>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following... ♪ ♪ >> ♪ No, take me home ♪ >> Vgan chocolate, Norwegian flavor, available in Walmart stores.

♪ ♪ ♪ [ Wind blowing ] >> The southern state of Georgia is home to some spectacular wineries.

And that's why we are here -- to find the most refined wines in the counties of Gilmer and Dahlonega.

The charming town of Ellijay is dressed up for Halloween, and so are we.

Trick or treat.

There are plenty of activities to choose from in Ellijay.

How fun is this?

A real Halloween celebration.

Inspired by the rolling hills, we decided to do some sport activities in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

And as always, we will need a local chef.

Are you up for the challenge?

>> Absolutely.

>> A little bit nervous?

>> No.

>> Ooh!

>> Our first stop is Chateau Meichtry Winery, just outside of Ellijay.

Named after the grandfather that immigrated from Switzerland, the estate is run by owner Bobby McNeill and his son, winemaker Justin.

>> We're so glad you made it.

We got some things we want to show you here.

We're super excited to have you all here.

Well, Maya, I think you and Justin are going to head out into the vineyard and we're going to head over into the greenhouse and show you some of the herbs and spices that we grow.

>> That would be great.

>> Awesome.

>> Sounds great.

Let's go.

>> Let's go.

♪ >> So it's kind of cool to be in a vineyard when it's no leaves on the vines.

>> Yeah.

So you really get to see the structure of the vines themselves.

>> Because this looks so different if you compare to in summertime.

>> Yes.

So for this particular varietal, the plant doesn't like to support its own weight.

>> Okay.

>> So we trellis it high with the high cordon and let the foliage hang down and then we're still able to get enough foliage to ripen the clusters.

♪ >> Wow.

So what is this room?

>> So this is our family cellar where we keep all of our photos of Stephan Meichtry, who we are named after.

This was a photo, the last photo that him and his two friends from Switzerland took before they left.

>> Is it time to taste some wine?

>> Yeah, absolutely.

Come on back.

And so here we've got a lot of literature about winemaking, winemaking throughout the world.

But you are ready to taste some wines, aren't you?

>> I am thirsty, but that's amazing.

It's very beautiful.

>> Alright.

>> No.

What?

What?

This is Harry Potter!

>> [ Laughs ] >> What?

You have a secret room?!

♪ >> This is our nine raised beds.

And out here we grow different flowers, plants, herbs and spices.

Yolanda, you like herbs so much.

If you'd like to take some with you today, we can cut some.

>> I'd love to.

Yes?

>> May I?

>> Yes, of course.

I really need to take this to the chef.

I love rosemary so much, but it can be quite potent.

And the chef will have to be careful in order to not overpower other flavors or the wine.

♪ >> This is like a dream come true to be in the secret room.

I always wanted a secret room like this.

And it's a wine cellar as well.

Maybe we should try some?

>> Yeah, absolutely.

So up first, our 2021 Vidal blanc.

Very old French-American hybrid.

One of my favorite grapes to work with just because of the versatility.

We're always passionate about being creative and not afraid to try different styles.

And with this grape, there's dozens of different ways it can go.

>> You can really feel the acidity.

[ Inhales sharply ] >> Yeah.

>> It's making the crisp.

It's making me hungry.

>> Yeah.

>> It's very nice.

>> How would you describe the character of a typical Vidal blanc?

>> So you're always going to have that bright acidity, citrus.

Things like that, you know, depending on the yeast strain used can play a part as to what aromatics you're going to pull out.

>> Mm.

Mm.

This is a great first alternative.

Should we try the second one?

>> Absolutely.

Yeah.

>> Mm-hmm?

>> So this is our blend of seyval blanc and albariño.

>> Oh, wow.

That's an exciting blend.

>> So you're kind of getting the best of both worlds.

You're getting a sweetness up front, but still finishing with nice, crisp acid.

>> You can feel this like a slight sweetness, which is normally also very good to some food, and it makes it really easy going drinking, but you still have the fruitiness and the acidity there.

>> Last and not least, we've got our first red of the day.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> The Norton that we saw on the high wire.

>> Oh, yeah, the high ones.

>> Correct.

This is 90% Norton, 10% of a hybrid from Cornell University called noiret.

For this, we went 19 months in oak.

>> Yes.

>> It was a combination of Hungarian, Romanian and French oak.

>> Even if it has the structure with the tannins, it's not too dry.

It's still quite juicy in some way.

And I think this wine, I was so happy to try this grape variety because I never tried it before.

