Wine and Vineyard Group to Hold First Board Meeting

Carroll County is a step closer to reclaiming its status as a premier wine producer with the Vineyard and Winery Association of West Georgia’s first board meeting scheduled for early next week; the group has met previously, but this is the first formal meeting of its board.

The board meeting will mark a milestone for the association, which was formed over the summer of 2010 with the intention of serving as a catalyst for a local winery cooperative and as an educational resource for novice grape growers. The association isn’t just focused on wine; it also wants Carroll County to reclaim part of its heritage.

Prior to prohibition, Carroll County was known as one of the United States’ major wine producing centers, with planters countywide raising 5,000 acres of grapes; Haralson County boasted 15,000 acres. The local wine industry was so large that the county boasted both a Georgia-Alabama Fruit Growing and Winery Association and a joint fruit growers association with Haralson County. However, the 1907 Georgia Prohibition Law criminalized the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages and destroyed the local wine production industry.

A resurgent Carroll County vineyard and wine industry would bring millions of dollars into the local economy and reaffirm the area’s commitment to sustainable agriculture. A feasibility study carried out by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development in 2009 estimated that a wine industry would attract a significant number of tourists from the 5.7 million people that comprise metro-Atlanta.

In the coming months, the Vineyard and Winery Association will be working with area cooperative extension agents to do projects that create general public interest, with wine tastings and field trips to area wineries.

While the group’s ultimate goal is to create a cooperative winery, it also intends to educate farmers about the benefits of grape production. According to Carroll County Extension Agent Bill Hodge, one acre of grapes can yield up to $5,000 worth of product annually. The cultivation of grapes will both allow farmers to grow a new cash crop on a small parcel of land and also help to ensure that farmers are subsidized for the work, ultimately ensuring their land can remain agricultural for generations to come.