Stonewall Creek Vineyards, with tasting rooms in Rabun County and at InsideOut Sautee in Sautee Nacoochee, took the top award at the 2016 Georgia Trustees Wine Challenge.

Its 2014 Boriana, a dry white wine made from their Petit Manseng grapes, was named “Best of Competition” and received “The Oglethorpe Award” for “best wine made from Georgia-grown grapes.”  

Their 2014 Boriana also received “The Gay Dellinger Award” for the Best Vinifera Wine in the “blind tasting” between the winners for Best White Vinifera and Best Red Vinifera, both 100 percent Georgia grown. The Best Red Vinifera was also a Stonewall Creek product, 2014 Cabernet Franc.

Both wines were produced in a 5-acre vineyard and winery off Bridge Creek Road in Tiger, where Carla and Carl Fackler grow French Vitis vinifera grapes and craft Bordeaux-style wines, 750 cases a year.

In the Wine Challenge, Habersham Vineyards was awarded Best Non-Georgia Grown Wine with their 2015 Gewurztraminer and earned gold with their 2014 “Creekstone” Chambourcin. See www.georgiatrusteeswinechallenge.com for complete results.