Page 48 - Blairsville NCG 2024

Natural Sips

in Union County

By Lydia Cobb

Living Waters Vineyard

Taste of the Terroir family friendly and dog friendly and are it a date for Guitars & Grapes, a live
Oenophiles, you are in the Upper aiming to be an inclusive environment. music series on Friday evenings and
Hiawassee Highlands American Everyone is welcome.” As parents of four Saturday afternoons.
Viticultural Area (AVA) which includes the young kids, the Whitneys built an arcade Just outside Union County, you’ll find
cities of Blairsville, Hiawassee, and Young room onsite so that visiting parents can Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris.
Harris. A designated AVA means there is a enjoy themselves for an hour without
defined and unique soil quality, ideal sun much interruption.
exposure, and climate, combining to make Just past Sharptop Mountain, an easy Paradise Hills Winery Resort
it an extra special destination for growing descent into Young Cane Valley delivers
wine grapes. Wines with an AVA label are guests to Odom Springs Vineyards in
made from at least 85% of grapes grown in Blairsville. The vineyards and winery are
that AVA. Blairsville’s wineries offer tours. on land that the Odom family has owned
Some have onsite lodging. for generations, and now produces wines
Living Water Winery & Vineyard in described easily as dry reds and whites,
Blairsville produces nine varieties: Petit red blends, blush, sweet and semi-sweet
Manseng, Vidal Blanc, Shambourcin, – some award-winning in the Georgia
Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gruner Trustees Wine Challenge – available in the
Veltliner, Aravelle, Cabernet Franc, and tasting room and for purchase.
Teroldego to enjoy in the one-year-old Paradise Hills Winery Resort carries the
tasting room and purchase bottles of your AVA label and grows a variety of grapes
favorites. Live music and food trucks are including Black Spanish, Cabernet
scheduled four days a week. “We also Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Reisling,
have draft beers and wine-based familiar Chardonnel, Traminette, and Sangiovese
cocktails,” said Crystal Whitney, owner – offering a range of national and
with husband Scott Whitney. “We are international award-winning wines. Make
44 Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce