Georgia Grown

At just 23 years old, our winemaker and Georgia native, John Boyes, has been working in the Georgia wine industry for 8 years beginning in a local vineyard at the age of 15. His experience includes working under the tutelage of such Georgia greats as Ariel Padawer, vineyard manager and head winemaker at Kaya Vineyards (formerly Blackstock), Andrew Beaty, UC Davis and California trained former head winemaker at Habersham Vineyards, Joe Smith of Serenity Cellars and consulting winemaker for many other wineries including Yonah Mountain Vineyards and The Cottage Vineyard and Winery, and most recently, Larry Lykins of Cartecay Vineyards who is a pioneer in the northwest Georgia wine scene. Through his work with these winemakers, he has had an opportunity to work side by side with many others in the industry.

In addition, he has traveled the French countryside visiting many old world vintners. Once they realized he was both fluent in French and an aspiring winemaker, many took him on private tours and spent time showing him how they do things. A few even offered him internships and employment. The combination of working with formally trained, self taught, and generational winemakers has led to a philosophy and style of winemaking uniquely his own.

Believing that wine is made in the Vineyard, John carefully selects the best possible fruit for our Frolicking Faerie Wines. Most of the grapes used in our production are grown locally in some of our amazing Georgia vineyards. With minimal processing and interference, our wines are cellared and aged allowing the wine to mature until it is ready to be bottled. 

In late 2018, John joined Bee-Town Mead & Cider in Bluffton, SC, the first commercial meadery in South Carolina. We are pleased to offer a selection of these meads in our tasting room along with our Clan Reserve Small Batch Mead made on-site.

Wine as Art 

"The real art happens within the grapes themselves, and that takes place in the vineyard. That's where the real skill is. In making a wine, I see myself more as a curator, but that's important as well. Knowing how to show the genius of the art and make it accessible, that, to me, is the role of a winemaker. In the end the interpreting of it is up to each person according to their individual palate."

—John Boyes