Interview by Abernathy Cochran Real Estate Group Realtor Ricky Lewallen
Meet Matthew Vrahoites! Matt and his wife Lindsey own Sweet Acre Farms, the only winery in Hall County. The couple opened the winery in 2016 and this weekend will celebrate the anniversary with a party at the winery. There will be food trucks, live music, wine specials, cornhole and more from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 2.
Matt has lived and worked in Hall County since 2009 and met his wife on a blind date in college. The couple has one daughter with another baby on the way.
“We met on a blind date on Valentines Day 2007. She asked me out and we went to Austin’s Steakhouse in Valdosta,” he said. “When we met in college we quickly realized how well we worked together.”
Working well together and wanting to own a business is what inspired the couple to open Sweet Acre Farms which specializes in fruit wines.
“We grow blackberries and blueberries and the other fruit we try to source from Georgia farms. Lemons don’t grow in Georgia…our peaches and nectarines all come from Jaemor Farms.”
We want to thank Matt for spending some time with us recently and telling us more about his life and love of Hall County.
Question: What inspired you to open your own winery?
Answer: “The inspiration wasn’t to own our own winery but to own our own business. When we met in college we quickly realized how well we worked together. So, we worked a lot of different avenues and we settled here.”
Q: What is something you feel is unique about your wine?
A: “We specialize in fruit wine, we just don’t make it from your traditional grape. So, we do a dry blueberry, a sweet nectarine…and we do lemon wines. That’s another one of our specialties and it drinks like lemonade.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person that you have met in Hall County?
A: “Morgan House, he was Olympic kayaker, he’s a buddy of mine down the road. Now he works for the National Rowing Association. I’d also say Jimmy Echols at Jaemor Farms, when I think of Hall County I think of him.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
A: “I have a twin brother and he spent a lot of time in Africa and I think going from the top of Africa to the southern end would be neat.”
Q: What is your favorite movie or the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? 
A: “My dad took my brother and I to see the original ‘Batman’ movie. I remember going to it and at the end my dad asking if we wanted to watch another movie and we sat in the theater and watched the next movie.”
Q: If you could give a crowd of people a piece of advice, what would it be?
A: “Don’t be afraid of the word work. I think a lot of people when they hear it, think of a four letter word in a negative way.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I would really like to fix up a hot rod. To learn how to take an old car and restore one.”
Q: What is are your favorite bands?
A: “I’m really into traditional country music, growing up my favorite band was the Foo Fighters and Jack Johnson but the best concert I’ve been to has to be the Eagles and Weird Al…my wife and I have seen him three times in concert.”
Q: What former local business in Hall County, makes you feel the most nostalgic?
A: “Longstreet, every time I go in I look around and you see all the local guys that are there and they range in age from youngsters to the old timers, you can tell the guys sitting there have been coming there for years and years.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County?
A: “Alpha Gyro, I love that place. I’m Greek and when I go there I try all the great food and I’m so proud of them. Every time I go in there, they are swamped.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “I really like how diverse the county is, you’ve got your metropolitan, your country, you can pretty much do anything you want in Hall County, without having to go anywhere else but then if you want to, you’ve got the lake and even the beach isn’t that far.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five to 10 years?
A: “Here at the winery. I see us becoming more diverse, as far as our product line but to be honest, if I could fast forward, I wouldn’t do anything different. I’m the happiest I’ve been in my life…I have a one and half year old, another one on the way, a beautiful wife…I don’t think it could get any better than this.”
Q: What three words mean HOME to you?
A: “Having my daughter and wife at home.”
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.