CLAYTON, Ga. --- In the same mountains where generations of Georgians distilled corn into moonshine, the Hardman family is fermenting a libation of another flavor.
Along the banks of a babbling creek are acres of twisting grape vines that will yield bottles of riesling, cabernet franc, seyval blanc and merlot.
The Hardmans' winery, Persimmon Creek Vineyards, is part of a rapidly expanding winery industry across the South, where lands once given over to tobacco now produce a more tourist-friendly crop.
"It's not something you can only grow in France and California," says Mary Ann Hardman, who runs the winery from her home on 100 acres of picturesque farmland. "I believe wine is the taste of a place."
And in the American South, the taste ranges from sweet, wet whites from the local scuppernong grapes (a muscadine variant) to Euro-style such as chardonnays and merlots.
The Hardmans began producing wine six years ago on the cusp of an explosion in the region's viticulture industry, which has begun drawing tourists from across the globe to the rural South.
Today there are 433 wineries across the region, a nearly 50 percent increase from just three years ago, according to the National Association of American Wineries. That's almost four times as many wineries as 15 years ago.
The growth mirrors a national trend, with every state now boasting at least one winery -- even Alaska.
Southern vintners are particularly proud that their region finally has developed a foothold in the U.S. wine industry after years of connoisseurs looking down their noses at vintages from below the Mason-Dixon line.
California remains the country's largest wine producer, with 2,600 wineries. North Carolina has just 91 wineries, but that's up from just 54 three years ago. Virginia went from 122 to 169 in that time.
But for states that are infants in the business -- such as Georgia, which has tripled its vineyard acreage to 1,100 during the past five years -- wine making is as much about proving prowess in the vineyard as it is about opening a business.
BACK IN THE DAY
The South was a leader in the U.S. wine industry during the early part of the 20th century, but Prohibition devastated the nation's industry. While other parts of the country bounced back, recovery has been slower in the South.
For decades after prohibition, farmers in the heart of the Bible Belt shied away from wine grapes.
But modern vintners have discovered the cool weather in southern mountain towns is ideal for many varieties.
They've also needed to find new uses for land once dominated by tobacco.
-- Associated Press
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