Opulence in the Deep South

A pastoral idyll

With its winery, championship golf courses, full spa, private residential community, equestrian show center, tennis center, restaurants and conference center ... gasp ... Château Élan Winery & Resort is the kind of place that will take your breath away. Although it's less than an hour from downtown Atlanta, it feels as if it belongs in another world: the pastoral, Impressionists' world of Southern France, to be precise.

The self-styled French Provincial resort was founded by pharmaceutical tycoons, Donald and Nancy Panoz, who became fascinated by Georgia's indigenous Muscadine grapes on a visit to their research lab in Gainesville. The result of their interest is this 3,500-acre estate that is now the flagship of the Château Élan hotel group. (Next on the Panoz's list of conquests: professional car racing, beginning with ownership of Panoz Motor Sports and the American Le Mans Series).

The regal presidential suite

The majority of accommodations are located in the Inn at Château Élan. This contemporary structure strives for a French country look with its pitch roof, wrought-iron details and cornice molding. It houses 277 deluxe guestrooms that include 20 standard suites, four hospitality suites and the 2,000-square-foot presidential suite. Many of the bedrooms are simple in style, with modest but pleasant traditional furnishings; high molded ceilings and shuttered windows add style. The higher the category, the more ornate the look, until you reach the Presidential Suite, which verges on regal without going over the top. Guests can also stay in the two- and three-bedroom Château Golf Villas on the 15th fairway of The Château Course, Spa Suites and The Lodge (a Holiday Inn Express affiliate across the street, offering access to resort amenities).

The Château Élan Winery

While all of the facilities here are notable, it's The Château Élan Winery that stands out. Modeled after a 16th century French castle, the winery's French provincial scheme really works. The 200 gorgeous acres of vineyards make it easy to forget that you're in the land of cotton. They are planted with Vitis Vinifera varieties and French-American hybrids, which are harvested with methods adapted to suit the local climate. Among signature Georgian bottlings using native Muscadine grapes are Autumn Blush, Spring Blossom and Duncan Creek.

The winery ages, bottles and labels its own wines—for fun, have them customize a label for holiday gifts or your next party—and complimentary tours and tastings are offered daily, except on Christmas. The winery also houses The Wine Market and The Art Gallery, displaying works of regional and national artists, and it's the site of annual events such as Vineyard Fest and a summer concert series, Swinging on the Grapevine.

The Woodlands Course

Another big draw, along with the grapes, are two 18-hole, championship golf courses. The contoured Château Course winds along three lakes and two creeks, and The Woodlands Course takes advantage of natural features such as forest, pastures and waterways. Located behind the Inn, the 9-hole, par-3 Executive Walking Course offers a fun experience for groups—night golfing with glow balls by the light of tiki torches. As if this isn't enough for the tee set, there is The Golf Academy, headed by Tom Ness, and The Legends Golf Club, a private membership club whose course was designed by legends Gene Saraze, Sam Snead and Kathy Whitworth (six holes each).

The Spa at Château Élan offers 35 treatment rooms, 14 themed guestrooms (such as Vintage, Gatsby and Zimbabwe) and Fleur de Lis restaurant, serving such unique low fat dishes as American Bison. For recreation there is also the Equestrian Show Center, Château Élan Tennis Center (designed by Stan Smith and featuring a stadium court with spectator grandstands), a fitness center with jet-powered resistance pool and The Bike Center, for taking advantage of the seven miles of bike trails that wind through the property. And lest you're under the impression that business takes a back seat to pleasure, let us expound on the 25,000-square-foot Conference Center with two grand ballrooms, 19 meeting rooms, two boardrooms and a stepped auditorium.

Self-styled French Provincial resort

It comes as no surprise—at a resort this size—that there are more than half a dozen commendable dining venues to choose from. Among them, Le Clos serves contemporary French cuisine, the massive Versailles Restaurant offers classic French dishes in an atrium setting and Café Élan (in the winery) provides bistro-style meals. Most interesting, though, is the non-Franco-inspired restaurant, Paddy's Irish Pub. The Panoz family once lived in Ireland, and their love of the Emerald Isle is evidenced at Paddy's, the product of a Dublin-based architectural and interior design firm. All of the furnishings and fixtures were created in Ireland, after which the pub was shipped to Georgia and reassembled.

Château Élan Winery & Resort was built as a labor of love, and the Panoz's unique passion for each aspect of it is evidenced throughout. While large in scale, it is intimate in attitude, making it a welcome alternative to the traditional resort holiday.