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Laughing, are you? Don't knock it 'til you try it. In the past two weeks, I've gorged on a refreshing poolside-worthy wine made from grapefruit, a really awesome port made from strawberries and a deliciously elegant Touriga Nacional, the principal grape in port wine. Its quality made my jaw drop. I love surprises, especially of the alcoholic variety.
Parts of the Georgia and North Carolina foothills have climates cool enough to ripen the famous Vitis Vinifera grapes — Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc. — and appear free from the bugs that kill vines in the South, specifically the glassy-winged sharp shooter that thrives in lower elevations.
Florida can successfully grow only Muscadine and hybrid grapes. Why? Because it's flat and just about every living thing wilts during the summer. Still, some of the funky-sounding wines in Florida are worth the sip.
Other than Virginia, North Carolina is the most active wine-growing state in the Southeast, with over 45 wineries. Yadkin Valley, the newly established AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the central part of the state, has grown ten-fold in the past three years. Dusty Rhodes, of Total Wine and More wine shop in Charlotte, said, "The new AVA has made a huge difference in the legitimacy of the area," making North Carolina wineries and wine sales grow. The state's best selling wineries are Shelton Vineyards, Rockhouse, Childress Vineyards and Westbend — all of which grow the familiar varietals.
Georgia has a few "resort" wineries, focusing more on the luxurious lifestyle surrounding the wine rather than the juice itself. Chateau Elan, an enormous estate just north of Atlanta, has been around since 1985. They were wine before wine was cool, but unfortunately they've neglected quality.
The wine hasn't even reached "good" status. But don't judge all Georgia wineries by the fancy pants places. Three Sisters, Habersham and Tiger Mountain wineries are making some shockingly good stuff. I'm less impressed with the whites than the reds, but put your mouth around some Tiger Mountain Vineyards Touriga Nacional, and you'll never, ever believe you're drinking Georgia juice.
Florida wineries, although many make wines from juice trucked in from California, grow "hybrid" grapes that have been specially engineered at the University of Florida, or play with the muscadine, a grape native to Florida. St. Augustine's San Sebastian Winery and Central Florida's Lakeridge Winery produce decent Muscadine grape wine, both red and white. Other Florida wineries get creative with the fruits that the state is famous for: strawberries, oranges and grapefruit. At Florida Estates Winery outside of Tampa, I tried a fantastic port made from fermented strawberries. If you visit there — the only place you can buy it — ask vintner Ron Hunt how serendipity played a part in developing the port. Other finds in this locale include a refreshing grapefruit wine from Florida Orange Grove Winery in St. Petersburg.
Most of these bottles are available only at the winery, but the North Carolina and Georgia wine can be found at some retail shops as well. Florida, however, is limited in their statewide distribution, but a day trip shouldn't be out of the question.
Recommended Wines
In addition to those mentioned above, here are some other highlights:
¨ Tiger Mountain Tannat
¨ Habersham Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
¨ Habersham Winery Viognier
¨ Shelton Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
¨ Childress Vineyards Cabernet France
To find out more: www.ncwine.org; www.georgiawine.com; www.fgga.org.
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