But I'm going to go for the Vidal.

It has this refreshing acidity that I just really like.

I think that's going to be really cool to bring to the chef.

>> I think it's an excellent choice.

Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> ♪ Now, do you know ♪ ♪ Who wants to see ♪ ♪ She looks up ♪ ♪ And she smiles that way ♪ [ Singing indistinctly ] ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Thank you so very much.

>> As they say, a new day with new possibilities.

Next winery on the list is Engelheim Vineyards, situated just outside Ellijay and home to some prestigious wines and owner Gary Engle with his family and staff.

In the winery's tasting room, Yolanda and Maya got to try out a good range of the wines from the winery while I got a taste of the South.

So, Gary, I feel all American now sitting on your porch.

>> This is part of America, this part of the South, you know.

>> But you were an Army guy for many, many years.

>> Yes.

>> What made you decide to get into the wine business?

>> I grew up farming and always loved farming.

Loved work.

And I wanted to live up in the mountains.

And I said, "What can I do while I'm up here?

Because I can't sit around and do nothing."

So I said, "I really would like to grow grapes and learn how to make wine."

I'm never going to know it all.

I'm always learning something new.

I just keep figuring something out new every day.

>> And when did you plant all these grapes?

>> First vines were planted in 2009.

And then that was some vines out here in front of my home.

And then I continued to plant more like I don't have good sense.

So I keep planting more vines and I plan to plant some more this coming year.

So every year I plant a few more, but I'm growing the varieties that I like and always figuring that stuff out, so...

I have great people that work with me and they're like family, even if they're not, and they're all family to me.

So it's a blessing because I have really, really great people, and it makes a big difference for the community and all the people that live here.

So success has nothing to do with just me.

It has to do with how many people's lives I touch.

So sometimes we need to look at life that way, and you're much happier if you do that.

I'm a firm believer in that.

>> I'm going to take wisdom from that.

>> Well, I make up a lot of stuff, I'm just saying.

[ Both laugh ] >> What do you think?

You want to show me some of your vines and tell me a bit more about them?

>> I think that'd be kind of cool.

Every time of the year is different.

So every time you come out to the vineyard, you're going to see something different.

And we're focused on different things at different times.

>> Okay, let's go look at the vines.

>> Look at the vines and have Mr. Fun Time.

>> Why do you have these nets out here in the vineyards?

I know a lot of people have problems with birds.

Is that why?

>> Yeah, that's part of the problem.

The birds are a big problem because the birds go peck and get the seeds out and then the bees go get all the juice out and they'll leave us with an empty shell of grape.

The deer also will wear out the grapes.

And I probably have 30 deer on this property.

>> Deer?

>> And they're pre-marinated because they're eating my grapes like it's going out of style.

But we put this on to protect as much of the harvest as we can.

Nature gets its part.

We get our part.

Now we take the nets off and we'll either get rid of the nets if they're of no use anymore, or we'll store them and use them again next year.

We use them for multiple years.

And it's a farming operation so you don't waste anything.

[ Both laugh ] >> I'm stuck, I'm stuck.

>> [ Laughing ] >> Oh, Gary, can you help?

I think we got to get back and taste some wines.

>> I'm on a mission to challenge the chef, and I'm going to pick some ingredients for it.

This is a perfect, perfect place for me.

>> Good.

>> I'm so excited to try all these amazing things you have prepared for me.

Oh, shall we start with this one first?

>> Sure.

>> Okay.

Which jam would you recommend with this cheese?

>> Oh, gosh.

The peach?

>> The peach.

Okay.

>> Salud.

Oh, they really like each other.

[ Both laugh ] And I like this.

I like how the sweetness of the fruit covers the creaminess of the cheese.

Oh, wow.

That was a bite.

Shall we go with the blueberries?

>> Yes.

Blueberries.

>> Mm, mm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

[ Both laughing ] >> Good job.

>> I always say friends of food are friends of mine, so I get a lot of friends around the world.

That was lovely.

I must say, you make it difficult for me, Suzy.

Really.

They were all fantastic.

You know, I'm going to go for the peach jam.

>> Okay.

>> Yes.

It needs to be represented in the kitchen.

>> Okay.

>> Thank you so much, Suzy.

>> Thank you.

>> Has been a delicious experience, yeah.

>> Oh, wonderful.

>> I'm taking them... >> Okay.

>> And the cheese?

>> Yes.

You can -- Oh, okay.

>> Thank you, thank you, bye!

>> [ Laughs ] ♪ >> Engel Weiss is a blend from Engelheim.

