About this Unique Opportunity

We are offering twelve people the chance to live the art of being a winemaker. PCV is unique among most wineries as they will not only imbue attendees with a winemaking passion, but also involve you in sheep husbandry (for sheep's milk cheeses), honey production, and other estate grown agriculture. Their aim is to bring you as close to Mother Nature in order to appreciate her bounty, of which wine is just one aspect.

What will you be doing each time?

Your complete immersion in the life of a vigneron/winegrower will be highlighted by a memorable evening (along with a guest) in one of the impeccably appointed vineyard cottages. AWS does not know of an equivalent experience for sale anywhere.

Mary Ann & Sonny Hardman began PCV on 101 acres almost 2,000 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Appalachians. After seven years of research, the climate and soil were targeted for four very specific grape varieties: Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Seyval Blanc.

Today, you will find their wines in select upscale dining locations like Cakes and Ale, Woodfire Grill, Bluepointe, The Apiary (New York City) and Hearty (Chicago) as well as prominent retailers like Whole Foods Markets.

Mary Ann & Sonny will make you feel just like family when you are with them. This opportunity will not just produce wine with them, but will imbue the attendees with an ardent philosophy on "Soil to Glass: Good wine is made in the vineyard."

Attendees who take on this challenge will develop friendships with the Hardmans and with each other that will last forever. There is no feeling in the world like taking something from Mother Nature's bounty and creating a thing of beauty.

Visit the Persimmon Creek Vineyards Website

Session Calendar--All Sessions Held at Winery & Vineyards*

February 27th--Pruning? Why does it matter?
One-on-One with California winemaker/vineyard consultant Greg Stokes (formerly of David Bruce, the respected pinot noir producer).
March 13th--Winemaking 101--and the notion (truth or fiction?) of terroir.
April 17th--Savor the earth! Join in planting our newest vineyard block--a two acre plot of an exciting, unusual grape from Hungary, grafted at a nursery specifically for PCV (a two year endeavor).
May 15th--Racking and bottling basics: a hands on opportunity to rack and hand bottle our estate grown wine.
June 19th--Sheep and Shoot thinning: Why have sheep in a vineyard? Learn the importance of shoot thinning to vine structure, and ultimately to the quality of the harvest.
July 31st--Biodiversity, why does it matter in a vineyard? Vineyard maintenance, pests, and challenges of growing at 2200 ft elevation in Georgia.
August 21st--Harvest preparation and honey. What is ripeness? Why do certain areas of the same grape ripen earlier? Brix analysis. Discussion on keeping hives, bees.
September--Harvest Seyval Blanc or Merlot.
October--Harvest Cab Franc or Merlot.
November 27th--Cold Stabilization of White Wines.
December and January--no class.
March to April--Bottling & Labeling of Wines

*Please note that this is a proposed calendar, and is not cast in stone. Mother Nature does not work according to a fixed schedule, nor can we.