Ellijay, GA |

From the rolling hills of North Georgia to vineyards scattered across the state, grapes are becoming a rising star in Georgia agriculture. At the heart of this growth is Sarah Lowder, Viticulture Extension Specialist at the University of Georgia, who is helping to shape the future of the state’s young—but expanding—wine industry.

“As an extension specialist, my job is to help extend the educational impacts that all these universities, all of the scientists are generating, to where it can be applicable for the people that are using it,” said Lowder. “As the viticulture specialist, that means I get to work with people that grow grapes—and help to figure out how to grow grapes better in the state of Georgia.”

While viticulture is a centuries-old tradition in places like Europe or California, Georgia’s modern wine industry is still in its early stages, with most of its growth coming in just the past few decades.

“Viticulture is an international thing,” said Lowder. “Everyone can think of different wine growing regions across the world. But the industry as it currently is in Georgia is still fairly new—like twenty, thirty years. Grapes can be pretty intensive. You’re trying to trellis them, train them, and manage different diseases and pests. And then it’s formed into wine, which is an added-value product. So there’s a lot of interest in making sure those grapes are the best quality grapes that can produce the best quality wines—ones that really express the region they come from.”

That’s where Lowder and her team step in—providing support and science-backed resources to growers navigating the many challenges of establishing successful vineyards.

“It takes a lot of work to get these vines in the ground,” she said. “And so sometimes these growers are working and they’re like, ‘Alright, now I have questions about how I do this.’ That’s where I get to come in—and the other people I work with—to help support these growers and do a better job doing what they’re doing.”

Thanks to increasing consumer demand and the rise of agritourism, Georgia’s wine industry has seen rapid growth in recent years, with wineries becoming popular weekend destinations.

“The wine industry has seen a real boom,” said Lowder. “I think it’s driven as part of the agritourism business. People want the experience of going to a winery, having wine that’s been grown and made on-site, and just enjoying a beautiful day in the mountains of Georgia—where you can enjoy the view and a Georgia-grown product.”

Grapes may be a niche crop in the broader landscape of Georgia agriculture, but they represent big opportunity—and long-term investment.

“Grapes are a really, really cool crop to work with,” said Lowder. “They’re perennials. These vines are going to stay in your vineyard and produce for many, many, many years.”

By: John Holcomb