Just an easy three-hour drive from Charlotte, there sits an expansive award-winning Georgia winery and resort modeled after an elegant French country estate.
This was news to me when I visited the rolling foothills of North Georgia to see Chateau Elan. Driving onto the property, the verdant vineyards stand in striking contrast to the otherwise unassuming small town of Braselton. The statement-making, centrally located winery is the first thing to greet you as you arrive. Furthermore,the rest of the property, which includes several restaurants, an inn, golf course, and a spa, spreads across 3,500 acres of lush countryside and pinewood forests.
After checking into the inn, just a few hundred feet away from the winery, I first made my way to an early dinner at the hotel’s expansive, greenery-dotted glass-top atrium restaurant, Versailles. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus an afternoon tea service, are all served here daily. Throughout the resort, there are four more chef-driven restaurant concepts. Plus there’s a speakeasy, bourbon bar, café and coffee shop, and poolside mixology.
The inn houses 290 generously-sized guestrooms, and provides direct access to the pool and fitness center. For larger parties, there are two and three-bedroom suites available as well.
In each restaurant and bar on property, you will find options to sample and sip Elan’s wine. Founders Don and Nancy Panoz started the program. They produce 30 wines from grapes grown in Braselton and south of Georgia. Plus, they use grapes hand-picked and transported, whole cluster, in refrigerated trucks from California’s Lake County and Clarksburg regions. According to the winery’s lore, it was by adding in winemaker Simone Bergese, who embraced the native muscadine grape and expanded the wine program, that the winery was able to elevate to its current status as the largest wine producer in Georgia.
Secret to Success
Originally from Ceresole d’Alba, Italy, Bergese has degrees in Oenology and Viticulture. She worked across three continents and was Chief Winemaker at prestigious wineries in Italy, Australia and stateside. Since his tenure at Chateau Elan, they’ve won over 300 awards at wine competitions worldwide.
When you visit the large winery, there are several options to enjoy, including tailored tastings, tours, and private experiences. Tastings include a “sommelier choice” where the entire wine portfolio is paired with four chef’s choice of tapas. Or, there’s the “sweet samples” with a selection of four 1.5 ounce pours paired with Italianmade ‘Venchi’ chocolates. After you order a glass or complete your tasting, stroll through the vineyards or recline into a hammock for a pretty stellar view of the sunset.
Georgia Winery for Those Near and Afar
Though I was traveling solo, it was quickly evident that many people were traveling in larger groups. Or they were locals with memberships. Chateau Elan is especially well set up for group weekend getaways, weddings, or corporate retreats simply based on its sheer size and ability to accommodate celebrations and gatherings of all kinds.
Tucked in the North Georgia countryside, the Spa at Chateau Elan is a serene and inviting sanctuary where innovative spa treatments, one-of-a-kind scent journey, indoor and outdoor fitness classes, and mindful dining come together in the pursuit of total relaxation.
