Come Experience Georgia's Wine Renaissance

ATLANTA, September 23, 2008 - Looking for a different yet wonderful fall escape? Want to relax with a bit of class, and enjoy something truly Georgian? Georgia's wineries and vineyards are the perfect escape, whether you're traveling alone, with a loved one, or with a group. Home to the number one "New Up-and- Coming Producer" in a category encompassing nearly 40 states (according to wine legend Tom Stevenson), Georgia boasts numerous award-winning vintners who have been praised at international competitions. What has been dubbed the Georgia Wine Renaissance has spread to every corner of the state. Local wine makers are going beyond simply making good wine: they are producing delightful experiences to pair with their blossoming viniculture. Experience the Renaissance first hand. Set up a private tasting at Sharp Mountain Vineyards, where you can catch a view of Atlanta and Stone Mountain on a clear day. Or celebrate the holidays with music at Meinhardt Vineyards & Winery in Statesboro. Taste local products at a Harvest Festival with the vintners at Crane Creek Vineyards or Tiger Mountain Vineyards in the gorgeous North Georgia mountains. Attend Wine University at Montaluce Winery & Estates or spend a beautiful Thursday night watching the sunset from the porch at Wolf Mountain Vineyard, both in Dahlonega, the unofficial capital of the Wine Renaissance. Treat yourself to a luxurious weekend of fine wine, delightful massages in the spa, and a few rounds of golf at Chateau Élan, only 45 minutes from Atlanta. Stay the night at The Beechwood Inn, a gorgeous, wine country mountain inn with refined facilities that boasts a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence restaurant. Relax in a wine country bed and breakfast at Mountain Laurel Creek Inn & Spa, and loosen up under a hot stone massage therapy treatment before embarking on a short excursion to any of the many wineries within traveling distance. Attend the Holiday Wine Festival at Still Pond Vineyard in Arlington, a fun-filled day for the whole family with great food, live entertainment, hayrides, and, of course, wine. Learn how to make wine at The Georgia Winery in Ringgold, one of the oldest in the state, where you may even get dirty stomping on grapes the old fashioned way. With countless tastings, festivals, concerts, dinners, and learning opportunities in all corners of the state, a Georgia winery or vineyard is waiting to be explored by you. In 1900, Georgia was the sixth ranked grape growing state in the nation. Viticulture flourished until prohibition was enacted in 1907, years before national laws were in place. For decades after, Georgia's wine production languished. Now, with some of the most awarded East-coast wineries in the past few years, Georgia is enjoying a wine renaissance. In the last five years, vineyard acreage in Georgia has more than tripled, and at least seven new vineyards and four new wineries have been established. And if you need some holiday gift ideas, look no further: your favorite local vineyards and wineries can now ship up to twelve cases of bona fide Georgia wine directly to your doorstep. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.exploregeorgia.org or call (404) 962-4075.