Chateau Elan: Charm and elegance in friendly ways

By Christine Tibbetts/The Tifton Gazette CNHI

TIFTON — Simple. Exciting. Sustainable. Organic. And nourishing. Imagine that, all in one place.

Food is the focus when Executive Chef Mark Suennemann shares his philosophy about the eight restaurants at Chateau Elan, a winery and resort in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains, each eatery with a distinct personality.

Elegance should be on his list too for taste and presentation of every meal, and for the total mood of this charming “might I be in a French chateau” destination.

Not nose-in-the-air elegance; this is subtle, understated, kindly and clearly staffed by people who pay attention to details.

Eat in each restaurant during a visit to this welcoming place, but the very best way to understand Chef’s approach to fine food is cooking with him.

That’s what I did for one dinner, donning a tall white chef’s hat called a toque, joining eight others at individual induction burners with our ingredients already measured in front of our spot.

Culinary classes happen Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons; the kitchen’s in the winery.

Might garden with Chef too because Suennemann grins a lot considering the flavors coming from his 16 raised-bed organic herb and veggie garden next to the Chateau Elan tennis courts.

Tennis or gardening aren’t the only choices flowing leisurely from one to another throughout the grounds; golfers plays the Woodlands 6,851 yard par 72 course, Chateau designed by Denis Griffiths winding through three lakes and two creeks and a 9-hole executive walking course.

I don’t know how to do that so leaving my clothes in the closet and hanging out in a bathrobe at the spa works better for me.

   This spa has its own hotel---14 big suites and a dining room. Book a bunch of treatments and never dress. Suitable for all bodies these robes are; 50 percent of the spa clients are men.

     Go quickly and the healing hands massages will be delivered in brand new spaces thanks to a massive redesign completed this month.

Ultra-quiet calm spaces, couples treatment rooms with three-hour appointments, beautiful tiles and tranquil colors, plus the Wall Street Journal in the front reception.

Thinking people relax here, I assumed. Celebrating people too with bigger rooms for what Chateau Elan calls “sparties,” Spa Parties. Manicures and pedicures often happen that way.

Spa overnight rooms have funky themes like Great Gatsby, Fox Hunt or Victorian Wicker, but chances are good those will change to blend with the elegance of the new treatment areas.

Colors, art and furnishings in the 276 suites in the Inn are so lovely I’m all for seeing that calming beauty in the Spa mansion too.

My room was part of the recent $3 million bedroom renovation. Embroidered white linens, creamy yellow walls, dark walnut woods, pillow top mattress and a free-standing bed—not the headboard mounted on the wall.

I’ve yet to overnight in a country estate in France but I was sure my full-length mirror in this room, leaning against the wall, not nailed, with gilded glass must be directly from one.

Golfers can stay in a room like mine or choose two and three bedroom villas on the 15th fairway of the Chateau course.

Horses and their riders come here too with special events at the equestrian center; bicyclers and hikers use trails throughout the property.

Muscadine grapes started it all when pharmaceutical entrepreneurs Don and Nancy Panoz visited Braselton and tasted their first big purple Georgia grapes.

Their company pioneered the development of the nicotine patch and word is they love challenges and fine wine.

Many experiments and refinements later, their Chateau Elan operation is considered the state’s largest wine producer.

Karen Vanderwort is the new winemaker, bringing a 33-year winemaking career in California to work with the property’s muscadines.

“I am vigorously working to bring the vineyard to an extent worthy of the Chateau and its fine lodging,” Vanderwort says.

“I treat muscadines as fine wine,” she says, “blending them now. Wine is a living thing and I am an artist with it.”

There's art in her winery too, a gallery with rotating works and a huge mural telling the story of wine in 38 junctures of history from Egypt to Australia.

   Chateau Elan and its vineyards are #38 in the world history.

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