Raising the Bar for Georgia Wine
After tasting wines across six continents, I returned to Château Élan to see how Georgia's flagship winery is redefining what Southern wine can be.
Twenty-five years ago, I walked into Château Élan Winery & Resort as a curious college student. At the time, Georgia wine was more of a novelty than a destination, and I remember being fascinated that a French-inspired château and winery existed just outside Atlanta. I knew little about wine then, but I knew I had discovered someplace special.
Stay, drink and unwind at a French Chateau.
Fast forward a quarter century, and I’ve had the privilege of touring vineyards and tasting wines from Napa to New Zealand, interviewing winemakers and writing about wine regions around the world. Returning to Château Élan this summer, I came with a far more discerning palate and left with a new appreciation for Georgia wine.
Chateau Elan produces over 30 kinds of wines.
The vineyards are still as picturesque as ever, stretching across the rolling hills of Braselton, but the winery itself has evolved into something far more ambitious. Since opening in 1981 as one of Georgia’s first destination wineries, Château Élan has grown into a 3,500-acre luxury resort with vineyards, championship golf, a world-class spa, multiple restaurants and one of the state’s most influential wineries. Yet the most exciting transformation is happening behind the scenes, where Georgia’s wine identity is being rewritten.
A Global Winemaker, A Local Grape
To understand where Georgia wine is headed, I spoke with the resort’s Italian-born winemaker Simone Bergese.
When Bergese arrived from Italy, he wasn’t interested in recreating the wines of Tuscany or Piedmont. Instead, he embraced Georgia’s identity. Rather than dismiss muscadine as the sweet, rustic grape many associate with Southern wine, he saw opportunity. “It’s the grape of this territory,” he says. “Why ignore it?” That philosophy is changing perceptions of Georgia wine.
Escape to the French countryside just minutes outside Atlanta.
This grape was long misunderstood by wine drinkers. Ask around, and you’ll still hear the same assumption that muscadine equals sweet wine. But Bergese challenged that idea and found that in reality, the grape is naturally fermented dry, and sweetness is simply a stylistic choice made after fermentation. Bergese often compares it to Moscato in Italy: aromatic, approachable, and commercially successful because of, not despite, its sweetness. Muscadine, he argues, lives in a similar sensory space.
Sweet Success
Rent a private wine Bungalow.
Today, muscadine accounts for nearly 70% of Château Élan’s production, but it is no longer confined to syrupy sweet bottles. Bergese has developed several muscadine expressions, crafting wines that are crisp, dry, structured, sparkling, and even fortified. His Bianco American Reserva, a white port-style dessert wine that blends chardonnay and muscadine, earned recognition at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, while other Château Élan wines have collected medals at national competitions.
Under Bergese’s leadership, Château Élan now produces nearly 50,000 cases annually, making it the state’s largest producer of wine made from Georgia-grown grapes. More importantly, his work reflects a broader trend: Georgia is attracting internationally trained winemakers who are helping define a distinctly Southern style rather than imitating Europe or California.
Southern Hospitality
Unlike many wineries where you feel rushed through tastings, at Château Élan you will feel a slower pace. You are in the South, after all! The pours are generous and flexible, allowing you to sample wines throughout your stay rather than squeezing everything into a single appointment. Guided winery tours and curated flights offer a deeper understanding of Georgia viticulture, while vineyard views invite you to linger over another glass.
Take your time at the tasting room.
You can book a personal Wine Bungalow nestled among the vines, join a chef-and-winemaker dinner, and hobnob with other wine patrons at seasonal celebrations. The winery is hosting its 28th Annual Vineyard Fest September 19 and 20, bringing together live music, local food, artisan vendors and new wine releases that celebrate Georgia’s agricultural heritage.
