Do you know what every state has in common? Yes, destinations that many of us treasure with all of our hearts: vineyards. There’s your trivia tip of the month. Indeed, even our very own Georgia has some wineries that are worth the distance to drive and explore.
A few years ago, I surprised a favorite wine-o of mine for her birthday by taking her to Chateau Elan. Located about 40 minutes north of Atlanta up 85, this sprawling premise hosts many events throughout the year - weddings, girls weekends, spa day, etc. Luckily, they also make their own wine onsite. We went for their day tasting and tour, which lasted around one hour or so. While the tour guide was a bit “ecclectic,” it was overall a great experience learning about the local Georgia grapes (think Muscadine, so sweeter whites and roses are your best bet) and of course, sipping them too!
More recently, a group of us made the trek up north along 400 to visit the North Georgia wineries. Located way beyond the outlet malls amongst slopping hills, there are at least a dozen hidden vineyards perfect for any wine connoisseur. Why not make an afternoon of wine hopping, like you’re in Napa or Sonoma? As we were joined by friends of the canine variety, we stopped at Three Sisters for their tasting and afternoon dedicated to dogs, called Vine Dog Day (complete with dog costume contests and free treats for the little ones). While the tasting room is rather small, our group sampled first - then bought bottles of our favorites to sip on the patio. The nearby lake and open fields provided scenery that was appreciated by all, especially the pups! All in all, a great way to spend any weekend day in the sunny hills of North Georgia.
Of course, North Georgia provides multiple other wineries beyond Three Sisters that are worth the trip. Not sure which one to try? Festivals and “wine crawls” run throughout the year - visit the official Georgia Wine Country website for more details.
Here’s to supporting Georgia’s local establishments - surprising one local at a time!
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