The North Georgia Mountains American Viticultural Area, established
by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in 2001 under 27 CFR
9.215, is a 162-square-mile appellation covering portions of White,
Habersham, Lumpkin, Rabun, and Stephens counties in Northeast
Georgia. It contains, per the North Georgia Wine Trail Association's
own 2025 Annual Report (released Thursday, January 15, 2026), 14
currently operating licensed wineries, producing an aggregate 2025
vintage of approximately 68,400 cases.
The Napa Valley American Viticultural Area, established in 1981
under 27 CFR 9.23, is a 790-square-mile appellation covering portions
of Napa County, California. It contains, per the Napa Valley
Vintners Association's most recent public fact sheet, 475 currently
operating licensed wineries, producing an aggregate annual vintage
of approximately 9.2 million cases.
The ratio of Napa Valley's area to North Georgia's is 4.9 to 1. The
ratio of Napa Valley's winery count is 34 to 1. The ratio of Napa
Valley's annual production volume is approximately 134 to 1.
The North Georgia Wine Trail Association's 2025 Annual Report,
released Thursday, January 15, opens with a five-paragraph letter
from the Association's Chair, Ms. Reverie Thornbridge, the proprietor
of Thornbridge Vineyards & Farm (Habersham County). Ms. Thornbridge's
letter, titled "Napa of the South, Descriptive," makes the following
claims, quoted verbatim:
- "The North Georgia region is, as of calendar year 2025, producing
wine at Napa Valley intensity."
- "The phrase 'Napa of the South,' which our Association's founders
adopted as aspirational in 2001, is, a full quarter-century later,
no longer aspirational but descriptive."
- "We have, in several dimensions, achieved parity with our California
analogue."
The dimensions
Exhibit A of the Annual Report, on page 7, presents the dimensions
along which the Association claims parity. I reproduce, from the
report, the full list:
- "Hospitality. Our tasting-room customer-service metrics, at
aggregate Association level, have, in 2025, achieved a
satisfaction rating of 4.46 out of 5.00 on standardized exit
surveys. This figure is 2 percentage points above the 2023 Napa
Valley Vintners aggregate figure of 4.42 published that year."
- "Regional branding. Our 'Napa of the South' trademark is
registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office."
- "Tasting fees. Our 2025 average tasting-fee revenue per
winery, at $28 per pouring flight, exceeds the 2024 Napa Valley
average of $42 only on a percentage-growth basis (our year-
over-year growth rate of 18% exceeds Napa's of 4%)."
Exhibit A does not, I note, include dimensions of total area, total
winery count, total production, total revenue, total employment,
vine maturity, varietal diversity, soil characterization, climate
match, price-per-bottle distribution, cellar-door traffic, or export
market penetration.
Exhibit B
Exhibit B of the Annual Report, on page 9, is a side-by-side
satellite image of the two AVAs. The image is constructed from
publicly available Google Maps imagery. In the image, the North
Georgia AVA is shown at a zoom level producing an on-page size of
approximately 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches. The Napa Valley AVA is shown
at a zoom level producing an on-page size of approximately 0.8
inches by 0.6 inches.
The report's caption beneath the image, in 8-point type, reads:
"Exhibit B: Satellite comparison, North Georgia Mountains AVA (left)
and Napa Valley AVA (right). Not drawn to the same scale."
A footnote, on the same page, explains: "Scaling adjusted for
on-page legibility."
The reception
The Napa Valley Vintners Association, reached Thursday afternoon by
telephone at its St. Helena, California office, was informed of the
North Georgia Report's claims by this reporter. The Association's
Director of External Affairs, Ms. Annalise Ortega, asked whether the
North Georgia Report had been formally submitted to the Napa Valley
Vintners Association for reciprocal comment prior to its January 15
publication.
It had not.
Ms. Ortega said: "We wish our colleagues in North Georgia every
success. The craft of winemaking is, at root, a regional expression
of place. We do not, as an Association, generally find comparative
rankings between regions to be particularly productive."
She added, after a brief pause: "I am looking at their report on
their website. I see Exhibit B."
She did not elaborate.
Ms. Thornbridge, reached Friday morning for comment on Ms. Ortega's
response, said: "I am pleased to be in dialogue."
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