Explore Georgia's Wine Highway

Just imagine--fine wines now are made in Georgia. We know you'll be pleasantly surprised. Clusters of family-owned wineries grow across the back roads of North Georgia like vines, and they are open for visitors to commune with the spirit. This year's crop will be ready for picking soon, so come now to try flavors of past harvests.

Here are a few favorite wineries to start your journey. All offer tastings; call for hours and prices.

Tiger Mountain Vineyards

Inspired by winemakers in Virginia, John and Martha Ezzard began planting cuttings of the American Norton as well as French and Portuguese vinifera on John's fifth-generation farm near Clayton in 1995. Today, with partners Bill and Leckie Stack, they've cultivated 14 acres that produce Tannat, Norton, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Touriga Naçional for the Tiger Mountain Vineyards label. We especially like the dry white Viognier with its soft honeysuckle and apricot bouquet that goes well with fish dishes. John and Bill claim that their winemaking is a "hobby run amok." We're so glad it did.
2592 Old Highway 441, Tiger, GA 30576; (706) 782-4777 or www.tigerwine.com.

Frogtown Cellars

While Frogtown Cellars just opened its tasting room to the public last year, the grapes have been growing there for years. The mortise-and-tenon timber-frame winery, designed by Craig Kritzer, sets a tone of beauty and craftsmanship that Frogtown wines match. Craig's winemaker daughter, Jordan, learned her craft at school and during apprenticeships in California and Italy. She grows 28 acres of more than 15 different grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, and Viognier. Inclination, a full-bodied white, tempts even the strictest red drinker; we think it's the best blended white in the state.
3300 Damascus Church Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533; (706) 865-0687 or www.frogtownwine.com.