There was a time when I would hear stories among co-workers, family members and friends of the many outings and excursions to beer festivals, Chili cook offs, and afternoons spent at the man-made snow parks here in the south. There are many more to list but regardless, from the stories they told, nothing ever sparked my interest when I would hear them. Maybe it was because they just didn't have a whole lot to say, they were bad story tellers, or maybe perhaps, they really were of very little interest to me at the time. Or quite possibly, I was subconsciously jealous in the fact that most of my outings included trips to Target, the elementary school cupcake distributions, then the inevitable trip to the dentist office for a crown.
While I still find these things necessary every now and then, I decided to break the boundaries of these limitations a few years back. Upon the loss of a family member who was taken by cancer at a young age, I realized how of how precious life really is. So with this, after years of commitment to diapers, Spaghettios and Clifford the Big Red Dog, I finally made my great escape and got on a plane and flew 5000 miles away from home. I came back of course, but this decision would forever change my perspective on life.
Though I am not able to jump a plane any time I feel, I would never quite look at everything the same way. Grassy fields would always look more picturesque, waterfalls seemed more lively and a cup of coffee in a bistro would seem just a bit more flavorful. At this point I had decided that I would never wait around for adventure to come and find me. The only thing I needed to do was to stop wondering about things and just go.
So here we are today on a winter Saturday afternoon. The decision had been made for me and my significant other to take a drive. It had been raining that day and the clouds were beginning to break as the hills before us became visible off in the distance. We had become among the nestled in these hills along with smoking chimneys of country homes, old wood sheds and confederate flags proudly flying. The visible signs to where were wanted to go were helpful but it was actually nice to have the feeling of being lost.
After a quiet, uncongested drive through the countryside, we came upon what seemed like something that should be a best-kept secret. The gravel road led the way to a very welcoming oasis where the vines could be seen in full view from behind. We were among many visitors, some of which were regulars in this lovely establishment. The decor was trendy and rustic. It was warm inside and comforting with sofas, board games, a vintage cocktail Pacman arcade game, and most importantly-wine! Though my good times had been limited in years past, I always enjoyed a nice glass of Merlot or Chardonnay at the end of a long day. However, I was ready to sweeten that up a little. This winery is unique in that it's main specialty is fruit wine. I'll take my antioxidants anyway I can! We were handed our wine tasting menu and made our selection of five:
Dry Blueberry- Sweet but yet dry and smooth.
Very sophisticated and rich in color without the bitter bite of dry wine.
Dry Strawberry- Same as the blueberry but sweet with authentic strawberry flavor.
Medium Red Muscadine- I personally had never tried a muscadine or even heard of such a thing. It is a type of large grape I with a strong, pastoral aroma and less sweetness. Very unique!
Sweet Blueberry-Would drink this one by the full 16 oz glass if I did not know it was wine.
Lemon Strawberry: A bit more light-hearted and fun. Probably would enjoy this embellished with a small umbrella while lounging at the pool this summer.
All of the wines were 10%-16% none of which could be detected.
If only they came in the form if a juice box. The wines tasted about as good as the finest juice box I could ever give to my kids. We were even provided with Goldfish crackers in between each to clear our palates. I would have liked to have tried all of them.
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| This adorable red tractor was on display. |
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| It doesn't look like there is a whole lot going on in the vineyard as it is winter. It is long past harvest time and we are far from berry season. |
It was once again that time.We all get hungry and we were in the North Georgia countryside. Not necessarily a bad when it is time to eat.
We thought it would be best to order a family plate with a variety of items since it was a new BBQ place we had never been to.
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| We ransacked pork ribs, one half chicken, sausage, spicy baked beans, pulled chicken, coleslaw and corn bread. |
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| No, I did not, but it makes a whole lot of sense. |
When all was said and done, there was one fry left that neither of us would take.
Place visited:
The only thing I ever really knew about Alto Georgia was that it was home to a prison. For this reason, I had never really though of this area to be a point of interest for an outing. Some things are best when discovered by accident.
Sweet Acres Winery, Alto, Georgia
Provisions:
Mickey Pigs, Alto Georgia
Date visited: February 18th, 2017
Please enjoy this hilarious little ditty by Harry McClintock-1928
"Big Rock Candy Mountain"
