Have you thought how wonderful it would be to travel to the south of France or to Tuscany to enjoy the wines and the beautiful countryside? Save yourself the airfare by visiting Stonewall Creek Vineyards in Tiger.
Stonewall Creek Vineyards is situated in a beautiful mountain valley with immaculately groomed grape rows ending with traditional rose bushes, a vegetable garden, a classic old barn set in the pasture next to gurgling Stonewall Creek and spectacular views of nearby Glassy Mountain.
Stonewall has been producing wine since 2011. Owners Mark and Sandi Diehl purchased the vineyards in 2018 and continue to build on Stonewall Creek’s success. “We’re a small boutique winery offering great Georgia wines– all made on sight with great vineyard views from our patio,” says Mark.
Stonewall Creek Vineyards are planted with classic red Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot) as well as with Tannat, Petit Manseng and Traminette. Cabernet Franc and “Quattro,” a four-grape dry red blend are their customer’s favorite reds, while “Boriana,” a dry white wine from Petit Manseng and “Yukari,” a dry Provence-style Rose’ from a blend of red grapes lead the whites. The winery currently produces between 1,000 and 1,500 cases of wine per year.
There is a tasting room and tours are always available. “We’ve created a lifestyle in the vineyard,” Sandi continues. “We love making wine and having our customers enjoy the wine and the scenery.”
The Diehls currently have seven acres of grapevines with plans to expand to 10 acres soon. The winery relies on that acreage for 95% of the grapes it uses.
As with most businesses, Stonewall Creek faced big adjustments due to the pandemic. The winery closed for six weeks last year and instituted rigorous cleaning and masking protocols that are detailed on the company’s website.
But the Diehls put the downtime to good use – creating the Cellar Club membership program for wine enthusiasts and selling and shipping their wine online. “The response has exceeded our expectations,” Mark notes.
Still, they prefer in-person visits. The winery grounds include a patio, bocce ball courts and a fire pit. A nine-hole disc golf course is planned. Families and dogs on a leash are encouraged to visit.
The Diehls want to emphasize the process of winemaking and education at Stonewall Creek Vineyards. The winery’s “Tasting Room” is attached to the retro industrial style winery itself so that visitors can see where and how the wine is made. They invite you to come enjoy the wines and experience vineyard views while learning about winemaking.
Stonewall Creek Vineyards
323 Standing Deer Lane
Tiger, GA 30576
Owners: Sandi & Mark Diehl
Phone: 706.212.0584
Email: info@stonewallcreek.com
Website: www.stonewallcreek.com
Contributing interviewer and writer Cliff Bussard