“It is easier to find wine from the country of Georgia in Atlanta than one made in this state,” says Carolyn Robinson, wine captain and certified sommelier at St. Cecilia in Buckhead.
Think about that for a moment. Wines from half a world away are more available at Atlanta restaurants than those made in its own backyard. The mountains are a mere hour and a half drive from the city, and yet there is sparingly a taste of them at dinner at local restaurants.
Similar patterns ring true nationwide. New York City restaurants may have the one offering of Finger Lakes Riesling, despite the New York Wine & Grape Foundation urging the city’s restaurants to carry more local wines; Virginia, where Charlottesville was named Wine Enthusiast’s wine region of the year, doesn’t yet dominate Virginia or D.C.-area restaurant menus with its wines.
One obvious reason is that consumer demand is low for local wines at a restaurant, Robinson says. Wines from the state of Georgia have a reputation for being sweet and heavy-bodied, a style that is a hard sell to a customer who prefers dry wines. However, winemakers across the state have been pumping dry wines from whites, rosés, and reds that are indicative of Georgia’s unique terroir. But at the moment, getting a Georgia wine on the table would require some convincing. Okay, a lot of convincing.
Georgia is home to two American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), which means the region is nationally recognized for its winemaking potential. There’s the Dahlonega Plateau AVA and the Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, the latter of which is shared with North Carolina. According to Georgia Wine Producers, there are 105 licensed farm wineries in the state right now, up from almost 45 a decade ago. Most of them are in north Georgia, growing the state’s native muscadine grape, and hybrids like chardonel, chambourcin, traminette, and more.
To drink these wines, one must visit a local vineyard. Yes, a handful of tasting rooms will…
Read the full article here
