area. Following the trail to the southwest from the parking area will take you into the Tray Mountain Wilderness Area and the headwaters of the Soque River. The Lake Burton and Tray Mountain USGS maps are a necessity.

Anyone visiting the area should always be aware that the condition of Forest Service and other roads are always dynamic, particularly after storms in the region.

Access to the river for fishing downstream of the wilderness area is limited by private ownership of the river. There are two access areas on national forest land for fishing. These are at 3.5 and 3.8 miles south of GA 255 on GA 197. There is no canoeing access and landowners are unfriendly to paddlers.

Side Trips, Shopping and Dining
Stops at several local businesses are very worthwhile.

• Nearby is the famous Batesville Store, featuring wonderful food from the grill and oven as well as basic groceries. Read more about Batesville.
• Traveling south down GA 197, one mile from Batesville is the Serendipity Shop, featuring stained glass.
• Mark of the Potter occupies an old mill on the Soque River on GA 197 two miles south of Batesville. Mark of the Potter features a remarkable selection of local arts and crafts and a back porch above the river from which you can view and feed the giant trout in the pool below.

Soque River Facts

• The Soque River and the Soque River Watershed are located entirely within the county boundaries of Habersham County in northeast Georgia. No other county in Georgia possesses a watershed the size and shape of the Soque from its headwaters to its mouth.
• The Soque is a tributary of the Chattahoochee River.
• The Soque is 30 miles long.
• The highest point in the watershed occurs on 4,430-foot Tray Mountain.

Links:

• The Soque River Watershed Association is a non-profit organization working to protect and restore the Soque River in Northeast Georgia. Learn more about the SRWA.
• The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is a non-profit environmental group working to protect the Chattahoochee and its tributaries, including the Soque.
• Read more about the Chattahoochee River.
• Download a 4-color poster of the Chattahochee River watershed showing the Soque River.
• Read more about Batesville.
• Read more about Mark of the Potter.

 Georgia > Northeast Region > White County > Sautee-Nacoochee

Folk Pottery Driving Tour. This driving tour, beginning either at the Folk Pottery Museum near Helen or at the Northeast Georgia History Center in Gainesville, winds along the backroads of northeast Georgia to potters, retail outlets and museums. View map.  Photo: Matthew Hewell in his workshop at the Hewell Pottery in Gillsville.

The Folk Potters Trail of Northeast Georgia is a do-it-yourself driving and shopping tour put together by the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia in Sautee-Nacoochee and the Northeast Georgia History Center in Gainesville. It leads to men and women recognized as linked to a 200-year tradition of crafting pottery once essential for household use and now valued and collected as distinctive folk art. It takes you through rural landscapes, along creeks and rivers, and includes homesteads that have been handed down for many generations.

Meeting these potters and viewing and collecting their work will connect you to a unique heritage of American and Southern folk art.

Pottery Making Was a Way of Life
Because of its rugged terrain, much of northeast Georgia remained relatively isolated and in a frontier-like situation into the early 20th century. Farming was essential to provide food and shelter. Nearly all residents had to engage in some farming activities to provide for their own families.

Until electricity was available for refrigeration and glass containers and other modern conveniences came along, folk pottery was as essential for daily living as shelter. It was necessary in and around the home for preparing, preserving and storing food and drink. Most pottery shops employed several potters to keep up with this demand that came primarily in the fall and during the harvest season.

Pottery making became a family business – needing to call on all available hands at busy times, even bringing in part-time help as apprentices. To attract loyal customers, potters developed special shapes, glazes and decoration to distinguish their work. These traditions have been handed down through generations to the present day and are characteristic of the potters featured on this tour.

The folk potters included below are shown on the Folk Potters Trail of Northeast Georgia Map. In addition, Chris Brooks, the director of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, has provided the names of retail stores in the northeast Georgia region that sell locally produced pottery, and those are included at the end of the tour, along with addresses and contact information; they are also on the tour map. The Folk Pottery Museum also sells pottery in the Museum Shop.

Best Places to Begin the Tour
Here’s a tour tip: Make your first stop on the tour the Folk Pottery Museum for an overview of the history and culture of folk pottery in Georgia and to see and compare the work of some of the potters on the tour. You can also pick up a copy of the tour brochure from which the tour here was taken. Then launch your driving tour and visit to the local retail outlets. You’ll be traveling with a better understanding of the history and culture of Georgia folk pottery and maybe have already seen the work of specific potters that you want to be sure and visit.

Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia
A good place to begin the tour. Displays tell the full story of northeast Georgia folk pottery. The staff can assist you with directions and information. Pick up a brochure showing the tour route.
Sautee-Nacoochee Center
283 Hwy. 255 N
Sautee-Nacoochee, Georgia 30571 (Map)
706-878-3300

Northeast Georgia History Center
This is the southern gateway to the Trail. The Center has an extensive display of northeast Georgia folk pottery in the Francis and Phil Mathis Gallery of Folk Pottery.
322 Academy Street, NE (just off business U.S. 129 in downtown Gainesville)
Gainesville, Georgia (Map)
770-297-5900

Clint Alderman Pottery
Face jugs, roosters, utilitarian ware.
2281 Beacon Light Road (northwest of Hartwell). 770-377-2858. Please call before visiting. Directions: From Interstate 85, take exit 177, turn right on GA Hwy. 77; follow 8.2 miles to Kelly Road, turn left; follow 1.3 miles to stop sign and dead end at Beacon Light Road; turn left; 1 mile to #2281. (Map)

Steve Turpin Pottery
Roosters, animal figures, face jugs.
2500 U.S. Hwy. 441. 706-677-1528. Open Mon-Thu, 9am-4pm. Fri-Sun, please call before visiting. Directions: From Interstate 85 exit at U.S. 441 near Commerce; drive 9 miles north on U.S. 441; 2.2 miles north of GA Hwy. 51, cross divided highway at Berlin Road, turn south, 2nd house on right, pottery at bottom of driveway. (Map)

Lin Craven
Ring jugs, animal figures, face jugs.
1249 Jennys Cove Road, Cleveland. 706-219-4278. Call before visiting. (Map)

Ruby Meaders Irvin
Roosters, hens, baby chicks, doves.
919 Leatherford Road, Cleveland. 706-219-3645. Call before visiting. (Map)

Jessie Meaders
Roosters, face jugs, snowpeople.
1563 Post Road, Cleveland. 706-865-2878. Call before visiting. (Map)

Mildred Meaders
Small face jugs, chicken and animal pieces; grape glaze designs.
2425 Highway 75 South, Cleveland. 706-865-3960. Call before visiting. (Map)

Whelchel Meaders
Face jugs, utilitarian ware.
1132 Westmoreland Road, Cleveland. 706-865-3802.  Call before visiting. (Map)

Reggie Meaders, Flossie Meaders
Churns, pitchers, vases, bowls, owls, roosters, hogs.
9405 Skitts Mountain Drive, Cleveland 770-983-3260. Call before visiting. (Map)

David Meaders, Anita Meaders
Pitchers, jugheads, roosters, utilitarian ware.
9401 Skitts Mountain Drive, Cleveland. 706-892-9784. Call before visiting. (Map)

Crocker Pottery, Georgia Folk Pottery Center
Michael Crocker, Melvin Crocker, Pauline Crocker
Face jugs, snake jugs, grape pots, flower vases, utilitarian ware.
6345 W. County Line Road, Lula. 770-869-3160. Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm; call first on Sat. Closed Sun. (Map)

Jeff Standridge
Face jugs, utilitarian ware.
669 Sims Harris Road, Gillsville. 706-677-2219. Call before visiting. (Map)

Wayne Hewell Pottery
Swirl pottery, pitchers, utilitarian ware.
415 Bell Road (off Sims Harris Road), Lula. 706-677-3996 or 770-530-5677. Call before visiting. (Map)

Mike Perdue
Face jugs, utilitarian ware.
529 Bell Road (off Sims Harris Road), Lula. 706-677-5287. Call before visiting. (Map)

Roger Corn
Teapots, coffee pots, face jugs.
7703 W. County Line Road, Lula. 706-677-4328 or 706-677-1385. Call before visiting. (Map)

Hewell’s Pottery, Chester Hewell, Harold Hewell, Grace Hewell, Nathanial Hewell, Matthew Hewell, Eli Hewell
Face jugs, rooster bowls, grape pots, utilitarian ware.
6035 Georgia Hwy. 52, Gillsville. 770-869-3469. Mon-Thu 7:30am-5pm; Fri-Sat, 7:30am-4pm; closed Sunday. (Map)

Mary Ferguson, Stanley Ferguson
Face jugs, roosters, pigs, jugs with snakes and spiders.
7468 Old Gillsville Road, Gillsville. 770-869-3262. Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun 1-5pm. (Map)

Dwayne Crocker Folk Pottery
Roosters, face jugs, decorated ware.
6717 Diamond Hill Road, Gillsville. 770-869-0088. Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat noon-4pm; closed Sun. (Map)

Folk Pottery Museum of North Georgia director Chris Brooks recommends these retail outlets for viewing and purchasing northeast Georgia folk pottery.

