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WINE COUNTRY
Exploring North Georgia’s vineyards and wineries
Photo by Robin Conte
The vineyards and the view at Cartecay in Ellijay.
By Robin Conte
If “wine is sunlight held together
by water,” as Galileo observed, then
North Georgia has the ingredients for
a good bottle of grape. In the last two
decades, about two dozen wineries
and vineyards have developed in the
northeastern corner of the state --
from Jasper to Toccoa and northward
-- practically all of them less than a
two-hour drive from Atlanta. Most
of them hold individual events or
combined festivals throughout the
year, which makes for an excellent day
trip or weekend getaway.
Cartecay Vineyards in Ellijay, for
example, features live music from 1:30
to 5:30 p.m. each Saturday throughout
the year. For $10, visitors can enjoy
the music along with five tastings of
their choice of vineyard wines or hard
ciders from Mercier Orchards, and
then take home a souvenir wine glass.
Sitting neatly in the Southern
Appalachian Mountains and not
far from the banks of the Cartecay River,
Cartecay Vineyards was the first vineyard
in Gilmer County. Owner Larry Lykins
bought the property in 2007 after several
years of researching the process of wine
making. He rebuilt the original chimney
of the old homestead with Georgia red clay
and uses it as the focal point of an outdoor
patio and bandstand; a rendering of the
chimney serves as the vineyards logo. He
also transformed the barn into a tasting
room with the upstairs loft area functioning
as an events venue and a winter location
for the live music. Lykins now has about
thirteen acres of vines and says he’s involved
in every aspect of the business, “from fixing
door handles to washing dishes to planting
grapes.”
The president of the newly formed
Georgia Wine Producers, which is a
statewide organization, Lykins has a
straightforward philosophy. “Wine
making is making wines that people enjoy
drinking,” he says. The same elements that
make Ellijay prime apple growing country,
such as elevation and a relatively cooler
climate, make it amenable to vineyards as
well. As Lykins puts it, “If you can grow
an apple, you can grow a grape.” Specific
to the northeastern corner of the state is
the ability to produce the vitis vinifera
grapes, or those traditional and commonly
recognized European grapes, such as
merlots and cabernets. Twenty of the
North Georgia vineyards and wineries are
members of the Winegrowers Association
of Georgia, a non-profit corporation that
helps in marketing and promotion, and
many of them host collaborative wine
tours. Many are also collaborative with
their communities, donating portions of
their event proceeds to local charitable
organizations.
This weekend marks the first “Plein
Air at the Vineyards” event in Ellijay. The
four Gilmer County vineyards, Cartecay
Vineyards, Chateau Meichtry, Ellijay River
Vineyards, and Engelheim Vineyards have
partnered with the Gilmer Arts & Heritage
Association for a three- day winery tour
that begins at 7 a.m. on June 12 and runs
through 7 p.m. on June 14. Each vineyard
will feature artists painting “in open air,”
and will also have the artists’ works on
display and for sale. A Plein Air Passport
costs $25.00, entitling the holder to wine
tastings at each vineyard, a souvenir wine
glass, and admission to the special events,
including an artists’ reception and a live
auction. Some of the proceeds will benefit
the Boys and Girls Club of Ellijay. For more
information, go to ellijaywinecountry.com
or call (706) 635-WINE.
On the other side of the Chattahoochee
National Forest, in the pastoral countryside
of Rabun County, lies Stonewall Creek
Vineyards. The five acre vineyard produces
about 3,000 vines, all of which are the vitis
vinifera variety. The land was purchased by
Carl and Carla Fackler, former residents of
Brookwood Hills, who originally intended
to simply produce and sell grapes.
They harvested their first grapes in
2005, and then opened their own winery in
2012. The Facklers now produce two labels:
Stonewall Creek Vineyards, which uses
their own grapes exclusively, and Standing
Deer Cellar, composed of grapes from
neighboring vineyards. Carl is a retired
surgeon, however Carla is quick to explain
that their current lifestyle is “definitely not
retirement.”
On June 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Stonewall Creek celebrates the longest day
of the year with a festival that includes a
live band, wine tastings, and their specially
created Skywalk wine cooler. Tickets are
$15, and visitors are encouraged to pack
a picnic. A neighboring organic market
and deli will have some food for purchase.
A portion of the event proceeds will
benefit Richard’s Kids, a local non-profit
that ministers “to the health, wealth, and
self-esteem of children in need in Rabun
County, Georgia.”
For information about all of the WAG
North Georgia vineyards and wineries, and
various events, visit georgiawine.com. OS
48 June 2015 | INtOWIl
AtlantalNtownPaper.com