Gilmer County’s alcoholic beverage producers made another fine showing at a recent statewide competition.
Several of the county’s wineries and one distillery brought home awards from the 2023 Georgia Trustees Wine and Spirits competition held in Alpharetta.
“We had several (producers) that came home with medals and superlative awards,” said Ron Cheslock, Gilmer Chamber tourism director, who also attended the awards reception.
Local winners of superlative wine/hard cider awards included Roo Mountain Vineyards (Best Hard Cider), Engelheim Vineyards (Best Red Wine) and Cartecay Vineyards (Best Hybrid Grape Wine).
White Path Creek Distillery received multiple awards including Best Georgia Whiskey, Best Georgia Brandy and Best Georgia Rum.
White Path Creek was also named the 2023 Georgia Distillery of Distinction, and one of its beverages, a mango rum, was chosen “Best Overall” in distilled spirits.
Last year, several Gilmer alcohol producers, including Enegelheim and White Path Creek, also brought home awards in their respective categories.
Cheslock noted that one of the competition’s officials said, about Gilmer’s numerous wins, in eight years the state competition has never seen one county win so many awards with such a variety of products.
The Trustee’s challenge got started in 2015 as a wine competition, but later broadened its categories to include several other types of alcoholic drinks produced in Georgia. The contest’s name is derived from the English trustees’ orders to Gen. James Oglethorpe, following the founding of Georgia, to grow grapes for the production of wine.
The Georgia Trustees board awards medals to the best entires submitted in the annual professionally-judged competition, and top honors are announced each year at the awards reception.