Looking for an opportunity to see some great scenery and sample some really good American wines? Try a few days driving in the north Georgia mountains, hiking and visiting wineries. Georgia wines were a real pleasant surprise. In general, their quality is very good and the wineries are fun to visit. Before you go it’s a good idea to check in with the wineries first, as many have seasonal reduced hours so be sure and update days and hours before you head out and also ask about pricing, as each winery has a different charge for sampling. Today most have websites you can check for information.
If you’re new to driving around Georgia or you’re flying into Atlanta we have suggestions on a good way to get started.
Head north out of Atlanta on I-75 and for a great first stop check out the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville, Georgia. The gardens are beautiful and diverse featuring over 1,200 different plants including 80 varieties of magnolias, oaks and maples. There are some nice lily ponds and a mountain stream flowing through the plantings. The gardens are also home to an impressive concert series in the summer.
A couple of hours north from the gardens is Amicalola Falls Lodge inside the state park. The lodge is great, with modern, well furnished rooms. It sits atop the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeastern U.S. (729 feet). The falls are paralleled by a staircase with 604 steps and the park is also crossed by The Appalachian Trail. Spend an evening sitting out on the deck of the lodge watching a mountain sunset. The Lodge also features a nice restaurant with reasonable prices.
WNearby is The Cottage Winery in Cleveland, and Cavendar Creek Vineyards, Montaluce Winery and Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery near Dahlonega, Georgia. Dahlonega is a quant mountain town that also offers tasting rooms for many of the region’s wineries – sort of one stop shopping and tasting.
From Dahlonega check out the Alpine town of Helen. The town has been a tourist destination for years. There you’ll find the Habersham Winery with a nice tasting presentation and gift shop. Years ago to save the town, Helen rebuilt itself as an Alpine village featuring Bavarian food and gifts and offers a number of interesting restaurants and accommodations. The town is also popular for the tubing stream that flows through it. Be sure to look into The Old Bavaria Inn, an old-world tavern specializing in imported beers and classic German fare.
Not far from Helen is Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia at 4,784 feet above sea level operated by the National Park Service. Not far from Brasstown Bald is the town of Hiawassee on Lake Chatuge. From there you’re near Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris. Friday happy hour may require reservations as it is a very popular evening event in the area.
For area accommodations there’s the Chatuge Lodge within walking distance of the Fred Hamilton Gardens and the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds opened in 1978, and are home to several popular events throughout the year including the Georgia Mountain Fair, Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruizin, Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, Superstar concerts, and Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers’ Convention. Any of those events have impact on room availability and rates so, if you’re planning on going, check dates and make plans well in advance. In the same area are also Odom Springs and Paradise Hills Wineries.
Down the highway forty miles is Tiger Mountain Vineyards & Winery famous for their wine and restaurant, the Red Barn Café. It was selected as a top-ten winery restaurant by USA Today. Their Petit Manseng won a gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition some years back. They also offer a highly recommend Sunday Brunch.
For an off-beat tourist stop there’s “Goats on the Roof” in Tiger, a throwback tourist stop featuring gifts, food, ice cream and yes – goats on the roof. Nearby is also Tallulah Gorge for some serious hiking. This is a beautiful and rugged area and was the setting of the Burt Reynolds movie Deliverance as well as Disney’s The Great Train Chase.
Tallulah has an interesting visitors’ center and a number of trails with steps that go to Tempeste and Hurricane Falls and then further down into the gorge. To go beyond the main trail into the creek to slide on the rocks, you need a permit. You can get them at the visitors center but only a small number are issued each morning so you need to be there when the park opens.
Another nearby stop is the Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville, an interesting store featuring local pottery and crafts.
Still, the main attraction in north Georgia is the wine. Growing in popularity and quality it offers a number of great wines that can hold their own aainst any other region. Following is a partial listing of North Georgia wineries:
- CAVENDER CREEK VINEYARDS AND WINERY 3610 Cavender Creek Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533 Phone: 770-823-9255 (cavendercreekvineyards.com)
- CENITA VINEYARDS, WINERY AND TASTING ROOM 591 Dock Dorsey Road, Cleveland, GA 30528 Phone: 706-865-7478 (cenitawinery.com)
- CHATEAU MEICHTRY VINEYARDS . 1862 Orchard Lane, Talking Rock, GA 30175 Phone: 706-502-1608 (www.chateaumeichtry.co)
- CRANE CREEK VINEYARDS 916 Crane Creek Road, Young Harris, GA 30582 Phone: 706-379-1236 (cranecreekvineyards.com)
- ENGELHEIM VINEYARDS 127 Lakeview Road, Ellijay, GA 30540 Phone: 706-635-9463 (www.engelheim.com)
- FAINTING GOAT VINEYARDS 201 Vineyard Way, Jasper, GA 30143 (www.faintinggoatvineyardsandwinery.com)
- HABERSHAM WINERY 7025 S. Main St., Helen, GA 30545 Phone: 706-878-9463 (habershamwinery.com)
- HIGHTOWER CREEK VINEYARDS, LLC 7150 Canaan Drive, Hiawassee, GA 30546 Phone: 706-896-8963 (hightowercreekvineyards.com)
- MONTALUCE WINERY & ESTATES 501 Hightower Church Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533 Phone: 706-867-4060 (www.montaluce.com)
- ODOM SPRINGS VINEYARD 637 Odom Rd, Blairsville, GA 30512 Phone: 706-745-3094 (odomspringsvineyards.com)
- PARADISE HILLS WINERY RESORT AND SPA 366 Paradise Road, Blairsville, GA 30512 Phone: 877-745-7483 (www.paradisehillsga.com)
- SERENBERRY VINEYARDS Morganton, GA 30560 Phone: 706-623-8463
- SERENITY CELLARS 265 Laurel Ridge Rd, Cleveland, GA 30528 Phone: (706) 348-1277 (www.serenberryvineyards.com)
- SHARP MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS 110 Rathgeb Trail, Jasper, GA 30143 Phone: 770-735-1210 (sharpmountainvineyards.com)
- STONEWALL CREEK VINEYARDS 323 Standing Deer Lane, Tiger, GA 30576 (www.stonewallcreek.com)
- TIGER MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS & WINERY 2592 Old Hwy 44, Dahlonega, FA 30533 Phone: 706-782-4777 (tigerwine.com)
- WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS 180 Wolf Mountain Trail, Dahlonega, GA 30533 Phone: 706-867-9862 (www.wolfmountainvineyards.com)
The Intentional Travelers 