So it's got some petit manseng, some pinot grigio, some traminette and some Vidal blanc.

Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> Thank you.

You're picking up some of the petit manseng, which is really nice.

A lot of people haven't had that grape, but it's a beautiful fruit.

>> It's completely -- it's bone dry.

I really like that.

And you can really use this for anything.

>> My wife makes some shrimp Creole that is outstanding with this.

Some little Cajun food is good with it, so... >> Well, let's see what else you have in store for me.

>> Thank you, ma'am.

>> This is Doxology.

This is a meritage blend with the state -- with grapes that are grown here at Engelheim.

It's got a little merlot, a little cabernet franc, a little chambourcin and a little noiret.

>> Maybe you can explain what meritage means because I'm sure not everyone knows what meritage means when it comes to wine.

>> Basically a blend of different grapes, and I blend the grapes until it stops improving it.

You have to look at it and say, "What's going on with each of these grapes?"

And I want to build off the strengths of each of the grape and fill in the gaps before we go to bottling, and we'll tweak it a little bit more.

>> This is a nice and luscious red wine that I'm sure can go with a lot of different things.

>> Thank you very much.

>> You have one more for me, right?

>> Yes, I do.

>> Okay.

>> Let you have a taste of some Hummingbird, which is a chambourcin grape.

It's a lighter wine.

Less tannins than a Bordeaux, but it's a nice French-American hybrid.

It's got a little bit of noiret in it, so, you know, to spice it up a little bit, but mostly it's just the chambourcin grape.

>> Mm, yeah, it has -- It's almost a little bit tart.

But there's a little bit of sweetness there, as well.

>> Mm-hmm.

A little bit of R.S.

on that.

>> So, R.S., for those of you who don't know what that is, R.S.

means residual sugar.

>> Right.

>> Thank you very much for the tasting.

It's time for me to make a choice between the three wines.

Out of the three, I really like the white.

It was super crisp and bone dry.

I really enjoy wines like that.

Doxology, wine number two, was really rich and luscious.

And I enjoy red wine when they're rich, when they're not that much tannin.

And this one didn't have that.

So that was really great.

And then the hummingbird at the end was really cool.

It was a grape -- or a wine made by grape varieties that I've never tasted in that combination before.

So that was super cool.

Thank you so much.

Very light, very -- a little bit tart, juicy red.

But I think I'm gonna go for Doxology, actually.

I'm really curious as to see what the chef is gonna come up with.

when he's being challenged with this wine and the local ingredients.

So that's the one we're gonna taste next time we meet, during the tasting ceremony.

>> I think that's a good choice, because it is all local ingredients and different grapes that were grown here.

So you get a real taste of Engelheim.

♪ >> This is the charming Southern town with the same name as the county -- Dahlonega.

Next on our bucket list for northern Georgia is a winery where wolves are roaming further to the east... [ Wolf howling ] [ Wine pours, cork pops ] ...home to the Boegner family and many acres of vineyards perfectly facing the sun on top of the hill.

Hi.

>> Hey there.

>> Hey.

Welcome to Wolf Mountain.

Thank you guys for coming.

>> How are you?

>> It seems like you're making some wine behind us.

>> We are.

>> And actually, I'm gonna have to sneak away, 'cause we're busy in the cellar.

Stephen will give you guys a little history of the winery and kind of tell you a little bit about us, and then you guys can come on down, and we'll put you to work.

>> Let's take a quick walk and show you what we got.

>> Fantastic.

♪ >> Welcome.

So, you guys have to see -- Before we do anything else, you've got to see the guitar collection.

And it just -- this is something that over the years has changed and grown and turned into its own little piece of what we're doing and what we offer.

I mean, you look around, and it's like all the greats from the '60s and '70s.

What started 20 years ago as a project for Karl and Linda Boegner and their family just has grown into this, and I'm excited for you to see it.

We have a full-service restaurant.

We have a tasting room.

And some folks -- you know, they'll come up and say, "Well, I want to do a tasting and get a cheese plate and sit outside."

I want to sit in the restaurant and not worry about, you know, prepping my meal or what have you.

And so we have something for everybody.

>> Did I see that correctly?

>> Is that Paul McCartney's guitar?

>> It is.

>> Wow.

>> That was a signed piece by Paul McCartney of The Beatles, absolutely.

Yeah, very cool.

We'll talk about it a little bit.

Let's go downstairs.

♪ >> The process of making wine is labor-intensive.

We got to try out some of the daily work here at the estate.

