Memorial Day Drive- Day 2

      Mom had given me gift money for my birthday that had been sitting there for almost 2 months until I decided on a present perfect for me. With the boys away for the weekend, I decided my birthday present would be a North Georgia winery tour.  Arin and I can take the boys with us for camping, hiking, or rock climbing. They would be very disappointed if we didn't take them. They even go antique store window shopping and to museums with only a teeny bit of complaining- but wineries are right out.
      Breakfast burritos again and Rusted Root, The Greatful Dead, and Eddie Vedder loaded up for road music, we took the long way up I-575 North to US 53. Tate is an interesting place to drive through on the way to Dahlonega. Everything is made from the marble quarries there, even the shanties.  The elementary school is huge and polished gleaming white. The Tate House is 19,000 square feet of pink marble mansion built in the 1920's. We have passed it often. Soon, I want to dedicate a visit to this historic home and event hall. The drive on 53 is at least 30 minutes longer than GA 400, but those trees and hills and fields of the longer drive are so worth it.

     Our first stop in Dahlonega has always been, without fail, to The Crimson Moon Cafe for coffee. The Crimson Moon Cafe has a full event calender of local and home grown musicians to go with the full coffee urns. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the menu runs the full gambit. My favorite snack food there is the humble, fresh, homemade granola bar (well more like ball.)  I always get one for my backpack- nuts and cranberries and oats. They are so satisfying,  and help you last the whole day trekking waterfalls without being too sweet. With a bit of doing and a lot of trial and error I might be able to figure them out, but I'd rather have the treat at the end of an hour long car ride.
      Another fun thing about The Moon is strangely enough, the restroom. Folks are going to write on walls, so you might as well provide the markers to do it. Philosophy, the standard True Love Always, and an occasional "I was here"- just please remember kids use this bathroom too, so be considerate of that when you add to the walls, and ceiling.

   

      A good cup of coffee requires a bit of a walk to really enjoy. The city of Dahlonega was decorated up for Memorial Day with lines of flags that start at the city limits. Each cross bares the rank, name and conflict that a resident had fought and/or died in. It's very moving to see the shear number of these memorials as well as the pride this small city has in showing its continuous respect for these men and women. Well done-



    Our walk around on the Square took us to an unbelievable experience I might not have tried in 100 years. Paul Thomas Chocolates hand crafts huge, huge taste sensations. The one we had was above all the rest- chocolate covered bacon. Of the 80 or so drops of glory, this had to be the best. As a rule, I prefer dark chocolate, but the milk chocolate here was so flavorful, I may have to change my rules. In the realm of new and different, they also make dark chocolate covered potato ships and milk chocolate covered barbecue chips. Yes, they ship anywhere-

    Next door to Paul Thomas is The Quigley Rare Book and Antique Shop.(website under construction) Time passes in Rip Van Winkle minutes here. We start browsing the shelves, leafing through some amazing pages of hundred year old books, and suddenly it is hours later. You have been warned.


     Our last stop before heading on our way is always Woodland's Edge outfitters. The woodsmoke incense smells just like a campfire. In addition to everything a person needs, they have a full line of RuffWare for dogs and Life is Good stock. But the goal of the day is a winery tour-
A quick stop at the Visitors Center earned us a map with all the local ones marked, including the one that was so new, it wasn't on the tourist map.


Wolf Mountain Vineyards offers a brunch buffet, and after our meandering in Dahlonega, we were hungry.

Normally, reservations are required. We opted to take a chance. Our hostess Lindsey had two tables for two still open. Today was a seafood theme- New England clam chowder, tilapia fingers, stir fried veggies, seafood quiche', low country boil, and salmon Wellington with a creamy dill sauce. We had glasses of Demi Sec. It went especially well with the chocolate cheesecake petite fours for dessert. Jordan (aka Skittles) was an attentive server in a busy dining room. It was all very tasty, but I must say at $30 a head, I was surprised that a glass of wine was not included with the buffet. I had bits of mussel shells from the low country boil in my veggies. We decided on a 7.5 out of 10.

