One of Georgia’s oldest and largest wineries, and one of our neighbors in nearby Nacoochee Village, is Habersham Vineyards & Winery. Established in 1983, the company took advantage of a growing interest in regional wines and created a company that now encompasses two vineyards, three labels and more than 20 quality varietals.
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| Photo courtesy of Habersham Vineyards & Winery |
The process begins in the company’s vineyards, located in Mossy Creek, near Cleveland, and Stonepile, which is near Clarkesville, Georgia. Together these two fields produce nearly 150 tons of grapes annually. Under the careful watch of winemaker Andrew Beaty, a UC Davis grad who trained in California, grapes are transformed into wines that have garnered more than 100 medals over the years.
Included in the varieties grown at Habersham’s vineyards are cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, seyval, vidal, riesling and chambourcin. Other grapes are purchased from local and southern Georgia producers, including those for sangiovese, viognier and muscadine.
Visitors to the winery can taste of up to five wines, including a 2010 Creekstone Cabernet, with hints of rich black cherry, toasty oak and blackberry. The popular white Traminette has a crisp finish with tastes of rose petals, honeysuckle and apricot. And the afore-mentioned white muscadine offers a fruit-forward, sweetly acidic taste, ideal for a warm Georgia afternoon. You can purchase Habersham wines at the tasting room here in Helen, or at the winery’s other two Georgia tasting rooms, in Dahlonga and Juliette. Come back to visit in May, and you can enjoy more wine, music, food and art at Habersham Winery’s Annual WineFest.
Habersham Vineyards and Winery
7025 South Main Street, Helen
Monday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
706-878-9463
Wine tasting, $7.50/person, includes 5 wines and a souvenir wine glass
As you can see, Lucille’s is located nearby lots of cool places! Come for a visit soon, and take advantage of this and all the wonderful experiences our area offers.