♪ >> Oh!

>> You guys are doing great.

You're hired.

>> We are?

>> This is fantastic.

Yes.

>> Are you sure?

>> ...pay?

>> Yes, of course.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Well, we pay in wine.

Is that okay?

>> Yes.

[ Both laughing ] >> Awesome.

>> Almost there.

>> Almost there.

>> Hi, girls.

>> Alright.

>> [ Speaks indistinctly ] >> There you go.

>> Okay.

>> The last little bit.

So, we've got the malbec loaded into the press, and the bladder is gently inflating, so it's pressing down on the skins.

The juice is trickling out, and then we're about to gravity that down to the tanks for settling.

This is obviously not the finished product, but if you're ready to go taste the finished product, we're ready to go to the sparkling cellar and taste some wines.

Alright, ladies.

Well, it's time to reward all your hard work on the crush pad with our -- >> Finally.

>> Yes.

With our Blanc de Blancs Brut.

This is refermented in the bottle, creating wonderful effervescence.

This is 100% Chardonnay.

We ferment to about 6.5, almost 7 bar.

So just explosive carbonation.

>> And for how many months do you leave it on the yeast?

>> The tirage is short.

The style here is more feminine than masculine, so as opposed to doing a long-term aging on the yeast, we usually will finish and disgorge after about 8 to 10 months entourage.

So we want it crisp, refreshing, very cleansing to the palate.

This wine is extremely versatile with a number of different dishes and is our signature style for the sparkling production.

>> I see what you're saying here, 'cause it's more focused on the acidity freshness, but also, like, tropical yellow fruit... >> Sure.

>> ...rather than the very briochey, yeasty notes.

>> We do a little time in barrel, which will give it some oxidation.

It's usually in neutral oak, so there's no oak tannin really imparted in the base.

Also, too, with the cuvée, there can be lots of Chardonnay, so now we're talking about different yeast selections, some stainless, some oak, and then we can blend those together.

That's really the art and the style.

>> You can also feel some kind of development with the yellow fruit, like the apples.

It feels like it -- almost a little bit of the booze apples, which I love when it's more matured.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And you can almost see the color, as well.

>> Sure.

>> It's deep color.

>> Yes, yes.

>> Even if it's not been on the yeast too long.

>> Too long.

>> But that's the oxidation you said, right?

>> Yes, during the fermentation process.

>> I think we have a great start.

>> Yes, absolutely.

>> I'm looking for an ingredient to challenge the chef and I need to keep things interesting.

>> Yes.

We've got shiitake mushrooms from a local farm right down the road.

And then acorn squash.

>> I never had this one before.

>> It's so versatile.

Oh, there you go, gal.

>> Just right In.

>> Just dig in.

>> Despite of not being cooked yet -- I'm not sure this is the way you serve it here.

>> Not quite like that.

>> But, actually, I can taste the sweetness, underneath sweetness and earthy, nutty.

Mmm!

I love it.

>> We are now going to switch gears, and you're going to taste a very fully ripened Burgundian-style Chardonnay.

So you're going to notice a similar color.

This is 100% barrel-fermented.

Goes to about a year.

100% new French oak.

>> It's an un-aromatic grape.

It doesn't have a lot of flavors of its own.

So it's basically up to the winemaker to decide in what direction to go.

>> It's very versatile, and from a winemaking perspective, as a winemaker, it's so fun.

>> But this is really the richer style.

This is a food wine.

>> It is a food wine.

>> Last but not least, the mushrooms.

Let's try.

Oh, punch of flavor.

Punch of flavor.

Very meaty, like the portobellos.

>> Yes.

>> Especially shiitake are very interesting, because they are, like -- Eh, they look like nothing special, and then you have a bite.

And it's like...

So I think I'm going to choose the shiitake.

>> Okay.

>> Definitely.

>> Cheers, Yolanda.

>> Yes, cheers to the wine.

>> Yes.

>> Now we're really going to switch gears and we're going to go red -- claret.

This is probably one of our flagship reds, one of our most-awarded reds, Cabernet Sauvignon being the forefront and being our star.

We also add a little bit of tannate, which gives tannic structure and color, and then a little bit of malbec, which gives that fruit and that vibrance.

>> It is definitely rich.

The tannate grape is known as being very rich, very tannic, a lot of color, a lot of flavor, and I think we feel that here quite well.

>> Especially on the palate, the tannic end, which makes it also, you know, hungry again.

>> Yes.

>> Right.

They call it chewy, right?

>> Yeah, chewy.

