Located less than two hours north of Atlanta is a magical place called the Georgia Wine Trail -- a well-kept secret that I just discovered. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the edge of Chattahoochee National Forest is the stunning property of Montaluce Winery & Estates.
Living Social Adventures popped up with an incredible offer for a Retreat Day at the Vineyard that I could not refuse. With that kind of headline (including keywords "retreat" and "vineyard") it immediately caught my attention. How can a girl say no to a day of relaxing and wine tasting? My best friend, Lolly, was planning on coming up for a visit and this adventure was perfect timing! Like icing on the cake we ended her weekend road trip with a day in Georgia wine country. Our day included...
We woke up early and packed bags for our day trip. The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day! It was exciting to visit the country after showing La around the city for a few days. She had a well rounded tour of the greater Atlanta area!
Our group went on the hike first while another group took part in the yoga session. Through the vineyard and into the wilderness we trekked, passing small winding creeks and a larger river where people were fishing and camping. I love being under the trees and listening to their leaves rustling in the wind. I'm such an Earth child! The sunbeams filtered through the forest and made a beautiful setting for our hike.
Once we got back to the winery we took a short water break and headed down to the pond to practice yoga in the sunshine. Our instructor was very calming and guided us through gentle yoga poses. It was a relaxing way to stretch our muscles after a vigorous hike through the forest.
Next up was lunch! We were so hungry by this point and really looking forward to a gourmet lunch. The winery had a nice restaurant inside next to the wine bar/tasting room that overlooked the vineyard. However, the only disappointing part of our adventure was...the food. Instead of receiving a gourmet meal from the restaurant, we received boxed lunches. Ham sandwiches on thick white bread with a pickle, chocolate chip cookie and bag of Lay's potato chips. Not my idea of nourishing food! Quite sad actually, and not worthy of a photo.
After lunch we painted wine glasses with a cherry tree theme while sipping on a glass of wine -- finally wine time!! I love art and painting is relaxing to me. La and I were the last two at the painting table before we were shuffled off to our mini spa treatment session. We received paraffin hand dips and loved how the hot wax felt on our skin. The best part was the 10 minute chair massage, which was much needed!
The finale was the wine tasting and cheese pairing! This included tasting 6 wines; 4 white and 2 red. Sadly, they really skimped on the cheese plates and after our lunch we were still hungry. Our hands down favorite was the Dolce white wine. It sounds sweet, but it really wasn't. Neither of us are white wine girls, but we LOVED this one!
Baked apples and pie spice are the dominant flavor characteristics for this Georgia Blend. A glassy finish helps round out a sweetness that fits well in the south. At a cookout or in the morning with French toast, bacon and syrup the Dolce will find its place at any meal period.
Here's a link to view all of the Montaluce wines.
We then proceeded to the gift shop to purchase a few bottles to go. I'm saving mine for a special occasion!
Overall this Living Social Adventure was fantastic! We had an amazing day and made some memories to last a lifetime. In fact, we decided to make this an annual girls trip!
If you're looking for a unique way to spend the day, weekend or a vacation, I highly recommend checking out the Georgia Wine Trail. There are probably a few dozen vineyards to visit with Bed & Breakfasts scattered throughout. While you're there stop by Montaluce Winery to experience it for yourself. You may just decide to buy a house there!
Montaluce Winery & Estates
501 Hightower Church Road
Dahlonega, GA 30533
http://www.montaluce.com
Cheers!
Living Social Adventures popped up with an incredible offer for a Retreat Day at the Vineyard that I could not refuse. With that kind of headline (including keywords "retreat" and "vineyard") it immediately caught my attention. How can a girl say no to a day of relaxing and wine tasting? My best friend, Lolly, was planning on coming up for a visit and this adventure was perfect timing! Like icing on the cake we ended her weekend road trip with a day in Georgia wine country. Our day included...
- 40 minute wilderness hike
- 30 minute yoga session
- gourmet lunch
- wine glass painting session
- mini spa treatments
- wine tasting with cheese pairing
We woke up early and packed bags for our day trip. The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day! It was exciting to visit the country after showing La around the city for a few days. She had a well rounded tour of the greater Atlanta area!
 |
| Lolly & Me |
Once we got back to the winery we took a short water break and headed down to the pond to practice yoga in the sunshine. Our instructor was very calming and guided us through gentle yoga poses. It was a relaxing way to stretch our muscles after a vigorous hike through the forest.
Next up was lunch! We were so hungry by this point and really looking forward to a gourmet lunch. The winery had a nice restaurant inside next to the wine bar/tasting room that overlooked the vineyard. However, the only disappointing part of our adventure was...the food. Instead of receiving a gourmet meal from the restaurant, we received boxed lunches. Ham sandwiches on thick white bread with a pickle, chocolate chip cookie and bag of Lay's potato chips. Not my idea of nourishing food! Quite sad actually, and not worthy of a photo.
After lunch we painted wine glasses with a cherry tree theme while sipping on a glass of wine -- finally wine time!! I love art and painting is relaxing to me. La and I were the last two at the painting table before we were shuffled off to our mini spa treatment session. We received paraffin hand dips and loved how the hot wax felt on our skin. The best part was the 10 minute chair massage, which was much needed!
The finale was the wine tasting and cheese pairing! This included tasting 6 wines; 4 white and 2 red. Sadly, they really skimped on the cheese plates and after our lunch we were still hungry. Our hands down favorite was the Dolce white wine. It sounds sweet, but it really wasn't. Neither of us are white wine girls, but we LOVED this one!
2009 MONTALUCE, DOLCE, 5/20
Baked apples and pie spice are the dominant flavor characteristics for this Georgia Blend. A glassy finish helps round out a sweetness that fits well in the south. At a cookout or in the morning with French toast, bacon and syrup the Dolce will find its place at any meal period.
Here's a link to view all of the Montaluce wines.
 |
| Mmm...tasty! |
Overall this Living Social Adventure was fantastic! We had an amazing day and made some memories to last a lifetime. In fact, we decided to make this an annual girls trip!
If you're looking for a unique way to spend the day, weekend or a vacation, I highly recommend checking out the Georgia Wine Trail. There are probably a few dozen vineyards to visit with Bed & Breakfasts scattered throughout. While you're there stop by Montaluce Winery to experience it for yourself. You may just decide to buy a house there!
Montaluce Winery & Estates
501 Hightower Church Road
Dahlonega, GA 30533
http://www.montaluce.com
Cheers!