Chateau Elan celebrates the art of winemaking during 28th annual Vineyard Fest

The 28th annual Vineyard Fest at Chateau Elan is this weekend in Braselton.

The weekend-long event lets patrons sample the vineyard's wines while learning about how they're made.

"It's a huge tradition for the property. It's our biggest event of the year," said Raelynn Connor, the vineyard's senior marketing manager. "It really started as a celebration of our harvest. It started in August. It was maybe hundreds of people. Now we're up to 2,600 people and just more vendors, more food offerings, a whole elaboration of our wines."

The weekend starts with a chef and winemaker dinner on Friday night. Saturday night, there will be a poolside prelude tasting event for VIPs, and Sunday is the big festival that allows patrons a chance to sample all of the vineyard's wines while enjoying local food and live music.

"We offer a window for the guest to see what is happening behind the scenes and again, to give extra value to the bottle, to the wine they are drinking," said Simone Bergese, the vineyard's executive winemaker.

Bergese is from Italy and comes from a long line of winemakers.

"Coming from Italy, I come from one of the prominent wine regions in the world," said Bergese. "When I moved down to Georgia in 2012, I discovered the incredible, unique connection between the territory and the variety."

Chateau Elan is the oldest post-Prohibition vineyard in the state.

"In 2012, we were producing 5,000 cases. We now produce over 45,000 cases, and most in the muscadine variety. We are the largest winery in Georgia, but also the largest producer of wine from Georgia-grown grapes," said Bergese.

According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, there are 1,400 acres of vineyards in the state. Twenty-three thousand Georgians are directly employed in the wine industry. Georgia's wine industry generates billions of dollars a year, and the National Association of American Wineries reported over $7.7 billion in impact in 2025. Vineyard Fest helps contribute by encouraging agri-tourism.

Tickets are still available here.