Georgia Wine Country

Carolyn Mathews
Dr. Sonny Hardman, a Pathologist and Dermatopathogist at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, studies human diseases with a special interest in diseases of the skin. But University of Georgia scientists are using his new Clayton, Ga., vineyard to study an entirely different type of skin - that of the Georgia wine grape. Hardman’s passion is horticulture. “I’ve always been fascinated by the growth and development of grape vines and the grapes they produce. An extension of this is the chemistry and biochemistry that goes into winemaking,” he said. So he purchased six acres in the north Georgia mountains with the dream of designing and planting a vineyard, growing grapes to make into wine at a winery he will someday build. With his deep roots in academia, Hardman, who trained at Emory School of Medicine and was involved in numerous research projects, could not ignore perfecting the science that goes into growing grapes, so he has provided the University of Georgia’s horticulture department with funds for the department to develop a viticulture course that concentrates on a new, but important segment of Georgia agriculture - the wine-growing industry. “I think the involvement of academics is critical for the success of this industry. UGA has the best horticulture department in the world. I’ve provided them with the financial means and the vineyard for the students to study,” said Dr. Hardman. “Under the guidance of Dr. Mark Rieger, this will be their ground zero as they focus on vineyard development in this region. I plan to learn more from them than they do from me.” “Dr. Hardman has made a very generous gift,” said Dr. Rieger, a fruit crop specialist at UGA. “Research grants are awarded all the time, but few people pay attention to funding instruction and teaching. This will allow me to sponsor students a few at a time to study the vineyard as a special project.” Rieger recently brought students to see the beginnings of Persimmon Creek Vineyards, and then took them to Tiger Mountain Vineyards, a fully operational vineyard and winery near Clayton, Tiger Mountain, in order to see a new vineyard’s potential. Dr. Hardman and the UGA group will begin on the Persimmon Creek Vineyards together, planting vines in April. Although the soil has been prepared and the end posts have been set, this spring will be the first planting for Persimmon Creek grapes. Grapes sometimes yield a small crop the first and second year of growth, but the third year’s harvest is usually the first to provide significant tonnage for wine production. “I spent about two years looking for the right site,” Dr. Hardman said. “I traveled all over north Georgia, and oddly enough ended up finding a site at Persimmon Creek Farms, close to Lake Burton. This property, which had once been in my mother’s family generations ago, is now being developed in five to eight acre minifarms by Charles Mincer. Charles feels very strongly, as I do, about preserving the beauty and esthetics of the mountainscape.” Hardman purchased ten acres of what he hopes will be developed into the perfect vineyard site for the grapes selected. He said during his search for land he took soil samples, studied freeze dates, and noted elevation and lay of the land; ideally vitis vinifera grapes grow best at 1,000 to 2,400 feet (Persimmon Creek Vineyards is at 2,000 feet elevation). Cheryl Mihalko, an Athens landscape architect and associate professor in the Department of Environmental Design at UGA, joined him as he narrowed down his site choices to help him find land that would make a vineyard work. “We looked the overall plan; where to lay out the rows of grapes, where to place a winery, and what to plant along the edges of the vineyard,” she said. Mihalko, originally from California, is excited about the idea of vineyards in North Georgia. “I spent lots of time in the Napa Valley, and it would be great to have that around here.” “I hope visitors to the area say this is one of the most beautiful places they’ve ever been to,” Dr. Hardman said. “I spent five months drawing plans on paper.” As he designed the vineyard, Dr. Hardman incorporated the lay of the land, the way the sunshine hits the ground, and the direction the rows of grapes would be planted. He and his wife, Mary Ann, planned complementary plantings for the area, utilizing the help of Milhako. “I want a well-landscaped vineyard that flows with the land; one that practices soil conservation and rural beautification.” His plantings include mountain laurel, rhododendrons, camellias, native azaleas and butterfly plants. Dr. Hardman drove many of the end posts for the grapevines in himself on cold December days. “By having hands on experience, I’ve been able to study the soil and wind currents, as well as hot and cold spots on the property.” He has not put in any type of irrigation, instead relying on Rabun County’s rainfall rate, which is one of the highest in the U.S. His initial six-acre planting incorporates vines that are cold-hardy late-bloomers. The reds are merlot and cabernet franc, the whites are Riesling, and seyval blanc. “White Riesling can be sweet or dry, and it can age in barrels for years and years. It’s a very cold hardy vine, as the vineyards in Austria and Switzerland will attest.” Dr. Hardman planted DOT wildflower mix along the edges of his vineyard to attract insects and bugs away from the grapes. He is on the lookout for the glassy-winged sharpshooter, the insect that carries Pierce’s Disease, a bacteria that plagues the skin of grapes in North America. He speaks of the similarities of the skin of the grape and the skin of humans - both are plagued by bacteria and fungus (some the same ones) that cause disease. The physician also speaks of the advantages consuming wine in moderation “Studies have shown that resveratrol, an enzyme in the peel of grapes, helps fight off systemic heart disease in those who drink in moderation,” he said. “The enzyme has also been found to fight off some diseases that attack grapes.” More recently studies have shown that moderate consumption of wine may also delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease However, a caveat to this, for one predestined to develop Alzheimer’s, is that drinking too much wine over a long period of time may actually speed up the progress of the disease. Dr. Hardman sees a bright future both his vineyard and other vineyards in north Georgia. He says the fledging grape industry in northeast Georgia may become what peaches once were to the state. He stays up to date on industry issues by actively participating in both the Georgia Winegrowers Association and the North Carolina Winegrowers Association. He also sees a more personal future for his vineyard. His wife and sons accompany him on visits to the fields, and son Mitchell is rarely seen without a shovel in his hand. “He loves to dig along the banks of the creek,” Hardman said “It’s a great place for them to run around and play,” he said. He and his wife have three sons, seven-year-old Mitchell and Brigham and Hamilton, two-year-old twins. The twins, at their age, are fascinated with the farm machinery and are expert at making tractor noises. “We would like for Persimmon Creek Vineyards not only to be a successful vineyard but also a piece of artwork,” Dr. Hardman said. “I don not want this area to be though of as an offshoot of Napa or Sonoma Valley,” he said. “This is Persimmon, with its own landscape, personality and character.” Copyright 2001© Georgia Wine County and GeorgiaWineCountry.com