Submissions for the Best Red, White, and Rose’ wines from each Georgia winery were submitted for review in these categories. BlackStock is also proud of its contribution to the wine awarded “Best White Wine in Georgia”, a Creekstone Viognier, which was wholly produced from BlackStock Vineyard’s Viognier grapes.

The magazine cover, a beautiful rendering of the winning bottles produced by famed wine artist, Thomas Arvid, can be viewed along with the cover story at georgiatrend.com. Michael Lueptow was one of the selected judges and is wine sommelier for the Ritz-Carlton Dining Room. Regarding the Blackstock ACE, he states, “it was my number one choice, I like the word meaty for this one … dark fruit, nice oak finish.”

The wine is an exotic and very aromatic blend of three grapes, Touriga, Mourvedre and a hint of the estate’s best Merlot. It is named after the vineyard’s three kids, 6-year-old twins Austin and Chandler, along with 8 year-old big sister, Eliza—thus ACE-A Family Reserve.

“All of our red wines have been very successful for us” reports owner David Harris, a native Georgian who holds a California degree in winemaking. “We have less than a hundred cases left of the initial 400-case 2004 ACE production. Along with our other 2004 reds, it will be a very valuable wine to cellar.” He continues, “There is only one first-release vintage for a winery, and that will be quite something to have in 20 years—especially the way Georgia wine country is evolving.”

At least a couple of Blackstock bottles are guaranteed to be around fifty years from now because the wines have been selected to be placed in a time capsule at the old courthouse in Cleveland, GA., as part of their 150th anniversary celebration as a town. The time capsule, a wine barrel itself, is scheduled to be opened at Cleveland’s Bicentennial celebration in 2057. Cleveland is the County Seat of White County, the county in which Blackstock is located. For more information about the wines, call Blackstock Vineyards & Winery at 706/219-2789.