- georgia wine country -
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July/Aug 03
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Moonshine No More
Continued from page 10
proving the naysayers wrong.
Bitten by the wine bug while living in
ery’s Rabun Red and Norton labels. A
California during the 1970s, Slick
bonfire of old vines provided a dra-
moved back to Georgia late in the
matic backdrop as the Atlanta Concert
decade on a mission. He received
band played to Ňwake” the vines on
encouragement from Pat Hegwood,
the Rabun County farm that has been
department head of Horticulture at
in John Ezzard’s family for five genera-
Mississippi State University, who
tions.
instructed him to seek out land north
of Atlanta, with an elevation of at least
Celebration seems the order of the
1,000 feet and sandy loam soil.
day for North Georgia vintners, in
Hegwood’s advice was sound. Slick
more ways than one. On the same day
found such terrain and has been pro-
that Tiger Mountaineers were busy
r
ducing award-winning wines ever
imbibing and waking their vines,
ol
y
a
T
since.
Habersham Winery, just south of Tiger
ylr
e
v
e
Mountain in Helen, Ga., feted at their
B
One of Georgia’s largest and oldest
11th Annual Winefest, featuring wines
wineries, Habersham today produces
from the recently reincorporated
nearly 15,000 cases annually from 150
Visitors line up at Three Sisters Vineyards’ tasting room to sample quality Georgia wines.
Winegrowers Association of Georgia,
tons of grapes. Sourced from both
live music and food. An appreciative
company-owned vineyards (Mossy
one believed would grow in Georgia
crowd sipped Chardonnay, Merlot,
Creek and Stonepile) and other local
growing endeavors.
20-25 years ago when Habersham and
Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines
growers, Habersham wines have been
ŇWe have serious environmental
vitis vinifera vines, which no
a few pioneers began their grape
from
awarded over 100 medals since pro-
challenges, especially humidity,
duction began in 1983.
mildew and fungus,” says Tom Slick,
president of Habersham. ŇIt’s more
Suddenly stamp collecting seems interesting.
expensive to produce a ton of grapes
Seasoned Pros And Growers
here [than California].” Despite con-
In The Know
tinuing challenges faced by North
Travelers on I-85 might do a double-
Georgia winegrowers, however, cele-
take, spotting a 16th century-style
brations like these are raising enthusi-
French château in Braselton, Ga. At a
asm for homegrown wines, while
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