BesT TrIps MONTALUCE WINERY & RESTAURANT, DAHLONGEA/CALEB JONES 11. GIRLS TRIP TO GEORGIA WINE COUNTRY Take your best friends and head for the hills—Georgia’s photogenic Blue Ridge Mountains, to be exact—for a girls getaway like no other. With more wineries and vineyards than any other part of the state (12 tasting rooms and eight wineries), Dahlonega ’s lush landscape is ideal for all types of parties and groups. Come for award-winning sips, breathtaking panoramas and, of course, lots of bonding in bucolic Georgia Wine Country. Craving gorgeous mountain views? Sip on a spicy, fruit-forward cab franc-merlot at family-run Three Sisters Vineyards & Winery or a bright and balanced chardonnay at Kaya Vineyard & Winery , both of which have expansive outdoor decks where you can listen to live music while soaking in sweeping foothills vistas. Book a VIP tasting at Three Sisters to learn about their specialized wine-making process with an on-site sommelier, or take Kaya’s off-road 4x4 tour for hands-on schooling in how they grow their grapes over 90 scenic acres. Feeling more indulgent? At Dahlonega Resort and Vineyard , try a flight of wines in the luxuriant gardens or in the rustic-chic house restaurant, which serves modern American fare like seared scallops and burgers. Or take your pals to European-style Wolf Mountain Vineyard to sample effervescent wines along with red and white varietals on the veranda. Reserve one of Wolf’s decadent Sunday brunches, celebrated for rotating (and mouthwatering) themes like Tribute to Tuscany and Celebration of French Cuisine. Are you lovers of Italy? Experience Tuscany in Georgia at Montaluce Winery & Restaurant —the Taste of Montaluce menu includes pours of red and white wines and a souvenir glass, while on-site restaurant Trattoria di Montaluce serves house-made Italian pastas. Stretch your legs with a guided “wine hike” along sunlight-speckled trails that meander through the woods, along the rushing Etowah River and around the grapevines. You’ll end your walking adventure with a five-pour tasting menu back at the restaurant. Finally, sample everything from dry and bold cabernet blends to sweet muscadine wines at the pastoral Frogtown Cellars , another Italian-inspired North Georgia vineyard open daily for tastings along with its own bistro. Rest your sleepy heads back at Dahlonega Resort and Vineyard where your whole group can bunk together in craftsman cottages boasting crackling fire pits or retreat to their own comfy rooms and suites. Or rent your own villa at Montaluce for a Tuscan-styled togetherness retreat overlooking the abundant vineyards. EXPLOREGEORGIA.ORG 19
Official State Travel Guide 2023 Georgia Official State Travel Guide: Page 19
