Jul 13, 20203 min read

Staying Local: Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Updated: Jan 4, 2023

Most people do not equate the state of Georgia with winemaking but, there are a handful of decent wineries in my home state. Primarily, the larger vineyards are in northern Georgia. In the current world of COVID-19 and, as a result, all my large vacations for this year being canceled, I have decided to shift my focus to exploring more local gems that are nearby. This weekend, I decided to drive just 40 minutes north of Atlanta to Braselton, GA – home of Chateau Elan Winery and Resort.

Chateau Elan is a 3500-acre resort and winery located in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains. The resort campus is a mixture of European luxury mingled with Southern flair. The buildings are styled after 16th century France. Upon driving into the property, you forget that you are in Georgia because you’re driving through a vineyard and looking at buildings that make you think you’re about to visit a French nobleman’s country estate!

This is the view as you’re driving up towards the winery. Photo taken by Ronda Wright.

The entire resort campus includes a working winery house, a separate spa house that includes treatment rooms, guest suites, and a restaurant, an inn with just under 300 guest rooms, and seven restaurants that offer a wide variety of food choices.

There is also a 63-hole golf course, racquetball, and tennis courts, walking trails, and several on-site experiences like cooking and paint and sip classes. This resort offers many options for those that want time away from the city and a place to relax. It was the perfect place for me to break away and have some much-needed mental rejuvenation.

These were some of my favorite things to do during my getaway weekend:

Walk Through the Vineyard

I absolutely love the openness of the actual vineyard. The grapes grown here are muscadine. The winery offers whites, reds, and sweet wines in their wine store. Guests are free to walk through the vineyard at their leisure and take in the grape-growing process up close and personal.

I took a walk through the vineyard everyday while visiting.

The muscadine grapes were plentiful as you walk through the winery. Photo taken by Ronda Wright.

Wine Tasting

The winery at Chateau Elan offers a tasting and tour as well as two different tasting flights that you can purchase. I chose the Classic Flight. You are given a menu of 21 available wines that include reserve whites, reds, and lots of sweeter selections. Because of social distancing, there can be no crowding in the tasting room; so, you have the option of relaxing on the patio or on the lawn which includes lounge chairs and other seating areas. Seven wine pours were a great way to start my evening 😉

The wines were incredibly good – you will particularly love them if you are a sweet wine drinker.

There are two flight options to choose from and the Classic was enough for me! Photo taken by Ronda Wright.

The Spa

I have had quite a bit of anxiety and stress lately with the current state of things in our world. So, relaxing at the spa was something that I really needed…and oh by the way, I’m a spa girl! This spa was one of the most serene that I have visited. It allows for day and overnight guests and overlooks a large green lawn that backs up to a small pond. It was such a beautiful place to escape the realities of the world.

The massage and treatment menus were expansive with lots of options that would meet most people’s spa needs.

I opted for a hot stone massage and enjoyed every minute of it! I followed my massage up with brunch in Fleur-de-Lis and continued to enjoy the tranquil setting. The waiting and holding areas were also very spacious so it accommodates well for a group that is planning a spa day.

The lounge inside the women’s dressing area had a vibe on its own. Photo taken by Ronda Wright.

Overall, Chateau Elan proved to be the perfect place for me to do a mini-vacation in a place that allowed me to get the mental rejuvenation that I needed while still maintaining some social isolation from large crowds. I highly recommend this location for great wine, great food, and chill vibes.