Carl and Carla Flackler first purchased acreage bordering Stonewall Creek in 2004 and began searching for the best wine grapes for our micro-climate and soil. At an elevation of 2,100 feet, the soil is clay loam, enriched by minerals from mountain erosion over millions of years. As in France, they did not irrigate and their vision was to produce wines in the old-world style. The first French vinifera vines were planted in 2005 near Glassy Mountain and now include 3,000 vines – Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Tannat and Petit Manseng.
In 2010, Carl’s friend Mark Diehl, discovered that his friends were planting grapes in northeast Georgia. Mark and his wife Sandi, who had her own family history of winemaking to add to the story, made road trips to help the Flacklers plant vines in the spring and harvest the grapes in the fall as their vineyard grew. Mark and Carl shared a common medical background as orthopedic surgeons, initially meeting back in 1982 while Mark was an orthopedic resident, and Carl was an assistant professor, clinical faculty at Emory University. Over the years, Mark began to learn from Carl how to take meticulous care of a vineyard, which is the first step in making good wine.
The Diehl’s hobby became a passion and they dreamed about what it would be like to have their own vineyard and winery and market wine commercially. They traveled to Italy, France and California to learn more about wine and viticulture and earned Wine Judge Certifications from the American Wine Society in 2016. In 2019 both Mark and Sandi passed the CSW exam making them Certified Specialists of Wine.
As Carl and Carla began thinking about scaling back from the work and responsibilities of operating a vineyard and winery, the Diehl’s, were fortunate to have the opportunity to turn their passion for wine into a new venture. They founded a quality vineyard and winery operation and are excited to keep growing and adding to the legacy. Today, they are living their dream that started as a hobby, became a passion, and now a reality at Stonewall Creek Vineyards. As owners and vintners, Mark and Sandi share their passion and knowledge of wine with others at the vineyard. They strive to make exceptionally good, perfectly balanced wines for all to enjoy in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains.
Business Information
Mark & Sandi Deihl, owners
323 Standing Deer Lane
Tiger, GA 30576
706-212-0584
