Wineries & Tasting Rooms
Tasting rooms in the Nacoochee Valley and Cleveland, a Dahlonega day trip, plus beer and spirits within reach of Helen
Wine, beer and whiskey, within a short drive
You don't have to leave Helen's zip code to pour a glass of Georgia wine. Habersham Winery sits in Nacoochee Village a half mile south of Alpine Helen and has been making wine since 1983. A few minutes farther, Creekstone has a hilltop tasting room, and Yonah Mountain Vineyards near Cleveland runs a working estate with cave tours on weekends. Tastings run about $17 to $35.
Want more? The Dahlonega Plateau is about 43 minutes away and has the state's largest cluster of wineries. Georgia's drinking age is 21, so pick a designated driver or look at the wine-tour services listed by the visitors bureau.
Prefer beer or whiskey? The Alpine Brew Deck sits on the river in town, NoFo Brew Co. has a taproom in Cleveland, and R.M. Rose has a whiskey tasting room on South Main Street. The guides below cover hours and drive times, and the wine trail guide strings the closest stops into a day.
Explore Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries
Twelve guides covering the wineries, taprooms and distilleries around Helen.
Winery Yonah Mountain Vineyards
A working estate vineyard near Cleveland with a daily tasting room, weekend cave tours and events. A wine flight is $35.
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Winery Habersham Winery
The Nacoochee Village tasting room, pouring since 1983. A tasting is $18 plus tax for five wines, and there is live music on weekend afternoons through October.
View guide
Winery Creekstone Winery
The Habersham family's hilltop tasting room in a French-style mansion in Sautee Nacoochee, with evening music Friday and Saturday and a kitchen Thursday through Sunday.
View guide
Wine Region Sautee Nacoochee Wineries
Tasting rooms in the Sautee Nacoochee Valley south of Helen, with Hardman Farm and the Nacoochee Mound close by.
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Wine Region Dahlonega Wineries
Six wineries on the Dahlonega Plateau, about 43 minutes from Helen, with addresses, hours and phone numbers.
View guide Wine Trail North Georgia Wine Trail
A day plan for the wineries and tasting rooms south of Helen, with drive times, hours and prices in one table.
View guide Wine Region Georgia Wine Regions
Which area is which: the Sautee Nacoochee Valley, the Cleveland side, the Dahlonega Plateau and the two AVAs.
View guide Guide Complete North Georgia Wine Guide
Every tasting room we have checked near Helen in one table, plus wine events from now into 2027.
View guide Brewery Helen Craft Beer Scene
The Alpine Brew Deck on the river, NoFo Brew Co. in Cleveland, Oktoberfest and nearby beer festivals.
View guide Brewery Craft Breweries & Distilleries
Beer and spirits stops near Helen with hours: the Alpine Brew Deck, NoFo Brew Co., R.M. Rose in town and distilleries a drive away.
View guide Distillery North Georgia Distilleries
R.M. Rose in Helen, plus Big Creek, Grandaddy Mimm's and Moonrise a drive away, and the Dawsonville moonshine festival.
View guide Heritage Moonshine Heritage
How mountain moonshine, Prohibition and fast cars helped give rise to stock car racing, and where to see the history.
View guideWine Tasting Tips for North Georgia
A few practical notes before you go.
Designate a Driver
Georgia's drinking age is 21. If you plan more than one tasting room, arrange a designated driver or a tour; the visitors bureau lists Elite Excursions & Wine Tours and VIP Southern Tours / Georgia Wine Bus.
Weekday Visits Are Worth It
October weekends fill the tasting rooms. Habersham and Creekstone are open daily, so a weekday afternoon is the easier time to go, and Yonah Mountain Vineyards is open daily too.
Try a Muscadine
Muscadine is the native Southern grape, and Habersham makes muscadine wines under its Southern Harvest label alongside vinifera and French-American hybrids. Ask for a muscadine in your five-wine tasting.
Plan Your Wine Country Weekend
Stay a couple of nights, pick two or three stops and leave room for dinner. The wine trail guide has drive times and hours, and the weekend itinerary fits it into a full Helen trip.
Continue Exploring Helen
More guides to round out your mountain getaway.
