Arrington Vineyards
Arrington, Tennessee
Tennessee is known more for its country music than its wine country, and Nashville is celebrated for its honky-tonks rather than its terroir. But 30 miles south of Music City, Arrington Vineyards is in the heart of middle Tennessee’s wine country.
The Vineyard Stone House and the Lilac House are the two most-used meeting venues, said event manager Katie Starnes. Each space can accommodate 50 people. The Stone House’s great room is best for events, and the Lilac House’s several smaller rooms are good for breakout sessions. Both are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The classic red Grand Barn can hold up to 150 people in one room or as many as 250 when paired with the outside space. A recent corporate event used both the barn and the Stone House to set up team-building stations and rotate attendees through various exercises, Starnes said. The Cellar Patio, next to the tasting room, can be used for groups of 100 or halved for smaller events.
The winery can arrange private group tastings or cocktail hours, and tours take guests through the “whole process, from the vineyards to the bottle,” Starnes said, including the barrelhouse, the tank room and the bottling facilities.
Stone Hill Winery
Hermann, Missouri
When Prohibition took effect in 1920, it devastated Missouri’s wine industry, including Stone Hill Winery, which was established in Hermann, Missouri, in 1847. But when Jim and Betty Held bought the vineyards and buildings in 1965, they began the long process of rebuilding its reputation as Missouri’s most-awarded winery.
Today, Stone Hill owns seven vineyards totaling 182 acres, with the original Hermann location on 13 acres. There, guests can visit the main 1869 building, the historic underground cellars and the vineyards where Missouri’s state grape grows.
“We’re sitting on top of a hill that overlooks Hermann, and we have our Norton [grape] vineyards right here on property, so it’s a really beautiful view,” said event coordinator Jamie Luelf.
The original carriage house and barn became the Vintage Restaurant, where the private Carriage Room can serve groups of up to 50 for meals. The Sherry House, where sherry was originally stored, can serve meals for up to 250. Garage-style doors open to the Vineyard Deck, which can be used with the Sherry House or separately for 100-person events.
Free tours lead visitors through the cellars and alongside the vineyards while guests learn about the grapes, the growing process and the winery’s history. Planners can also arrange tastings or set up special themed pairings that pair sweet treats or savory bites with various wines.
Château Élan Winery and Resort
Braselton, Georgia
Château Élan Winery and Resort in Braselton, Georgia, has a stand-alone conference center that was recently expanded to 40,000 square feet. But the 42,000-square-foot winery building itself has enough function space that a group could spend a day or two there without ever using the same venue twice, said Doug Rollins, vice president of sales and marketing.
The 2,500-square-foot Bordeaux conference room works well for general sessions, and the barrel-lined cask room, which offers a view of bottling operations, is popular for receptions. The Viking Culinary Studio can host dinners for up to 60 or hands-on cooking classes for groups of up to 35. The 180-seat Café Élan has a veranda overlooking the vineyards, and a 40-seat fine-dining restaurant, Le Clos, is available to private groups during the week and on weekend days.
Glass doors enclose a 6,000-square-foot pavilion attached to the winery that can seat as many as 500 for banquets. Groups can even opt to dine in the vineyards, where two separate lawn areas are surrounded by vines.
Planners can choose from a wide variety of tour, tasting and team-building options. Attendees can tour the vat and cask rooms, enjoy wines paired with Georgia cheeses and olive oils, and follow the winemaker through the vineyards to learn about the growing process.
A popular team-building option is the Winemaker Wannabe package. Attendees learn about the intricacies of flavors and smells before they blend their own wine, create their own label and present their marketing plan to the group.
