Georgia Wine Country


The Georgia Senate passed and adopted legal updates this 2001 session to advance Georgiaÿs Wine and Farm Winery laws. Senate Bill 155 creates modifications relating to state license requirements and regulations for the distribution and sale of Georgia wine. The heart of the changes are to allow Georgiaÿs farm wineries the permission to sell and promote each other's wines. Tom Slick, of Habersham Winery located at Nacoochee Village outside of Helen said, "this new law is a great enabling tool for Georgia wineries. It will cause things to be possible that may be very different from the past. It offers an unprecedented opportunity for wineries to do team marketing." Habersham Winery is one of Georgia largest operations with case production approaching 15,000 from 40 acres of grapes. Habersham already has four tasting rooms in the state. Slicks estimates that Georgiaÿs farm wineries currently produce less than 50,000 cases of wine annually and points out that "Georgiaÿs farm wineries amount to no more than 1% of wine sales in the state." A "Farm Winery" is defined by Georgia law as a domestic winery located on premises, a substantial portion of which is used for agricultural purposes, including the cultivation of grapes, berries, or fruits to be utilized in the manufacture or production of wine by the winery. Georgiaÿs handful of wineries are predicted by industry leaders to have the potential to double in the next ten years. Eric Seifarth, of Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris says the new law could accelerate that prediction. "I see Georgiaÿs farm wineries as a small tight family and this legislation allows us to better promote our industry as a whole." Seifarth adds that he can now more forward with his plans to open a farm winery that will not only feature wine produced from the 30 acre estateÿs 9 acres of grapes, but without fear of limiting his ability to offer additional Georgia products. "I think this is a landmark for our industry. It gives us all more flexibility!" Crane Creek is located in Towns County on the historic Bryson homestead and marks the top the Georgia Wine Trail. It continues southeast to Tiger and south to Helen, Dahlonega, and Braselton. Then it travels east to Social Circle and Danielsville and west to Cartersville and Chickamauga in the northwest. In recent few years, Dahlonega has become the epicenter of new vineyard growth and development with three new plantings and a winery opening in the summer of 2000. Commenting from Dahlonega, Doug Paul of Three Sisters Vineyards & Winery said he looks forward to offering other Georgia wines from Three Sisters tasting room. Located on a 184 acre estate in Lumpkin County, Three Sistersÿ first wines were produced this past summer and the first of several tasting rooms will open this spring. "We are starting with only a couple thousand cases of wine from our estate, so this law will assist us in offering more Georgia product." But the best thing Paul says about the new updated law is that "Georgiaÿs wineries and vineyards will get the much needed road signage to direct travelers to our tourist destinations." SB 155 also included a resolution to allow the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Transportation permission to designate appropriate travel routes and signage for a "Georgia Wine Highway." The bill was sponsored by Senators Carol Jackson, Faye Smith, and Thomas Price and was adopted on March 2nd. The Georgia House has favorably adopted SB155 and Governor Roy Barnes did not veto the bill. It will go into effect July 1, 2001. Copyright 2001© Georgia Wine County and GeorgiaWineCountry.com