Yonah Mountain Vineyards releases first chardonnay

SAUTEE-NACOOCHEE - Yonah Mountain Vineyards announces the release of its 2008 Yonah Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay, the wine that almost was not.

When hurricane Faye swept through north Georgia in August of 2008, it dropped 10 inches of rain on grapes that were ready to harvest. Despite the drought of 2008, that extra rain threatened to dilute the flavor profile of the grapes. With vineyard management by the team at Frogtown Cellars Vineyards in Dahlonega, along with the fast draining Georgia red clay fields, the recovery of the Chardonnay harvest was fantastic, according to vineyards spokespersons. The grapes were harvested the first of September.

A press release from the vineyard states, "Nine months in new French oak (85%) and new American oak (15%) barrels resulted in a wine with wonderful synergy between the fruit and the oak with complex flavors of tangerine, lime and fresh baked bread."

The release of the 2008 Yonah Mountain Vinyards Chardonnay coincides with the first Winter Wine Highway Weekend, sponsored by the Winegrowers Association of Georgia. The Winter Wine Highway Weekend begins on Friday, December 11 and runs through Sunday, December 13. Monica Spears will be performing jazz classics on Friday and Saturday afternoons at the Yonah Mountain Vineyards tasting room.

The tasting room in Sautee-Nacoochee will be open for visitors to experience the inaugural Chardonnay and nine other locally produced wines. The tasting room is open throughout the holiday season: Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:30 - 6:00 p.m.

For more information and directions, call 706/878-5522.