New wine tasting room opens in Dahlonega

DAHLONEGA - A new Georgia farm winery tasting room has opened in Downtown Dahlonega.

The Canvas and Cork Tasting Room is located at 90 North Meaders Street, just off the square across from Hancock Park. It serves as an additional tasting room for Chestatee Valley Vintners - Three Sisters Winery.

We are proud to add another uniquely branded Georgia tasting room in Dahlonega, says winery co-owner Doug Paul.

The Canvas and Cork Tasting Room is the fifth Georgia Farm Winery tasting room to open in Downtown Dahlonega. Others include Habersham Winerys Dahlonega Tasting Room, The Georgia Winery Tasting Room, Folkways Craft Gallery & Cottage Vineyard Tasting Room, and Naturally Georgia - A Tiger Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room. The five are being promoted under a new Facebook page Downtown Dahlonega Wine Walk Tasting Rooms.

Five tasting rooms in downtown and five more in the county at wineries make Dahlonega and Lumpkin County a very unique destination for tourists and wine lovers, says Paul. Georgia currently has almost 50 bonded wineries. Several of them have remote tasting rooms-which is allowable under Georgia law to foster growth and sales opportunities in this small agritourism industry.

Southern farm wineries and vineyards have been enjoying a boom over the past 25 years in neighboring states like Virginia and North Carolina. According to Virginia.gov, Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with more than 250. Virginia is also the nations fifth largest wine grape producer. According to a 2012 economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 people and contributes almost $750 million to the Virginia economy on an annual basis. In addition, more than 1.6 million tourists visited Virginia wineries in 2013 according the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

A 2011 updated study commissioned by the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council and the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development calculated an annual economic impact of $1.28 billion a year in North Carolina. It ranks 7th in United States wine production with more than 400 vineyards and over 100 wineries across the state. Biltmore Estates Winery is said to be the most visited winery in the country.

Paul says Georgia is not far behind. While nearly 50 wineries in Georgia is smaller compared to nearby states, our economic impact is still quite significant. A 2013 UGA Study concluded the Georgias Wine industry was approaching $100 million a year in economic impact for the State. He believes it may have grown even more based on the number of tourists Paul says have been bombarding Georgia winerys doors this fall.

The wine industry has become a primary driver of Georgia's tourism economy, said Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner for Tourism with the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Winemakers' investments, particularly in the north Georgia mountains, have made wineries a sought-after destination for girlfriend getaways, weddings, and leisure travelers seeking quality products, stunning views and a unique experience. We hope to continue to grow this vital piece of Georgia's economic development mix.

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New wine tasting room opens in Dahlonega