Montaluce Winery Tour

October is traditionally leaf watching month, when the North Georgia mountains and those mountains north of here are covered in red and gold flaming leaves, those perfect Fall scenes that we all love.  Fall is a glorious time of year here in Georgia and I love the crisper air along with the sunshine we get so many days this time of year.  It was  a perfect time to head up to a winery, Montaluce, in Dahlonega, GA for a tour and tasting.  I went with a friend and we had the best time, hiking through a leaf covered trail by the Etowah River, with a group of folks out doing the same thing that we were doing. Enjoying the Fall weather.  It couldn’t have been a better day.  Thoroughly enjoyable!

I  had no idea that North Georgia now boasts 5 wineries right in the Dahlonega area, but it sure does. Montaluce is just one of them.  I’d highly recommend a visit if you like this sort of thing and enjoy a day in the rolling hills.

Driving up to Montaluce, it feels like an Italian villa, with a very European flavor about the whole place.

And it almost makes you feel like your in Napa Valley.  I’ve been there too and Montaluce has beautiful scenery just like Napa does.  Of course, Napa is much bigger.  I guess the mountains of North Georgia are ideal growing conditions for these grapes.

We got a wonderful tour guide, a collage guy who was well versed in the history of Montaluce and all that they offer.  I can’t remember everything he told us and I was hoping they had more about that on their website, but I don’t see it on there.  It’s well worth driving up from Atlanta for a day.

We took a walk of about 2 miles through the woods and along the Etowah River and it was a picture perfect day for being outdoors.  He did tell us that the river is full of trout which doesn’t surprise me.  Trout is on the menu of most restaurants in North Georgia.

Leaves were falling on the trail, making a nice cushion for walking.

Sun shining through the trees made the day so special.

There’s nothing better than getting out in nature and enjoying the scenery, water, woods and trees.

The Etowah River has a few rapids in this area.

Beautiful and picturesque.

Ah, Fall…..I love you!

Once we came out of the woods, we were right in the vineyards.  They grow white and red grapes and we heard about that process too.  They are well tended and I’m sure looked after constantly.  I did remember there are 11 acres of grapevines, so that’s quite a lot.

It was fun seeing what was left of the grape harvest hanging on the vines.

Green vines and blue skies.

We were allowed to sample the grapes off the vines and these were pretty sweet.  Of course, with seeds.  I prefer eating grapes with no seeds, but for wine-making these are the best.  He did tell us that all the varieties of grapes are grafted onto Concord grapevines.

The fruit was so pretty hanging in the sunshine.

Reds as well.  The white grapes were a little sweeter than the red ones.

Montaluce hosts weddings and other events and I’m sure they are held right there by the lake. There is a pavilion by the lake and a grassy area for seating.  I’m sure weddings are stunning in this location.

We made our way back up to the winery.

Our tour guide, Alex, took us through the wine-making part of the winery, downstairs where all the vats and barrels are stored.  It’s a fascinating process of the grapes going through presses, being destemmed and seeded with the juice collected for fermenting.  I’m sure it’s a precise process and an art form.

We sat right up top on that terrace, enjoying the view and some wine and cheese tastings.  A very enjoyable day overall and I’d definitely recommend it for a fun Fall outing. They offer tours and tastings all through the year, so check out the website for more info.  They have no idea I’m writing this post, but I enjoyed it so much I wanted to share it with all of you too.

Have you visited a winery?  I’ve visited a few out in Napa Valley and it’s always enjoyable.

I’m off on another adventure today!  I was invited to a media event at the King and Prince resort down on St. Simons Island, GA and am so excited to see this place in person, after hearing about it for years.  Of course, I’ll be sharing all the details when I get back from this fun trip.  It is sure to be an inspiring place with lots of good scenery and food.  I’m always up for good food!

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