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i live in Atlanta but I am always looking for different things to do outside the city. One of my favorite things to explore when I travel often is to do a winery tour. I want to do more in Georgia, as I newly discovered GA has over 60 wineries in the state! I didn’t know we had so many, but we do and the best way to get a good experience is a day trip with a GA winery tour. I just recently went on an amazing one with VIP Southern Tour and it was the perfect day trip!

VIP Southern Tours have an amazing all inclusive tours include transportation, 3 wineries, a knowledgeable tour guide and much more! They provide small, covid-19 safety focused group wine tours provide an intimate, yet social and lighthearted way to see and taste the best that North Georgia wineries have to offer. I was able to do the Woodstock,GA wine tours as the starting location to head on our daytrip to various wineries in Elijay,GA.

We were able to visit a few charming hidden gem vineyards and tasting rooms with our own private tour guide and a spot reserved for our VIP groups at each location for tastings and lunch. Woodstock wine tours will start from the downtown Woodstock area and visit 3 Elijay area wineries.

Tour guide

Artisan Picnic Lunch

Round-trip luxury transportation in one of our 12-16 passenger VIP executive mini-buses

Enjoy tastings and some extra time at each winery or tasting room (about one hour average each location)

First Stop Chateau Meitry

Second Stop Ott Farms and Vineyard

Third Stop Mountain Valley Farm

Final Stop Engelheim Vineyards

Return to Woodstock,GA

This is a nice day trip, fun and safely navigated to winery hop and do tastings in ample amount of time. Below are the tour of each location from this tour!

Chateau Meitry

In 1921, at the age of 25, Stephan Meichtry Traveled to America from the canton of Valais, Switzerland with only a suitcase and an adventure for life.  He settled in Maspeth, New York, where he would later raise his two children and further develop his passion for wine. It is believed that when he came to America, he brought his own root stock from Switzerland and grew the vines he used for his lifelong wine-making. A stock from these same vines is now planted at Chateau Meichtry Vineyard. Although Stephan has passed, his love for life lives on through his daughter Doris and his appreciation for viticulture and wine in his Granddaughter Karin.

They are a Family owned and operated vineyard and winery located in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The rolling hills provide a perfect location for growing quality wine grapes.

Ott Farms and Vineyard

Ott Farms and Vineyard is located in Ellijay, Georgia on 7+ acres of Gilmer County’s most beautiful mountain view.  They currently have 4 acres of French-American hybrid grapes planted with 3 acres producing currently and hopes to add more in the future.

Michael Ott and his wife Lee Delk have created superior quality wine from their locally grown Seyval Blanc, Chambourcin, Traminette, and Lenoire grapes.  Michael and Lee also source their muscadine from a local grower in South Georgia and are proud to craft their wine with unique qualities remnant of their past memories and present love. 

Ott Farms and Vineyards also features an 1800 square foot tasting room with a 30 ft x 30 ft vaulted covered pavilion and an 8 ft x 80 ft covered porch ready to accommodate you rain or shine.

Mountain Valley Farm

This is not a vineyard, but a quick pitshop to shop at some of Georgia’s most exclusive and substainable products that are GA grown. We take great pride in the way that we raise our animals – No Hormones, No Antibiotics, No Steroids, No Pesticides, No Chemical Fertilizers. They are Raised on Pasture and in the woods in a Stress Free Environment & Handled Humanely Throughout All Life Stages .Our cattle are grass fed and grass finished. Our pigs are a Heritage Berkshire Hamp/York Cross. We process only a small number of animals – No Assembly Lines.

I want to tell you this was some of the best ice cream I have ever indulged in! This was a java chip that was so rich and comforting. I would drive back here just to get this ice cream alone. I also purchased a candle and fresh organic made caramel sauce. They have a plethora of other products for purchase such as sauces, seasonings, natural beauty products, fresh churned butter and cheese, grass-fed free ranged animal products and more!

Engelheim Vineyards

Engelheim Vineyards focuses on growing outstanding grapes to produce the highest quality of wines. They pride themselves in honoring the original residents of Engelheim, the Cherokee Nation. The owners, Gary and Jan Engel and their family, decided to purchase the land that is now known as Engelheim (German for “Angel Home”) in 2007. After Colonel Engel retired from the Army in 2004 and upon his return from Iraq and Kuwait, they decided to live their dream of living in the North Georgia Mountains to grow the finest quality grapes. The Engel family planted their first vines in 2009 and harvested their first vintage in 2011; Engelheim Vineyards has been going strong ever since. 

Book your own tour Monday-Sunday at vipsoutherntours.com

I really enjoyed this tour. It was a fun day trip and I would be highly interested in going to another winery tour with this company. They have so many other winery themed tours in GA, so stayed tuned that might be on the agenda again to explore. *VIP Southern Tour practice wonderful Covid-19 safety precautions. Mask are required on the bus and throughout different portion of the tour, especially inside locations. Six feet distance ae also encouraged on tours. 

Thank you to VIP Southern Tours and Gilmer Chamber (PickElijay.com) for the wonderful hospitality! 

Do you like wine tours? Have you ever done a winery tour?