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Château Élan is the Most-Awarded Winery on the East Coast

Château Élan, located in Braselton, Georgia, is the most-awarded winery on the East Coast. Recently, I was invited to a tour and wine tasting at the winery. Although Georgia is not typically known for producing wine, Château Élan is changing people's perception of wine produced in the Southeast.

Despite living in Georgia for over 20 years, I had never visited the winery and resort before. To be honest, I originally thought I would not like the wine due to its high sugar content. Wines produced in Georgia are mostly made from muscadine grapes, which are known for their sweetness. I prefer dry wine over sweet wine, so I was hesitant to try it.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Château Élan produces a variety of wines, including Muscadine varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and various blends. This made me excited to try the wine during the tour and tasting.

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Photo credit: Chateau Elan Winery and Resort

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Château Élan Duncan Creek

The wines we tried:

Château Élan Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Château Élan Chardonnay Reserve
Château Élan Duncan Creek
Château Élan Brut Reserve
Château Élan “Nancy”
Château Élan Pinot Noir Reserve 

Château Élan Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Château Élan  Les Petits
Château Élan Dolce Rosso
Château Élan Port Reserve

Wine Favorites

I truly enjoyed all of the wines. However, my top three choices in no particular order are:

Château Élan Chardonnay
If you are looking for a smooth, fruity, oaky chardonnay – this one is worth a try.

Château Élan “Nancy”
Nancy is the first addition of super premium white wine to their “Fingerprint” collection. It is the most elegant wine yet created by Simone Bergese and it is named after Château Élan founder Dr. Nancy Panoz. It is dry with a slightly fruity taste.

Château Élan Les Petits
If you love bold red wines – this one is the one for you.  A blend of Petit Verdot and Petit Syrah. It is a deliciously rich and textured wine.

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Photo credit: Château Élan

Château Élan Wine Box Subscription

Château Élan just announced their new Chateau Elan Wine Box pick-up subscription experience for wine lovers who live within 50 miles of the most-awarded winery on the East Coast. 

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Simone Bergese

Simone Bergese

Simone Bergese is the Executive Winemaker and Director of Winery Operations for Château Élan Winery & Resort. Simone is originally from Alba, Italy, and holds a degree in Oenology and Viticulture from the Turin University in Northern Italy.  Simone has worked as Assistant Winemaker and Chief Winemaker for several wineries across Italy, Australia, and the United States before joining Château Élan Winery & Resort in 2013.

Upon Simone's arrival, he directed a complete overhaul of the Estate Vineyard.  The winery had been struggling to keep the grape vines they were growing in peak condition. At Simone's direction, all of the vinifera vines and other vines that were deemed unworthy were removed from the vineyard and replaced with muscadine vines that are unique to the Georgia climate. 

Château Élan produces all of their wines at the winery. In addition to the grapes grown in their vineyard, they source and transport grape varieties from top vineyards in California. 

Simone also infused specific winemaking techniques at the winery that he honed over his 20 years of winemaking across the world.  Since joining Château Élan in 2013, his wines have won over 150 awards at prestigious wine competitions and he has brought the wine offerings to over 20 styles of wines.

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Photo credit: Château Élan

The Ultimate Destination

Château Élan is an ideal destination for weddings and meetings. The property boasts four ballrooms, 12 conference rooms, and an auditorium. In addition to the winery, guests can also enjoy the golf course, tennis courts, and a full-service spa. The resort provides an array of amenities and guests have access to seven restaurants offering a variety of cuisines, from French to traditional Irish pub fare. The guest rooms are designed to emulate the French country estate style, making for a luxurious experience.

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Photo credit: Château Élan


Chateau Elan

About Château Élan Winery & Resort

Donald and Nancy Panoz are the visionaries and founders of Château Élan in Braselton, Ga., USA. The luxurious resort is the first winery of its kind in the region since Prohibition. With numerous expansions over the past 14 years, Château Élan is now an award-winning winery and resort with an inn, conference center, four golf courses, eight restaurants, a European-style health spa, residential community, wine market, equestrian show center, and tennis center.

Come on out and experience for yourself the place where European Luxury meets southern hospitality!

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We hope that you loved this “Château Élan is the Most-Awarded Winery on the East Coast” post.

We were hosted by Château Élan Winery & Resort and not compensated to write this post.
As always, the views expressed in my post are my own.


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