Firefighters battle winery fire in northeastern Hall County

The owner of Sweet Acre Farm Winery say the dreams of running Hall County’s first post-Prohibition winery turned into ashes on Wednesday.

Fire engulfed the building located off Bill Wilson Road in northeastern Hall County despite the best efforts by firefighters.

Sweet Acre Farm Winery fire

What we know:

The fire was located at 7584 Bill Wilson Road in Alto, the address of Sweet Acre Farms Winery, which is known as Hall County's first winery.

Hall County Fire and Rescue responded to the call, but upon arrival, the fire was already fully involved. With assistance from the Habersham Fire Department, crews pumped water to the scene from a hydrant located a mile and a half away.

"Since it was fully involved when we arrived on scene, we were already at a huge disadvantage water-wise," said Kimberlie Ledsinger with Hall County Fire.

No one was reported injured in the fire.

What we don't know:

At this time, the cause of the fire remains unknown, and it is unclear if anyone was present when the fire started.

This is an ongoing investigation.

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Sweet Acre Farms Winery in Hall County

What they're saying:

When owner Matthew Vrahiotes arrived at the scene, his worst fears were confirmed.

"I got the call this morning from our neighbor," said Vrahiotes. "She said the back of the winery was on fire and [told me to] get out here as fast as I could."

The flames had already consumed much of the structure. Sweet Acre Farm Winery, a labor of love he built with his wife, was in ruins.

"We decided we wanted to open a winery together, and we did," Vrahiotes shared, reflecting on the dream that had been realized. "One of the things I think hurts the most is my hero is my father-in-law. His fingerprints are everywhere, and he passed away in May. It’s like missing a little bit more of him."

Vrahiotes remained resolute, however, determined to rebuild what had been lost. "I don’t think it’s a matter of not having a fire hydrant. It was just a matter of bad luck, I guess," he said.

With faith and resilience, Vrahiotes vowed to move forward. "God’s got a plan; we’ll figure it out," he said. "It’s gonna take some redoing, rebuilding, soul searching, discussion with my wife and I. A lot of prayers. We’re going to be okay."

Local perspective:

Sweet Acre Farm Winery, known for being the first winery in Hall County since Prohibition, has been a cherished part of the community. 

Despite the challenges, firefighters worked tirelessly to contain the blaze. Some on the scene were visibly emotional, having supported the winery as customers and now witnessing its destruction.

Timeline:

At 1:30 p.m., Bill Wilson Road was closed to traffic while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. The sheriff's office urged residents to avoid the area.

SKYFOX 5 flew over the fire at 3 p.m. It appeared to have caused a significant amount of damage to the establishment.

At 5:18 p.m., Bill Wilson Road reopened for travel.

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Hall County crews battled a large fire at Sweet Acre Farms Winery on Bill Wilson Road on Jan. 22, 2025.

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