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ERIC SEIFARTH
A native of Atlanta, Eric spent much of his early life traveling the world with his father and family as part of the U.S. State Department.
Finishing up his final high school years in Atlanta he went on to West Point and began a career as an U.S. army officer. A significant
portion of his military career was spent in Northern Italy. It was there that he developed his appreciation of the art of wine making
and the life style of winegrowing in three of the four major Italian wine regions: Tuscany, Veneto and the Friuli. Upon retirement Eric
settled back in his native Georgia and moved to the North Georgia Mountains to embark on a second career.
Much of Eric's attitude toward wine is Italian in its source versus the more formal and rigid French outlook. In Italy wine is not the
star but a supporting player in the great "dolce vita". This attitude is adopted at Crane Creek Vineyards where we all,
including Eric, invite you to kick your feet up and lift a glass to "la dolce vita!"
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DEANNE SEIFARTH
Born in California and raised in Iowa, Eric's wife DeAnne is a practicing veterinarian in Blairsville, Georgia. She met and married
Eric while serving as a veterinarian in the army.
Eric and DeAnne lived in Italy for many years while in the army. Their first son was born there. Their second son was born in Atlanta
2 years later after they moved back to the States. In 1995, they bought the farmland that is now the vineyards. They also purchased
DeAnne's practice that same year.
DeAnne, owner of Blairsville Animal Hospital, is a full-time veterinarian and mother to their 2 growing boys. She helps out at Crane Creek when she can, acting as the buyer for the tasting room retail shop. She enjoys collecting folk art and likes the idea of taking the mystique out of both wine and art.
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RUSSELL SHANNON
Russell, our vineyard manager, was born in Augusta, Georgia and now lives in Young Harris. He has been with Crane Creek since the summer
of 2003.
When Russell is not busy tending to the vines, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family. He also likes to bike ride on the
many trails in the North Georgia area.
His favorite time of year at the vineyards is harvest time. "It's when the mornings start to cool down and the vineyards are so thick
with fog from the ponds that you can't even see any of the vines. It is satisfying to see all the half-ton bins on the crush pad packed
full of fresh grapes. Meeting new grape-pickers and seeing returning pickers is nice. Smelling the first batch of freshly pressed fruit
flowing into the bucket, all the late nights on the crush pad pressing out the grapes just talking about whatever - those are the things
that I like most about working at Crane Creek Vineyards."
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DAVID SANFORD
A lifelong resident of Georgia and graduate of Georgia Southern University, David brings culinary skill and warm hospitality to Crane
Creek. After pursuing a business career that exposed him to cuisine from around the world, he took off his tie and decided to follow
his true passion: cooking. He owned and operated his own boutique catering business in Atlanta for 15 years. Here at Crane Creek
Vineyards he is able to combine his love of food and wine while providing memorable experiences for our visitors and guests. Wine
tastings, weddings, and special dinners are the perfect way to experience David's culinary talents.
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MATTHEW MATTESON
Matt is our cellar rat, responsible for assisting the wine maker and the overall efficiency of the winery. He was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, and grew up in Pensacola, Florida. When he turned 18, he joined the Navy and served for eight years, traveling around the world. He lived in Greece for three years working for the Department of Defense as a federal firefighter and in Spain for over thirteen years. He acquired his love for wine while living in Spain, where he was able to experience the many different wines of the Mediterranean regions. He loves to travel and enjoys spending time with his family. He moved to Young Harris two years ago from Atlanta and feels himself at home here in the beautiful Georgia mountains.
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OLIVER SISTERS
Maggie Oliver and Grace Howard are sisters whose family can be traced back five generations in Towns County. Because of this heritage,
they bring a local perspective to the vineyard with their knowledge of the area. They are both "corporate escapees" and use
their individual but considerable expertise to make every customer visit a positive one. As an RN, Maggie was responsible for quality
assurance and risk management in a health care environment; her customer service orientation was and is a key to her success. She
acquired her retail wine and sales experience when she opened a wine shop in Hiawassee and later, the first local tasting room. Grace
owned her own business consulting practice which specialized in management training, leadership development, and executive coaching
in Fortune 500 companies. Her retail experience was acquired as a volunteer in the gift shop at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Maggie
and Grace support the notion that fun and laughter are truly "the wine of life" and incorporate this into their work. Crane
Creek Vineyards is lucky to have them both on our team!
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JACKY FORTIER
Aside from a warm and welcoming smile, Jacky Fortier offers Crane Creek a diverse background in wine, gourmet food and food service. Jacky’s vast interests, beyond wine and food, also include her love of animals, especially her 5 cats and hockey.
Originally from Windsor, Ontario Canada, the Molson Canadian Girl lived in Plantation Acres, Florida for 20 years. It was in Florida that she gained an enhanced appreciation for wine and food.
Jacky relocated to the North Georgia Mountains in 2005 to enjoy the more laid back atmosphere that Blairsville has to offer. Jacky has been an integral employee with Crane Creek since 2007, working in the tasting room, Café Crane Creek, special events and conducting wine classes on the first Wednesday of every month for "Wine 4 Women".
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CRAIG CASTLE
Craig was born in Dayton, Ohio and has lived all over the world in places
like Montreal, Scandinavia, British Columbia, and St. Augustine, Florida. He
kept a studio in Munich for many years while traveling throughout Europe
painting for exhibitions in Germany.
He now makes his home in the North Georgia Mountains where it reminds him of
his childhood in Southern Ohio. Craig works with us part-time, and when he
is not working at Crane Creek he spends the most of his free-time on his art
work. He enjoys painting the various landscapes and aspects of viniculture
here at Crane Creek.
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