Habersham Winery
Habersham Winery
7025 S. MAIN ST.
(GA Hwy 75), HELEN, GEORGIA 30545
706-878-9463
http://www.habershamwinery.com/
It has been a decade since Northeast Georgia Living featured Habersham Winery in its premier issue. At that time, Habersham was one of only a handful of wineries in the area. But oh, how that has changed! Today, Steve Gibson, general manager of the winery and recent past-president of the Winegrowers Association of Georgia (WAG), attests that the wine industry here in Northeast Georgia has more than doubled in size since the year 2000.
“The growth of area wineries has served to expose more and more people to the quality wine that only Northeast Georgia growers can produce. The quantity and quality of the new wineries is a critical element in making the wine industry a success,” says Gibson. “In the past ten years, all of our award winning wineries, Habersham included, have stepped up the level of their knowledge and skill. All of the wineries are incorporating better vineyard tending and winemaking techniques, which proves itself in the final product.”
As the industry continued to grow, so did the need for an organization to provide structure and representation for vintners. Chartered in 2002, WAG fulfills that role. Members are composed of vineyard owners who grow primarily vitis vinifera (italics) grapes. At the present time, the organization represents nine wineries and six producing vineyards. Five of these vineyard owners are planning to open wineries in the near future.
In addition to the formation of WAG, a number of other changes have taken place in the last ten years, contributing to the success of these wineries. One such change involves the Georgia wine shipping law, which allows wineries to ship wine, not only in state, but out of state as well. After years of intense lobbying by winegrowers, this legislation became law on July 1, 2008.
Another significant change for growers was the introduction of roadside signage, first from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and later through the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDOA). The GDOT signs display a grape cluster symbol alerting drivers to the wine trail and the presence of a winery in the area. The GDOA signage goes a step further and actually specifies the name of the business, or in this case winery, on the sign. The GDOA signage is part of an agri-tourism campaign to promote “Georgia Grown,” commodities such as onions, peaches, pecans and wine grapes.
Winegrowers have also benefited from advertising programs that are conducted by Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) organizations. CVB’s receive their funding from State allocated revenue collected in the form of hotel-motel taxes. These monies are used strictly for advertising and promotion. Vintners derive benefit from these advertising campaigns because of the winegrowers status in the agri-tourism category.
As WAG grew, so did the responsibilities for running the organization. When it was decided volunteer officers could no longer fulfill all the demands of the expanding organization, Mike Brown was hired as executive director. A resident of Rabun County, Brown offers WAG years of experience in business and marketing. In addition, he too is growing vinifera grapes, hoping one day to manage his own winery.
Brown brings to WAG a great enthusiasm for expanding the presence of wineries in Georgia. “I really enjoy my job,” he says. “It gives me an opportunity to watch something growing from infancy like the wine industries in surrounding states have grown. Currently in North Carolina there are eighty-five wineries creating an economic impact of 813 million dollars a year, which generates 5,700 jobs. We have an opportunity to see similar success here in Georgia.”
According to Brown, Georgia has the perfect microclimate for growing vinifera grapes, making it possible for several wineries to be located in close proximity in a given area. “When several wineries are located close to one another, like the multiple wineries in Dahlonega, or White County, it makes it convenient for visitors and tourists to plan a day trip and tour several locations in a single afternoon. As more people experience how excellent Georgia wines can be, the wine industry has a potential to expand, creating a huge economic impact for our state.”
Brown says in addition to WAG, he would also like to see the creation of a statewide organization that would represent the interests of the entire wine industry. This group would include the wine growers and wineries in the southern and western regions as well. He believes that, with a concentrated statewide effort, they just might give North Carolina a run for their money.
For more information regarding individual Georgia wineries, upcoming wine country events, or the Winegrowers Association, visit online at wwwgeorgiawine.com., where the vintners invite you to, “Taste a Perfect Day in Georgia.”
