Wolf Mountain Vineyard- Undiscovered Gem of Georgia

If you ask Atlanta residents where to find happiness, the enlightened ones will tell you about 90 minutes away at Wolf Mountain Vineyards. If they say something else, you should pity the poor saps because the family owned winery is the undiscovered gem of Georgia.

Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega, Wolf Mountain Vineyards was started by the E. Karl Boegner in 1999. Karl, with the help of his wife Linda and their children Lindsey and Brannon, decided to devote the 30 acres of the family estate wine making. The following year, the first vines were planted by hand as the ground was broken on where the 8,000 square foot winery was to be built. About a year later, in the spring of 2001, construction was completed on the gravity flow winery. This type of facility is considered both state of the art and energy efficient; making use of the natural force, the grapes began at the top of the apparatus and slowly make their way downward through the wine making process.

Giving their vines time to mature, the Boegner Family created their first vintage, about 1000 barrels, with grapes grown on other local farms. Near the end of 2002, they completed their first harvest and using their unique gravity flow system, produced 2000 cases. That is 24,000 bottles. The winery officially opened its doors and welcomed the public in early 2003. Guests were obviously impressed because the first European-style vintage was sold out in eight months. The next year, Wolf Mountain Vineyard increased the number of events they held and once again sold out.

The vineyard is actually position at an elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level, which actually helps the grape growing process because of the cool nights and excellent drainage after rainfall.  This location was chosen not because of size, but because it was deemed the best spot to grow the red wine vines (the white grapes are grown by neighboring farmers). The 5000 vines that are currently cultivated by the family were all planted by hand in separated lots. Because the grapes are grown on the south side of the land, they received an increase about of sunlight. This ensures that all the fruit is as ripe as possible at harvest time.

What types of grapes did Karl Boegner choose to make his delicious beverages from? The estate boasts Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Mourvedre, Petite Verdot, Syrah, Tannat, and Touriga Nacional vines. To help the fruit reach their full potential, Karl installed a vertical shoot positioning trellis system, which was designed to allow the utmost sun and water penetration. The vines are grown up a 4-foot fruiting wire to help increase air circulation around the grapes, fought off harmful effects of humidity, and dry the fruit after storms.

When the grapes are finally ready to be harvested, they are picked by the skilled hands on the vineyard’s experienced workers, not by machine. This helps ensure that the fruit is handled as carefully as possible. Even after the grapes make their way from the vines to the winery, the focus remains on nurturing the grapes to achieve the best tasting wine possible. Because of the way Karl runs his winery, there is less of a need for filtration. The grapes are separated into small groups and taken to the crush pad for processing. All the grapes, even the ones from the neighboring farms, are sorted by hand to ensure have stem or unsatisfactory fruit is removed before the wine making process begins.

Today Wolf Mountain Vineyards is honored by a multitude of awards, and is the beautiful backdrop to weddings and other special events. They average almost 5000 cases a year, but they do not plan to expand much more because they aim for quality over quantity, just as it should be. The winery really is a family operated business. Karl is assisted in the wine making process by his son Brannon, who is also the vineyard manager. His daughter, Lindsey, is also part of the company and holds the role of hospitality manager for the restaurant on the grounds. Linda, his wife of over 40 years, supports him in his newest business endeavor as well by acting as the wedding coordinator.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards currently produce four catagories of wine: dry white, dry red and rose, semi-sweet and port, as well as Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines. Their dry white wine selection includes Chanteloup and Plenitude. If you prefer dry red or rose wines, you have the choice of Claret, Coupage, Howling Wolf Red, Instinct, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sunset Rose. The winery has two wines that fall into the semi-sweet and port category: Delicieux and WMV Demi-Sec. Finally, their Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines are Blanc de Blancs Brut, Brut Rosé, and Sparkling Demi-Sec.

Find out more about this fantastic Georgia winery at: http://www.wolfmountainvineyards.com. On their website, you will find a biography of the owner, more details on their grape growing and wine making processes, as well as information on wine tastings and tour.

-Amber Watkins, Freelance Writer