Why grow grapes in Georgia?
While many varying microclimates exist throughout Georgia, the greatest over-riding feature in the terroir of Georgia is found in the interaction and marriage between our rainfall and the well-drained hillsides of sandy red-clay soils.At first blush, Georgia appears to be a region that experiences too much rainfall during the growing season to grow grapes.However, the most common soil characteristic between here and Virginia throughout the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces, is red clay.Even if its not at the surface, chances are you don’t have to dig far to find it!Turns out this clay doesn’t absorb water very fast, allowing most to run-off a slope in a heavy rain.This is why water puddles are so common in Georgia (if we actually get back to normal rainfall), and this is where the hillsides enter into the picture!The hills are like tipping a tea saucer with spilled tea, it will run right off.And lo and behold, how would you characterize most of the rain in Georgia’s growing season—that
