The Vineyard and Winery Association of West Georgia
Wine Grape Symposium - July 30th at the Carroll County Cooperative Extension
Join the Vineyard and Winery Association for a Wine Grape Symposium on July 30th at the Carroll County Cooperative Extension (Ag-Ed Center) in Carrollton. Fritz Westover, a viticulturalist from the Texas Gulf Region will be the keynote speaker. Topics to be discussed include: disease resistant grapes, vineyard site selection, and vineyard maintenance. For more information or to register for the event to reserve your spot, please contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 770-836-8546.
The Vineyard and Winery Association of West Georgia
Presentations
Grape Production in Northwest Georgia (David Lockwood - UGA, UT) - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Grape Site Selection and Cultivars in Northwest Georgia (Dr. Gerald Krewer) - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
Diseases of Wine Grapes - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Irrigation for Vineyards (David Lockwood - UGA, UT) - Presentation
Late in 2009 a small group held an exploratory meeting at the Carroll County Agriculture Center in Carrollton to discuss the possibility of starting a vineyard and winery industry as part of a larger on-going sustainable agriculture initiative. Carroll County leaders had actively been pursuing ways for the areas many small farm owners to be able to become involved in an agriculture venture that didn't require large tracks of land. It was decided that the viticulture project warranted further investigation, so a series of public meetings were set up to gauge interest. (The response was greater than expected, as almost sixty association members from eight counties were signed up within four months.)
THE PAST
A look back in time offers possible inspiration as well as a significant heritage to build on. In the 1890's this area of West Georgia and East Alabama was a major grape and wine production area in America, with up to 20,000 acres of grapes here. They were shipping train loads of fruit and wine nationwide. There was a large active fruit growers association of Haralson and Carroll County fanners, as well as a fully staffed Georgia-Alabama Fruit Growing and Winery Association. In 1907 Georgia Prohibition law shut down this major economic engine. Our association hopes to re-establish the economic benefits of a vineyard-winery industry in Western Georgia after a century of dormancy.
See article: West Georgia - 1890's ... Napa Valley East
THE PRESENT
The association is also to serve as an educational group working with area cooperative extension agents to do projects that create general public interest with wine tastings and field trips, and to offer specific step by step advice to potential growers with a series for workshops featuring the leading grape and vineyard experts in the south. (The first two workshops were in Oct and Nov 2010 and the third scheduled for Jan 2011.) The goal is to take these numerous novice grape growers project by project through - the site prep, planting, trellising, pruning, spraying, etc.
THE FUTURE
The association will also serve as a base group to push for a winery cooperative. A co-op business model greatly expands grower participation, by offering a processing and marketing entity, thus establishing a true grower controlled sustainable Ag initiative. (We have already acquired feasibility studies and business plans from two winery co-ops in Maryland and Illinois) A co-op winery will be the next step in expanding the growing vineyard and winery industry in Georgia. This will be a true grass roots agriculture venture to expand the growing of this farm commodity that is now mostly limited to those able to afford their own winery.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Michelle Lewis, Extension Agent
West Georgia Vineyard and Winery Association
Carroll County Extension
900 Newnan Road
Carrollton, GA 30117-6477
Office: (770) 836-8546
Fax: (770) 836-2959
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
or
Douglas Mabry, President
West Georgia Vineyard and Winery Association
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
