MT. AIRY, Ga. — The Mt. Airy Town Council unanimously approved a new farm winery ordinance Tuesday night and set the annual license fee at $750 following extended discussion over how much to charge local producers.
Council members approved the ordinance on its second and final reading without objection before turning to the separate issue of establishing a farm winery license fee.
Mayor Adam Tullis told the council that staff had recommended a fee ranging from $1,500 to $2,000, noting that license costs vary widely across the region. He said Cornelia charges $750, Blairsville $1,500, Helen $650, and Hall County $2,000 for similar licenses.
Councilman Patrick Ledford said a lower fee was more appropriate for a municipality like Mt. Airy, suggesting a range between $500 and $800 based on nearby cities.
Sweet Acre Farms owner Matt Vrahiotes addressed the council during the discussion, urging members to keep the fee as low as possible as he prepares to launch his operation.
“I’m obviously biased,” Vrahiotes said. “I would definitely say do as cheap as possible, only because I’ve got a lot of expenses when it comes to it. I’m in no matter what, I have to pay whatever you guys say, but $1,500 would be a lot.”
Vrahiotes also argued that higher fees in other jurisdictions often come with broader privileges, such as operating tasting rooms and selling wine on-site — activities not permitted under Mt. Airy’s new license.
“The other point that I’ll make is you guys are limiting our inability to sell wine in there,” he said. “So $1,500 to $2,000, if it’s a full-fledged tasting room and we’re allowed to do everything. What you guys are saying is we’re just doing manufacturing here.”
Councilman Mike McCoy ultimately brokered a compromise, proposing a lower initial fee to help the business get established.
“I say we charge him a little less than the average his first year and give him a chance to get on his feet,” McCoy said.
McCoy then made a motion to set the farm winery license fee at $750 annually. The motion passed unanimously.
Following the meeting, Vrahiotes told Now Habersham he was encouraged by the council’s decision and what it means for restarting his business after last year’s fire.
“I’m very, very excited,” he said. “It’s funny — it’s the anniversary of our fire next Thursday. The fact that we were able to get the ball rolling again in less than a year is really nice.”
Vrahiotes said production in Mt. Airy is still several months away as he works through site preparation and regulatory approvals at the federal, state and local levels.
“The next step is getting the space we’re hoping to use cleared out and cleaned up,” he said. “Then we have to go to the federal government, then here, then the state. So we’re still looking at several months before we’re able to get up and going. And once you’re up and going, you’ve got to make wine — unfortunately, wine isn’t like beer. It takes more time.”
He added that Sweet Acre Farms is continuing efforts to establish its tasting room in Cornelia, a separate project from the manufacturing operation approved in Mt. Airy.
Mayor Tullis said he expects the immediate impact of the farm winery ordinance to be limited but noted it fits into the town’s broader approach to alcohol regulation.
“Alcohol ordinances in Mt. Airy have been good to keep the taxes low,” Tullis told Now Habersham. “The farm winery license is just another opportunity to collect some revenue from alcohol sales.”
The ordinance establishes a regulatory framework for farm wineries operating within the town limits, with the license fee taking effect immediately.