Yonah Treasures
2047C Helen Highway (GA Hwy 75N)
Cleveland, Georgia 30528 (Map)
706-348-8236

Nix Hardware
15 Courthouse Square
Cleveland, Georgia 30528 (Map)
706-865-2713

Little Bit of Everything
Just off the square in Cleveland
56 Bell Street
Cleveland, Georgia 30528 (Map)
706-348-7312

Burton Gallery
150 Burton Dam Road (GA Hwy. 197)
Clarkesville, Georgia 30523 (Map)
706-947-1351

In addition to the folk potters on the tour and retail outlets that sell folk pottery, Chris also recommends these studio potters in the area.

Mark of the Potter
9982 GA Hwy. 197N
Clarkesville, Georgia 30523 (Map)
706-947-3440

Gourd Place
2319 Duncan Bridge Road
Sautee, Georgia 30571 (Map)
706-865-4048

Hickory Flat Pottery
13664 GA Hwy 197 N
Clarkesville, Georgia 30523 (Map)
706-947-0030

Willows Pottery Nacoochee
The Willows Pottery is a working studio featuring decorative, functional stoneware pottery including mugs, serving pieces, accessories, custom dinnerware sets and handmade vessel sinks.
7275 South Main Street
Helen, GA 30545 (Map)
706-878-1344

 Georgia > Northeast Region > Rabun County > Otto, NC

Students and faculty from SEEDS, the Ecology Society of America’s Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability, program tour the watershed surrounding the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Rabun County in Northeast Georgia.

The Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, site of a long-term ecological research program, is studying several watersheds for the effects of logging and other forest-management practices on water yields and quality. Roadside signs indicate the experimental areas and explain the experiments. It is advisable to stop at the office to obtain a map of the area before beginning any exploration. The 14-mile driving tour past the station continues as a loop to US 64 via the Standing Indian Campground and takes approximately 1 hour.

DIRECTIONS: From Dillard, go north on US 441 4.3 miles to Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory sign. Turn left and follow signs 2.9 miles to the parking lot.

Links:

• Read more about Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory.

Georgia > Northeast Region > White County> Helen

Oktoberfest! It’s the German word for fun! Well, that may not be the actual translation, but to the folks attending Helen’s Oktoberfest every year, it may as well be. Oktoberfest in Helen may have started out small in the 70’s, but over the years, and through word of mouth, it has grown into the biggest party in the Southeast. And this, is not one of those one-week festivals; this celebration lasts two months. The north Georgia mountains make a great vacation spot year-round because of the unparalleled beauty and mild weather; however, during Oktoberfest Mother Nature kicks it up a notch. Deep azure skies and color splashed mountains surround a picturesque “alpine” village, making the days as inviting as the nights. During the day, you may decide to browse the shops, relax in a biergarten, or simply enjoy Helen’s perfect weather and beautiful scenery. At night, however, all paths leads to Helen’s massive Festhalle. Located within walking distance of most hotels, the Festhalle is the spot for authentic German bands, food, beer and fun. You can either spend the evening dancing the Polka and Chicken dance, or you can relax in the adjacent beer garden and enjoy the crisp night air. Whichever section of the huge Festhalle you like best, be sure to sample the fresh cooked wurst and large variety of German beers. So, if you’ve never been to Helen, or just never been to an Oktoberfest, be sure to book your hotel room early and plan to be at Helen’s Oktoberfest. We’re sure you’ll want to come back year after year. Prosit!

This Year’s Oktoberest Band Schedule

• Sept 17-20 Pros’t Alex Meixner
• Sept 24-27 Dan Witucki Stan Mejac
• Oct 1-7 Stratton Mountain Boys Jim Horzen
• Oct 8-14 Sauerkrauts Roland Kurz
• Oct 15-18 Alpenmusikanten Roland Kurz
• Oct 19-24 Edi Und Freunde Roland Kurz
• Oct 25 TBA Roland Kurz
• Oct 26-Nov. 1 Europa Roland Kurz

Links:

• Read more about Helen and find contact information for the Helen Oktoberfest.

 Georgia > Northeast Region> White County >Nacoochee

A sample of Meaders pottery that will be a part of a year-long exhibit of the work of this North Georgia pottery-making family.

A year-long special exhibition opened this month at the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, displaying new aspects of the Meaders family influences on folk pottery in northeast Georgia, the southeastern states and the nation.”When John Milton Meaders loaded his mule-drawn wagon with pots crafted by his six sons in 1892 and traveled to homesteads and communities near his Mossy Creek home to sell those wares, he began traditions that would endure into the twenty-first century,” Museum Director, Chris Brooks said by way of explaining why the museum had chosen to stage a special exhibition of Meaders family pottery.

By 1910, L.Q. Meaders took over his father’s role as principal sales representative and spokesman for the Meaders family potters. Two decades later, he further documented the family’s importance to Southern Appalachian folk pottery when he taught at Brenau College in Gainesville.

