1717 Hwy 255 S, Cleveland, Georgia 30528 (On the way to Clarksville from Cleveland)
Yonah Mountain Vineyards is one of the area’s largest wineries and vineyards, with beautiful grounds, breath taking landscape, and plenty of covered seat or out in the sun seating for larger parties. This vineyard has a large parking area in addition to the seating as they host many weddings, graduation events and other parties, but if you are with a large party on a weekend, then Yonah Mountain is a terrific choice in North Georgia. When we were last there on a Thursday they were hosting trivia night with their host, a gentleman name Mat Fried who also performs (singing and playing guitar) on occasions. The trivia is great for a group, and while, like any winery or bar trivia, while you keep ordering wine, Yonah Mountain does allow you to bring your own snacks! You can bring cheese and meats and cracker, etc., and host an occasion while playing trivia. **An important note: Their last call is half an hour before closing time. So you need to arrive well before closing time as they stop serving half an hour before the posted closing time.**
**Also, friendly dogs on leashes are welcome in the vast outdoor seating area.**
Here are our review and impressions on the Yonah Mountain wines we enjoyed in our tasting:
2021 Stainless Steel Chardonnay – Crisp and dry, and good to try for those who think they don’t like chardonnay. The lack of oak makes it an easy-drinking and refreshing wine with tart fruits and floral notes.
2022 Stone-Aged Chardonnay – This chardonnay offering has more notes of minerality than the stainless steel version. It’s actually aged in concrete vessels (I guess concrete-aged is less catchy than stone-aged). Both of these chardonnay’s are 100% estate-grown.
2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – This is another estate-grown offering, featuring grapes 100% grown onsite at Yonah Mountain Vineyards. It has the typical flavor profiles of stone fruits, berries and black pepper and would be great with a charcuterie board or just on its own.
Genesis 12 – This wine is a treat to include in a mixed tasting, and it is a stand-out for bold red wines in the area. This elegant blend is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, and represents the best of all of them with dark berries, cooked fruit and a variety of spices. This is the lowest price point of the three “splurge wines” (compared to prices on the rest of the menu). So it’s certainly a great value to try a taste during your flight before committing to a full glass or bottle, which you’ll likely want if big reds are your thing.
Remember to tip the staff 15-20% on your tab and be sure to tip the performers with cash, and please tell Yonah Mountain that you read about them on http://www.northgeorgiaculture.com or from https://www.instagram.com/northgeorgiaculture/.
