Ditch Bustling Atlanta For The Heart Of Georgia's Wine Country At This Underrated Mountain Getaway

When tourists think about America's gold-rush history, vineyards stretching to the horizon, scenic mountain waterfalls, and crystal-clear foothills rivers ripe for kayaking or floating, there's a good chance that they conjure up images of the iconic California wine country that's nestled against the mountains around places like Napa, Sonoma, and Lodi. But, some 2,550 miles east, there lies a hidden wine region in the foothills of Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains where visitors can cobble together an incredibly diverse vacation without the traditional California crowds.

Dahlonega, Georgia, situated about an hour north of the busy metro area of Atlanta, is an up-and-coming, year-round tourism hotspot. The small community of about 7,600 people bursts with Georgia's very own gold-rush history, and it offers visitors the chance to take in the Peach State's under-the-radar wine scene — the area around Dahlonega is home to eight wineries and a dozen tasting rooms and, for good measure, some meaderies, distilleries, and breweries, too. Throw in postcard-worthy waterfalls and the chance to get into the mountains for hiking, biking, and even fly fishing, and this underrated corner of Georgia offers a little something for everybody.

It's fashionable to consider the 1849 California gold rush as the first real mining push in America, but the nation's first gold rush actually took place in the foothills around Dahlonega — and it happened a full 20 years earlier, completely by accident. In 1828, deer hunter Benjamin Parks took a spill after tripping over a rock near what is now Dahlonega and immediately noticed gold in the rock that took him down. Within a year, 15,000 gold miners converged on the region, but legend has it that the gold was just lying around on the ground having sloughed off the slopes of the foothills for centuries.

Today, the "gold in them thar hills" is largely gone, although tourists can still pan for flakes of gold in the creeks rushing off the Blue Ridge Mountains. The real draw now is the region's award-winning wineries — the area around Dahlonega and Gainesville, the Queen City of the Mountains, is considered the heart of Georgia's wine country and the "wine tasting room capital" of Georgia. 

Winemaking in Georgia is hardly new — some vineyards around Dahlonega have produced grapes since the 1700s and vintners in Georgia have a long history of crafting European-style wines. The variety of wines produced in and around Dahlonega has contributed to the region's growing wine-making reputation — these wines first put the region on the "Who's Who" list of wines in the early 2000s. 

Dahlonega is also a great home base for hikers, mountain bikers, and visitors who might like to take a gander at some 30 waterfalls within an easy drive or hike from the small community. The Chattahoochee National Forest takes up a full third of Lumpkin County, where Dahlonega is located, and that includes the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail that winds through the mountains from Georgia to Maine. For water lovers, the Etowah and Chestatee rivers offer great rafting and tubing opportunities, and fly fishers can even chase trout in the cool waters of several streams located near Dahlonega.

Tourists looking for a diverse vacation in a yet-to-be-discovered location might consider a trip to Georgia's Blue Ridge foothills and the community of Dahlonega. Take a deep dive into history, taste some award-winning vintages, and spend a few days in the beautiful Georgia mountains, all without the crowds or the expense that comes with a California wine country trip.