    With full bellies, we visited Donna and Raymond Castleberry at Cavender Creek. Well, we met Donna and Raymond after greeting and scratching Tinkerbell, a Great Pyrenees who protects the crop from deer and bears. Please note that no other pets are allowed on the property for their protection. For as loving as she is to people guests, she does take her job seriously. Donna and Raymond regaled us and 6 other guests with the history of their vineyard and of the other residents, Rambo the Ram, and Donkey Hotie who is on all their labels.
Newcomers to the wine world, the Castleberrys planted their first vines in 2007. The open intimacy in the tasting room reminded me of Chateau Renaissance in New York. It's a place where the company and conversation can keep you there all day. Raymond is also in the process of reconstructing a 1820's log cabin as a potential guest house. I would gladly stay in the cabin for a visit. I will work for wine. I am looking forward to what the Castleberrys do to expand next. Cavender Creek will be the featured winery at the Sylvan Valley Lodge on June 18 for the winemaker dinner series. Details are on the Sylvan Valley Lodge website. (at the end of the day, this was my favorite winery)

      Reluctantly, we reminded ourselves that we still had four more wineries to go. Three Sisters was unfortunately too crowded by an engagement party tour. We opted to travel on and try to drop back in once the bus had traveled on. We never did make it back, but it does leave a place for next time. It is the oldest winery in the Dahlonega area beginning in 1995.
      Frogtown Cellars was just as crowded, but we stayed anyway. After about 30 minutes, I was able to elbow enough room at the end of the bar. My server was an excellent bartender, but inadequate for a tasting room. The lack of attention, there was no water, or dump bucket made the wine unenjoyable. There was a high pressure to finish or get out. No conversation. When she poured me a wine I had not selected, the reply was "Oh well". It was not my kind of experience.


 
      Reluctant again from two disappointments, we dragged ourselves out of the car at Blackstock Vineyards and Winery hoping for better. Live jazz on the deck let us know this would make up for the last two hours. The Kip Dockery Jazz Trio vamped away while I sampled David Harris's 20 years of expertise. Arin and I were once again in the small setting that I enjoy. I learned that Mr. Harris named the winery after the landowner he purchased from. Tom Blackstock had been growing grapes here for 30 years before that for Habersham Vineyard in Helen. Don't let the screw tops fool you. The wines had the spectrum that a combined 50 years of study and practice bring. My favorite wine of the day was their Reserve Touriga - a Portuguese grape. Our server was very patient with our close to closing arrival, she was open and informative and never once made me feel rushed, even when the band was packing up.

      I am no wine aficionado. I know what pleases my pallet. I think wine aerators  would enhance the reds of the area and showcase their more intricate flavors. I am reminded of the Finger Lakes wineries in the late nineties were you knew they have a strong foothold, and all they need is a bit more time to perfect their craft. It won't be long until that happens. The important thing is to support the locals through their maturing. With a least two of them that will be easy for me to do. Never underestimate how much hope and love flavor your wine. I am less interested in what awards you have earned (though you should be proud of them). I want to hear how you got where you are now and why you love it.
When the legs stretch out under the table, and the bouquet blows in from the fields of flowers, no matter how technically imperfect, that is when the wine is good.

     The exploration of Georgia wine as complete as the day would allow, Arin and I stopped back in Dahlonega for dinner. We walked the east side of the square this time to find a place new to us called Gustavo's. It's a tiny, little place with only one pizza man hand stretching the dough- Gustavo himself. We ordered a large white with sausage. It was huge. Gigantic. The crust was crisp on the bottom, and chewy on top, the garlic and cheese was creamy and the sausage plentiful. Arin and I could easily afford to feed all 5 of us for a very affordable price here. I'm looking forward to stopping at Gustavo's after our next waterfall and hiking trip.

    So ends a very full Memorial Day and late birthday weekend, as well as I took notes of it anyway. I didn't get around to talking about the early WW-II tank in someone's yard, or a million other tiny things...