Amy, Eric, and I headed off to Dahlonega in Lumpkin County, which as it turns out is on the "Georgia Wine Highway". Prior to this weekend, when I think of Dahlonega, its usually for its quaint town square, the southern vittles at Smith House, the Appalachian foothills, and, of course, the touristy 'Pan for gold here' signs along the curvy, one-lane roads.
Our first visit was to Frogtown Winery. Their $12 tasting menu was well worth it to explore 
either the 10 white offerings or 10 red offerings. They also offer a light lunch menu of paninis, salads, or a soup. These nibbles are not necessary as the tasting pours didn't amount to more than a half-ounce. A couple of sips, and you are ready for the next one. Your views from the outdoor tasting deck is nothing but wonderful rolling hills. And now being in Fall, they are dotted beautifully with amber and orange brush strokes. The free-roaming vineyard dogs, ranging from retrievers to hounds, keep a more diligent watch on your half-eaten ham and Gruyere sandwich than any overly curious human intruders venturing into the vineyards. We determined our favorites to be: Vineaux Blanc, Viognier, Touche, and Sangiovese.
either the 10 white offerings or 10 red offerings. They also offer a light lunch menu of paninis, salads, or a soup. These nibbles are not necessary as the tasting pours didn't amount to more than a half-ounce. A couple of sips, and you are ready for the next one. Your views from the outdoor tasting deck is nothing but wonderful rolling hills. And now being in Fall, they are dotted beautifully with amber and orange brush strokes. The free-roaming vineyard dogs, ranging from retrievers to hounds, keep a more diligent watch on your half-eaten ham and Gruyere sandwich than any overly curious human intruders venturing into the vineyards. We determined our favorites to be: Vineaux Blanc, Viognier, Touche, and Sangiovese.We rode down the gravel rock road to Three Sisters Winery. We knew it was a bad sign when we saw the large tour bus parked beside their tasting room. It was too chaotic and challenging to squeeze through all the blue-hairs and try to grab three spots at the wine bar, so instead we poked around at their bottle offerings, and picked up a couple of red blends, purely based on wacky labeling gimmicks. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a NV blend simply labeled as Old Face Jug. Oh, and they do have a great selection of Sweet Grass Diary cheeses. You really could do a one-stop-shop for any spur of the moment mountain picnic here at Three Sisters.
Are the wineries comparable to California? Probably not. But they are much better than you would expect. So, c'mon. Grab your palate. Drive an hour north. You won't be disappointed.
There's a good chance you will end up finding at least one local jem in 'dem 'dar hills - and its not gold.
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