>> It's a little chewy on the end.

>> Well, I think it's time for a verdict, don't you?

>> Yes, it is.

Oh, are you ready?

Do you know which one you want?

>> I know which one I want.

>> Oh, I hope we agree then.

>> Yeah.

Should we say it at the same time?

>> Okay.

>> One, two, three... >> Sparkling.

>> [ Gasps ] >> Oh, okay.

[ Laughter ] >> Fantastic.

>> Time has come for the tasting ceremony at the mountaintop lodge, Talking Rock... where chef Cameron West is ready for the challenge to match his cooking to the chosen wines.

>> Are you nervous?

>> No.

>> Confident.

I like that.

I have for you vidal blanc.

Quite fresh, quite light, on the citrusy side.

Because I couldn't decide which only one ingredient to bring, this time, I brought two.

I brought apples and I have taken shiitake.

>> Shiitake mushrooms.

>> Yes.

>> Excellent.

Don't make it too easy for me.

>> [ Gasps ] >> So, apples and mushrooms -- how do you feel about that?

>> Okay.

Um... >> Hmm.

Not completely convinced.

>> I'm going to do a fall salad with some spinach.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Chef Cameron makes a salad to celebrate fall with spinach, fresh autumn apples, and smoked shiitake mushrooms.

>> Apples.

>> Yes.

You know, very interesting combination with the apple and the smoked shiitake.

But, um... >> Hmm.

What is does "um" mean?

Up next... >> Doxology from Engelheim Vineyards.

And what I have chosen to go with it is... mmm!

...aromatic herbs.

Let's see what you can do with it.

>> What would be the worst thing they could serve today with your wine?

>> Probably strawberry ice cream.

>> [ Laughs ] Let's hope they'll save the strawberries for dessert then.

>> He combines two types of red meat in his dish, beef and lamb.

>> I think that the different flavors in the beef and the lamb will pair really well with the wine.

We're going to use the herbs to tie it all together.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> He uses a red-wine demiglace to pop-up the dish.

Will the rosemary be too overpowering?

>> The aromatic herbs.

>> Pairing the food that he did with this one -- it does kind of jump up and get you.

>> Uh-oh.

Not much revealed so far.

And, finally, the bubbles from Wolf Mountain.

>> Blanc de Blancs paired with peach Jam.

>> Okay.

At least it's not mushrooms again.

>> [ Laughs ] >> The crisp acidity and the cleansing of the palate -- it's hard to find one that doesn't fit.

>> He implies that everything goes.

Mm...let's see.

>> This is the pan that we cooked the beef and the lamb in.

So what I'm doing is, I'm frying the bread for the jam in the fat and the herbs and the butter.

>> The peach, the sweetness kind of just -- it's hard to bring it all into balance, but we'll see.

>> Wait.

Didn't he say that it goes with anything?

It all comes down to this.

Now it begins, the final verdict.

>> Thank you, thank you, thank you.

So, what is the verdict?

>> So, I was -- At first, I was a bit nervous about the smoked mushrooms, but, really, it did add a depth, you know, of character to the dish.

The apples soaked in the wine were a nice balance, bringing back the fresh, crisp acidity.

So, overall, I thought it was a home run.

>> Awesome.

Thank you.

>> So, this humming actually meant full score.

Next.

>> Okay, Gary.

>> Well, the meat was so good.

Both the lamb and the steak was so nice.

The herbs with the steak and stuff, I said, "Well, I'm going to try that out."

And what you did with that, pairing it with the wine, kind of surprised me in a positive way.

The dish was outstanding.

[ Laughter ] >> Thank you.

>> Final dish.

Has Brannon come to terms with the sweetness of the peach jam?

>> I was really kind of taken back, really, by the fried bread and the peach marmalade on top.

The concern there was, is it too sweet?

I was a little nervous of the sweetness kind of just overpowering, but it really came in nicely.

And the Blanc de Blancs was very cleansing, I thought, to the palate.

So I enjoyed it.

>> Thank you very much.

It has been an excellent experience.

>> It's been a good day.

>> Cheers to you.

>> Cheers to the chef.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers, everyone.

>> Can we come back?

>> Thank you so much.

>> Anytime.

Thanks for coming.

[ Laughter ] >> Our visit here in the friendly southern state of Georgia has been excellent.

Laid-back and charming atmosphere, splendid wine, and great food.

We will definitely return.

>> For more inspiration, visit us at winefirsttv.com.

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

♪ ♪ >> ♪ No, take me home ♪ >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