“The present generations of the Meaders family have been sharing stories with us and gathering significant examples of the L.Q. Meaders pottery to present to visitors in our new exhibition,” Brooks said.

The special exhibition joins permanent displays of more than 180 items of northeast Georgia folk pottery, video, dioramas of pottery use, paintings and photographs that show two centuries of continuous development of a distinctive folk art in northeast Georgia.

The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia showcases the handcraft skills of one of the South’s premier grassroots art forms, and explores the historical importance and changing role of folk pottery in southern life.

Northeast Georgia’s pottery tradition is nationally known. The Meaders family of White County was featured in Allen Eaton’s 1937 book, Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands, and was honored with a special event at the Library of Congress in 1978, when the Smithsonian Institution’s documentary film on the Meaders Pottery was released.

Links:

• Read more about the Folk Potter’s Museum of Northeast Georgia.
• Take a self-guided driving tour of studios and workshops of Northeast Georgia folk potters.

 Georgia > Northeast Region > Habersham County> Clarkesville

River North owner Eddie Michael coaches Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith on sport of fly fishing on the Soque River in Northeast Georgia. Photo by Jason Getz, AJC. See more photos of the Michael - Smith fly fishing trip and order prints.

We would like to introduce you to some of North Georgia’s best fast water, deep hole fly fishing.
Experience BIG rainbow, brown and brook trout in a pristine mountain setting of private waters.
The waters have been managed for five years and open for fishing since March of 1999.
Let us invite the discriminating angler for a unique day of fly fishing at River North Fly Fishing. Located 1 mile off Highway 197 north of Clarkesville, GA in the “foothills” of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range.

Contact us today to book your exceptional day of fly fishing.

Eddie Michael has a simple recipe for trophy trout. “They’re a lot like cattle,” the Clarkesville, Ga., outfitter said. “As long as there’s grass in the pasture, they’ll stay. “Although the comparison was in jest, the fish are truly big. But they don’t get that way by accident. Michael owns a mile of fertile bottomland along the Soque River, where he manages one of north Georgia’s growing number of private catch-and-release trout programs. “We got rainbows, browns, even some native trout, ” he said, whipping a limber 5-weight like a sorcerer swishing a magic wand….
Read more of Outdoor Editor Rob Pavey’s Augusta Chronicle story about River North owner Eddie Michael.

Links:

• Read more about River North Fly Fishing.

eyard.

 Georgia > Northeast Region >Lumpkin County > Dahlonega

From the back decks at Blackstock Vinyards and Winery , you get a splendid view of the North Georgia mountains. Wine may be the heart of this business but the owners know about hosting events, from parties to weddings to other occasions.  

BlackStock Vineyards and Winery, producing Georgia wine in the beautiful Dahlonega mountains of North Georgia, provides an atmosphere that is warm, relaxing, and friendly.

Enjoy sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the panorama of lush vineyards, while experiencing some of the best wines in the Southeast.

Whether on our covered-deck among the vines or in our Appalachian-style lodge, Blackstock provides an incredible backdrop for a true Appalachian-Mountain experience, lingering over a glass of wine and often enjoying live bluegrass, blues, or folk music.

BlackStock Vineyards, the first of the current vineyards in the Dahlonega area, was founded by formally-trained winemaker David Harris, a 20+ year pioneer in Georgia wine. After a decade dedicated to evolving a vineyard, BlackStock now offers an estate winery for your pleasure. Enjoy spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the panorama of lush vineyards, while experiencing some of the best wines in the Southeast.

We produce hand-crafted complex wines that cater to the serious enthusiast, but with a sense of balance that is both easily approachable and enjoys wide appeal. Our goal in the tasting room is to provide an educational experience for those with a passion to learn more about wine in a very relaxed, down-to-earth environment.

Enjoy a glass of port and the warm atmosphere of our Appalachian-style lodge with its unique three-sided “stovepipe” fireplace and expansive window views of the Blue Ridge. Or enjoy the cool summer breezes and a glass of White Merlot on our 2,000 square-foot covered deck. We offer deli selections daily, with fresh baked goods and live music often featured on weekends.

The winery specializes in private events from formal weddings of up to 200 to informal luncheons on our vineyard deck. We also offer a unique weekday meeting environment for corporate retreats with optional team-building programs. Our stone encased cellar provides another unique venue for a more intimate affair, accented by a waterfall feature that naturally humidifies over a hundred barrels.

All BlackStock wines are currently made exclusively from estate grown grapes produced from the winery property. The Harris family believes that wine is made in the vineyard, and our wines represent specific field selections grown to fulfill their particular niche and style. While the cellar practices are meticulous and detail-oriented, the emphasis is on gentle handling and minimal intervention. The real differences are derived from how our wine grapes are managed in the vineyard.

Links:

• Read more about Blackstock Vineyards and Winery.