From the beautiful long driveway to the gorgeous green, Chateau Elan Winery is a place to die for on any wine lover’s bucket list. The beautiful winery and resort show the North Georgia area’s beauty, surrounded by trees, greenery, and wine grapes. A stunning get away from the city of Atlanta to something more quiet and peaceful for a staycation.
As a stay at home vacation, I visited Chateau Elan during one of the most beautiful Christmas and Hanukkah season. From the moment I walked in, the service and decor were excellent. All staff members were friendly and masked for COVID. From the moment I checked in, I knew I was in good hands with the available hand sanitizer, masks, and shields that the staff had in place. Plus, for all guests, masks are mandatory for the safety of themselves and the staff.
The Inn
At Chateau Elan Winert, I stayed at the Inn in a Deluxe Double room with a friend. It was the perfect girl’s trip to relax, drink some wine and enjoy the environment—two queen-sized beds for each of us with a gorgeous bathroom that had a shower and a bathtub. I was living in heaven with a cloud-like bed. Along with the room, there is a beautiful desk, tv, and nightstand to charge your devices. It was perfect for my friend who needs to finish some work before our full vacation.
The best part about this experience was that I could trust that my room was safe. All cleaned rooms are sealed with a sticker and later broken once you walk in. However, there is not a regular cleaning service available due to COVID.
Dining
If you have followed me on Instagram, I am a lover of trying new places and fine dining. One of the most beautiful restaurants I have seen is the Versailles Restaurant. The decor from the marble round table, the beautiful plating, and the helpful staff make it a great place to dine. I love to head to this restaurant during the dinner hours because of how quiet it was, the beautiful music, and one on one service.
One of my favorite dishes was the Seared Salmon with Grilled Asparagus, Lemon Caper Aioli, and Cauliflower Mashed. It was perfectly cooked where I do not need to cut it at all with a knife. I paired this dish with a glass of Chardonnay Reserve (14.3% alcohol). The Grilled Organic Chicken Breast with Mushroom Risotto, Haricot Vert, and Orange Glaze is terrific, too, with a Pinot Grigio Reserve. I recommend these dishes and try a cup of Soup du Jour as a starter. For dessert, I recommend the Chocolate Mousse with whipped cream and raspberry.
If you are interested in a pub, the Louis’ House of Bourbon is a perfect place to experience this. Perfect for those who love sports, the pub has a feeling good environment like you are ready to play pool with your friends. One of the dishes that I got here was the Grilled Angus Beef Burger with wedge fries. It was a feel-good meal that eased my craving for red meat.
Winery Tour
Later, I had the opportunity to visit behind the scenes where they produce their wine. Chateau Elan Winery was created in 1981 by Don & Nancy Panoz. Together with their exclusive Italian winemaker, Simone Bergese, the winery produces over half a million wine bottles a year. This winery focuses on Muscadine grapes, which are native to Georgia and have two types, white (Carlos) and red (Noble). For the lovers of classic types of wine, don’t worry. Chateau Elan Winery works with other vineyards in California and overseas to farm their particular grapes and later ship them back to Georgia to produce their wine.
It was an excellent opportunity to see where the wine is made and explore where they age their wines in barrels. The best part of this tour was the chance to see the workers bottle their white wines. It made me realize how much experimentation and work takes place in one of my favorite drinks. From watching how they worked to make the wine from grape to bottling, I appreciate an eye-opening experience as a take a sip of wine.
After the tour, I purchased a beautiful 2018 Pinot Noir Reserve bottle to take home with me. It’s a beautiful red that is fruity and aged in a French oak barrel. It has 14.5% alcohol for 750 ml that I enjoy as an excellent dinner wine. Sweet as the beautiful winery and strong as its workers.