Ellie V.
Yelp
UPDATE:
Larry the owner responded. It was nice of him to take time out if his day to respond. He remarked about the dozen vendors at the festival, but my photo from when I attended shows about six. The vendors were nice. There just weren't very many.
He also remarked about the souvenir "glass" but then described it as "plastic" so no, it's not a glass but a plastic cup. Nice try, though.
Didn't respond to my observation about 90s angst music being an odd choice for a festival.
And he referenced his wine winning gold medals, but I couldn't find which medals they'd won mentioned on their website. This gave me pause. Why didn't they proudly display who'd given them an award?
A quick google search of "Cartecay Vineyards Awards" only yields results stating that they've won awards, but not when or from whom. Same thing with a search of "Cartecay Wine Awards."
"Cartecay Medal" yielded an article (link below) stating:
"Cartecay Vineyards' Chimney Blush recently received the highest award given for a Hybrid Grape Wine..[at]
the Georgia Wine Trustees Wine Challenge."
They also won other medals from the Georgia Wine Trustees, who only give awards for wines produced in Georgia.
Cartecay has won awards for *Georgia* wines. For people who are into wine, this is an important distinction. Georgia isn't known as a wine-producing powerhouse.
http://gilmer.fetchyournews.com/tag/cartecay-vineyard-wine/
:::::::
We attended the Cartecay Vineyards Crush Fest 2019. I don't think I would make a special trip to this place, but if you're in the area it's a pretty place to stop.
First the positive:
GREAT ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere was very nice. I could see having a bridal shower or getting engagement portraits made here. The upstairs of the tasting room was a very cute space that could be used for events (although it wouldn't be handicap accessible because there was no elevator).
Now the negative:
GARBAGE WINE
Cartecay Wine is garbage. Let me be clear, I'm not a wine snob. I enjoy "two buck chuck" from Trader Joe's, but have also enjoyed higher end, buttery pinots. So I know the spectrum of wine. This tasted worse than the wine you can buy in a can from Trader Joe's. But at a pricepoint of $20+ per bottle, Cartecay Wine is a terrible value in addition to being complete garbage. If you'd like to experience the flavor of Cartecay without the drive, try this: Buy a bottle of Two Buck Chuck. The varietal doesn't really matter. Any bottle will do. Dilute the bottle with a little water, so the wine is flabby. Then, add a bit of vinegar to give it an unappealing, slightly off flavor. Viola! Cartecay Wine!
PITIFUL SELECTION OF VENDORS
The "festival" advertised vendors. There were only about SIX vendors. Not super impressive.
ONE SLOW FOOD TRUCK
The "festival" also had only ONE food truck with incredibly slow service, and that sold out of a lot of their food. The food was delicious, however, and the highlight of the trip.
90s ANGST MUSIC.. HUH?
The live music was very good; however, the musician specialized in 90s angst songs. This took me back to high school, but something more *festive* and danceable would have been a more appropriate choice.
NOT LIVING UP TO PROMISES
I don't really care that we didn't get a souvenir GLASS, but the sign and advertisements said we'd get a glass. In reality it was a cheap, plastic cup.