STONECREST, Ga. — “This vineyard is not just a vineyard, we are a treasure,” Hakemia Jackson said.
Nestled among the well-manicured cul-de-sacs of Stonecrest…sits a hidden gem… of sorts. A gleaming vineyard ripe with history, Black History to be exact.
“When did you purchase this land? Channel 2 Action News Audrey Washington asked vineyard owner Tim Starks.
“About 30 years ago,” he responded. Meet Starks, the owner of the Arabia Mountain Vineyard.
He says he first grew trees on this land, then after a trip to Napa Valley, he decided that he would try his hands at growing a vineyard.
Starks, born and raised in Georgia, tells Washington he grew up seeing people farm, so he learned the skill as well. As you listen to him speak, his respect for the soil and its harvest are clear.
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“I developed a passion for the outdoors, I developed a passion for growing and I’ve embraced that passion,” he said.
Tim says having this vineyard is so important because many years ago Black people worked this land, now a Black man owns it.
“This is what we used to do. It is not only picking cotton or rice in those Savannah regions it was grapes. We grew grapes,” he said.
Tim and his family say breaking into the wine business was not easy, but worth it. They tell me agriculture is in their DNA.
“We are walking in the footprints of our ancestors, cultivators of the land,” Jackson said.
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According to the Association of African American Vintners, there are fewer than 1 percent of Black owned wineries in the United States. The AAAV states that the main challenge for Black winemakers is simply getting noticed in an industry that is overwhelmingly white.
That is why Starks says what he and his family are doing here in Georgia is so important; maybe even revolutionary.
“We are standing at a place that’s not just about history, but we’re currently making present day history,” Jackson said.
“It’s a matter of community,” according to Starks.
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This year, he hopes to produce the vineyards’ first line of wines.
He has done smaller collaborations before, but this time Starks says a sister vineyard will help with the larger production.
“Hopefully if all goes well, it’ll be an exciting time,” he said. “God told me you’ve got this, I gave it to you, make it productive.”
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