Crane Creek Vineyard, Young Harris, Georgia

“I believe wine is best with food, friends, and family. Preferably all at the same time.”

Eric Seifarth - Owner/Winemaker

What an amazing vineyard. We found this beauty about ten years ago and try to get to their annual Fall Harvest Festival often. We always have a great time and you can not beat the scenery. What a gorgeous property that sits high in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia about three miles north of Young Harris. God’s country.

We walked up the stone path past a huge old oak tree to the tasting room which was the old Bryson Farmhouse and paid to get in the Harvest Festival. The price to get into the Harvest Festival includes lunch, wine tasting, grape stomping, a tour of the winery, great music, hayride, kids art tent, fishing, and a souvenir glass. There wines are very nice and we enjoyed them. There is Seyval Blanc, Villard Noir Rose, Hellbender Red, Brasstown Red, Mountain Harvest Red and White, Etonah White, Apfelwein, and Sweet Sally – named after a beloved farm dog. My favorite is Enotah as it a chardonnay with a nutty after taste and Joe’s favorite is Hellbender Red. What a fun event. This event usually happens around the third week in October.

We found a couple of tables right up against the rail under a covered pavilion with a wonderful view of the vineyard. They had grape vine garland with mini lights on them and strung around the top of the pavilion. That was a lovely touch and added a great ambiance to this area. This year it was raining in the morning when we arrived but shortly cleared up with blue skies. We kept our table and took turns walking around and exploring this beautiful venue. We went with a bunch of children and they had a great time. This is a family event and dogs are welcome.

This is a family run vineyard with a small staff that they consider all family members but not by blood. You can tell they are all passionate about their business with the care they take on the vineyard and with making their wines. The micro climate here with the warm dry summers, cool mountain nights, and great soil helps to cultivate the grapes to make the best complex wines available.

They hand pick all their grapes and they take great care for every step in the wine process. They offer tours of the winery and take time to explain their methods. He explained the process from the beginning starting with picking the grapes, to using the destemmer crusher, all the way to how and why they store the finished product in oak barrels or steel tanks and why they have to keep the room at a constant 50 to 65 degrees. The tour was very interesting and we really enjoyed.

Eric Seifarth, the owner and winemaker is from Atlanta and was accepted into West Point which is such an honor. He became an Army Officer and spent much of his career in Northern Italy. That is where he got an appreciation for wine making and the vineyards in Tuscany. That is when he decided to come back to Georgia and start his second carrier. His wife, DeAnne was born in California, raised in Iowa, and met Eric while serving as a Veterinarian in the Army. She is now the owner of Blairsville Animal Hospital and is a full time veterinarian.

They bought the land that is now the vineyard in 1995 which is the same year she purchased her practice. They have expanded the vineyard throughout the years and grow quite a variety of grapes. Many French varieties were planted on the upper hill because of they like it a little cooler and like a cool breeze. He hopes to expand even more and plans to grow another red grape in the low lands of his winery.

They also rent out a guest house that they called the Vine Keepers Cottage that is located right on the edge of the vineyard. If you rent the house they welcome you to immerse yourself in their day to day rituals of farm life and running the vineyard. You can walk the vineyard, fish at their pond which has blue gill, catfish, and Bass, or check out what they are working on that day. It must be great here as the tasting room is within walking distance.

They rent out the Holly House right down the dirt road also overlooking the vineyard  which is a nice quiet venue with bar and fireplace to sit and relax.  They have tables set up to sit and have some wine or a special food they may have prepared.  There is a built in pool out back also and would make a great place for a quaint get together.  Walking up to the house is a lovely front porch with rockers and a nice place to relax.   There is a large deck out back also.   The day we were there their was a fire going in the fireplace and a nice duo singing.   This is a lovely place with great views of the vineyard.

This is a very scenic beautiful vineyard to spend time in and Eric and his wife, DeAnne are lovely people and a joy to be around. Come check out the beauty of this region and enjoy Crane Creeks wines.

The tasting room is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 6 and Sunday from 1 to 5. This is a great winery with a laid back atmosphere that is well worth a visit. Check them out at: https://cranecreekvineyard.com. Till next time. Cheers.