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Long before North Georgia became known for tasting rooms, vineyard weddings and weekends spent sipping wine beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains, people were already discovering that grapes could grow in Georgia’s hills.

In the late 1800s, European immigrants—particularly families from Germany and Switzerland—planted vineyards in Northeast Georgia and began establishing wineries. That early industry never had much opportunity to mature. The rise of prohibition brought commercial winemaking to a halt, and Georgia’s statewide prohibition law, enacted in 1907, effectively closed the door on an emerging wine industry for decades. New Georgia Encyclopedia

Georgia nevertheless maintained a long agricultural relationship with grapes, particularly the native muscadine. Eventually, growers also learned that European vinifera grapes and French-American hybrids could thrive in parts of the North Georgia mountains, despite challenging conditions that include humidity, spring frosts and disease pressure. New Georgia Encyclopedia

Tom Slick and the Rebirth of North Georgia Wine

The modern chapter of North Georgia wine owes a great deal to Tom Slick.

In 1978, Slick wasn’t a trained winemaker or vineyard expert. He was a businessman with an idea: grow wine grapes in the mountains near Clarkesville.

He established Stonepile Vineyard, beginning with approximately ten acres planted in Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin. Georgia wasn’t exactly Napa Valley, and Slick quickly learned just how unforgiving mountain viticulture could be. Cold air settled into the vineyard, frost threatened the vines, and some varieties simply weren’t suited to the location. But he kept going. Wine Business

That persistence would become part of a much bigger story.

During the early 1980s, Georgia grape growers organized and pushed for laws that would make a viable farm-winery industry possible. In 1983, Georgia’s Farm Winery Law allowed wineries to sell their wines directly on their premises and at additional locations. That same year, Slick established Habersham Vineyards & Winery in Habersham County. Wine Business

Habersham became the third winery to open under the new era of Georgia winemaking and the first to bottle wine labeled as being made from Georgia-grown vinifera grapes. According to Wine Business Monthly, that historic first bottle is still displayed at Habersham’s winery in Helen. Wine Business

As the winery grew, Slick moved Habersham’s operation in 1993 to Nacoochee Village just south of Helen. What began as an experiment in a ten-acre Clarkesville vineyard had become one of Georgia’s pioneering wineries. Wine Business

Slick continued expanding his vision. The business eventually grew to include the Habersham Winery, Creekstone Winery and Southern Harvest brands, along with additional vineyards and tasting locations. He and his son, Tebeau, also developed Creekstone’s striking property overlooking Yonah Mountain. Wine Business

Tom Slick died on May 23, 2025, at age 76, but the industry he helped pioneer looks very different from the one he entered nearly half a century earlier. Vineyards and wineries now dot the mountains from Helen and Cleveland to Dahlonega, Tiger, Young Harris, Ellijay and beyond. Wine Business

A North Georgia Tradition Continues

Today, wine is part of the experience of visiting North Georgia. Vineyards share the landscape with mountain farms, waterfalls, orchards and small towns, and many wineries have become destinations in their own right—with tasting rooms, restaurants, live music, festivals, weddings and spectacular mountain views.

But behind today’s polished tasting rooms is a story of experimentation and persistence.

Georgia’s first vineyard growers planted the seeds. A new generation revived the industry. And pioneers such as Tom Slick helped prove that North Georgia wine could be more than an experiment—it could become a tradition.

Now it’s your turn to explore it.

🍷 Cleveland / Helen / Sautee Nacoochee

🍇 Dahlonega Wine Country

🍷 Blairsville / Hiawassee

🍇 Rabun County / Clayton / Tiger

  • Tiger Mountain Vineyards — tigerwine.com
  • Stonewall Creek Vineyards
  • 12 Spies Vineyards

🍷 Ellijay / Talking Rock / Jasper

Unicoi State Park: Located 2 miles from downtown Helen, offering lake reflections of foliage.

Anna Ruby Falls: Accessible via Unicoi State Park, providing a waterfall backdrop to the autumn canopy.

Brasstown Bald: The highest point in Georgia, offering 360-degree views of the changing canopy across four states.

Tallulah Gorge: One of the most spectacular canyons in the eastern U.S., Tallulah Gorge is two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep..

“Click Above”
ALPINE HELEN/WHITE COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
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