Lunch with a VIP - Mary Ann Hardman, Persimmon Creek Vineyards
March 1, 2008
The Restaurant: Ritz-Carlton Atlanta
When it comes to creating the perfect vineyard, Mary Ann and Sonny Hardman are putting
Georgia on the map.
There's something you should know about the Persimmon Creek Vineyards (PCV) – it's a small
boutique winery that sits on 110 acres in Clayton, Ga., just outside of Athens. But there's more to
the story. The vineyard is helping put Georgia on the radar screen of wine connoisseurs and
restaurateurs around the world.
Persimmon Creek, which began as a labor of love by Dr. William "Sonny" Hardman, and wife,
Mary Ann, produces four varieties of wine – Riesling, Seyval
Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Merlot – that are served in more than 25 leading restaurants and hotels
in Atlanta and the Southeast, as well as San Francisco and New York. The vineyard, started in 2002,
now is in production for its fifth vintage of whites and fourth of reds, selling out each year.
Persimmon Creek is the only Georgia wine on the list at Quince, the San Francisco restaurant
owned by one of the world's most famous chefs, Michael Tusk – the same Michael Tusk who spent years
as the head chef at Chez Panisse, considered to be the world's finest restaurant. Tusk handpicked
the Persimmon wine.
Persimmon Creek was the only Georgia wine represented at the International Wine & Spirits
Fair in London, held earlier this year. PCV's booth actually was across the aisle from a
count from Austria. In addition, the PCV Riesling was the first Georgia wine to appear on Whole
Foods Market's summer top 10 wines list last year.
"When you drink wine from Persimmon Creek, you're drinking a story; you're drinking a
family; and you're drinking the love of the land it was created on," says Mary Ann, a former
kindergarten teacher who serves as co-owner, salesperson, marketer and distributor.
Mary Ann is well aware of the perception that people have about wine made in Georgia. Asked
her how she responds to those who view Georgia wine as an enigma and she'll tell you a wine should
not be judged on where it's made, but rather how it's cultivated.
During a recent Georgia frost, where the temperature dropped to around 33 degrees, Sonny
stayed up for five straight days to ensure the crop was not destroyed. And when a distributor from
Jekyll Island wanted an order delivered yesterday, Mary Ann and her three children loaded their
neighbor's five-seat Cessna and hand delivered the order. The neighbor is none other than WSB
Radio's Scott Slade.
The five-person Persimmon team is a do-it-all-ourselves operation, from laying down the
stakes, pruning the vines and picking the grapes, to topping the bottles, punching the corks, and
applying the labels and distribution.
Last year, PCV produced 2,000 bottles of wine. (The winery operates under strict green
parameters, including recycled by-products, biodiesel fuel and a wind machine.)
"We are not trying to be Napa Valley [or] Tuscany. We are who we are," she says.
And they're growing. Along with weekend wine tastings, PCV is opening its
first retail store, Persimmon on the Square, complete with a tasting room and bakery, in downtown
Clayton in May. The Hardmans also are building luxe cottages at the vineyard, which will be
available for rent, as well as a larger winery, both scheduled for completion this year.
Says Mary Ann, "In every call I make on local distributors, I tell them: ‘We want to grow
with you. We are locally owned and operated. What grows together; goes together.'"
– Michael J. Pallerino
About the restaurant
Stylish and comfortable, Atlanta Grill, located in the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, serves grilled
steaks, chops and seafood as well as Southern regional specialties in a
warm, club-like atmosphere. Live jazz entertainment adds a spirited ambiance five evenings each
week, while the veranda overlooks Peachtree Street. Inside, captivating murals and vintage
photographs depict early downtown life, political leaders and celebrities. The Ritz-Carlton,
Atlanta (Downtown)181 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-659-0400. Reservations 404-221-6550,
www.ritzcarlton.com