The Nashville Wine Duo visit Chateau Elan Winery and Resort in Braselton, GA

We had the pleasure to visit Chateau Elan Winery and resort in May of 2020 and let us just say we were blown away! Now many people think wine and they do not think of Georgia, we are here to break that stigma and let everyone know that great wine can come from places you wouldn’t normally expect like Braselton, GA which is where this gorgeous 3,500 acre award winning luxury resort and winery is located.

Chateau Elan first opened to the public in 1985 and in 2019 underwent a $25 million dollar renovation. We had never previously visited Chateau Elan prior to May 2020 so we did not really know what to expect but in person, the winery and resort are breathtaking. We stayed on site at the Inn while we were there, side note how clever and convenient to have a resort on site within walking distance of the tasting room? You can also buy bottles and take them wherever you want on the grounds to drink and for photo opportunities. If you are drinking throughout the day or late into the evening there is no need to worry about driving anywhere or catching an uber. You can eat, drink, walk all over the resort and then just head back to your room whenever you want. The Inn is lovely! Upon entrance, you are met by a warm fireplace and a friendly greeting from the hotel staff. As we walked towards our room, the inn opens up to a huge 40,000 sq. ft indoor and Atrium, with large bar, restaurants, and plenty of seating areas to sit back and drink some wine.

We first found out about Chateau Elan from Simone the winemaker. Simone was kind enough to send us a few bottles to taste and review. We love Pinot Noir and one night we opened a bottle that he sent us, at first sip we both looked at each other in amazement and said “Wow, this wine is incredible.” We messaged Simone to tell him how much we loved the wine and he said you should come visit some time, and we did, the next week! Simone took us on a wine journey at Chateau Elan Winery, this man is an innovator within the wine industry that cares about terroir and he is perfecting muscadine wine in Georgia. Normally this grape runs wild all over the south east of America and people make wine at home with it. Simone is doing something special with muscadine that no one is doing. Many wine makers or people in the wine world would not take a chance with this grape because of the stigma surrounding it. Some feel it is too overly sweet on the taste or think how could someone refine a wine that most people just make at home? Guess what? If done right this grape Is fantastic! Chateau Elan’s Muscadine has a refined sweetness that is delightful to drink. Simone insists on sustainable farming at Chateau Elan wines and when it comes to growing the grapes, he uses no pesticides, this wine is almost completely organic with minimal to zero sulfites depending on the wine. Chateau Elan Winery carries many wine varieties besides muscadine. Simone has grapes brought in from California to make merlots, cabs, blends, he also has Moscato D ‘Asti and Dolce Rosso that are incredible that he makes imported from Italy that you can only purchase on site at Chateau Elan. Basically, this winery covers it all when it comes to wine and these wines are fantastic!

We highly recommend visiting Chateau Elan Winery and Resort and schedule a wine tasting! The staff there is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable when talking about the wine, everyone that works there really has a heart for the people and the wine. In the tasting room, you can also enjoy a delicious meal at Marc bar and restaurant, which we were able to try and it was great. We kept talking after we went home about how wonderful it is to visit a winery that really has the whole package. If you stay at the Inn, you can enjoy the gorgeous resort for an extended vacation and check out the countless ways you can relax and unwind with wine! The winery itself is open to the general public so even if you just want to pop in for some wine and take some awesome pics around vineyards you can do that as well.

All that to say, we love this place! This visit made us fall in love with wine even more than we already were which saying is a lot! Thank you to Simone the winemaker and everyone else we met John the vineyard manager, Blessy the tasting manager and Matias the sommelier who talked Mameli and Italian wines. You all made this an experience we will never forget. It is just a four hour drive from Nashville and you can guarantee we will be back on the regular!