Travel

A First Look at Quercus, a Luxury Ranch Just Outside of Atlanta

The all-inclusive getaway marries modern amenities with genuine ranching history

People ride on horseback in a lush grassland by the lake with mountains behind it

Photo: Mammoth Studio

Guests can traverse the four-thousand-acre estate by horseback.

Nestled in Gay, Georgia, about an hour south of Atlanta, the newly opened Quercus brings a luxury, Western-style ranch to the heart of the South. The all-inclusive destination comprises four thousand acres of rolling hills, oak forests, pecan groves, and nature trails explorable by foot and horseback. Beyond that bucolic scenery, guests will also find tasteful cabins, a top-caliber restaurant, and a suite of sporting and wellness activities, including fly fishing, garden tours, and yoga. “We’re not hoteliers or restaurateurs, but we love having our friends over, and we love to entertain,” says Chiara Visconti di Modrone, who owns Quercus (Latin for “oak”) along with her husband, Angelos Pervanas. 

Bermuda shoreline
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Visconti di Modrone’s parents purchased the property in the 1970s when they moved to the United States from Italy. They turned it into a fully functional ranch, raising cattle alongside their children and even hosting rodeos. When work later brought Visconti di Modrone, a nutritionist, and Pervanas (who worked in finance) to Atlanta, the ranch became a weekend destination for the couple and their kids. Then the pandemic hit, and they relocated there full time as Pervanas embraced farming. “We pretty much started from the bottom up and decided we should become grass farmers as far as the ranch is concerned, and food growers for ourselves and the community,” Pervanas says.

Now they look forward to sharing that bounty with guests at Quercus, where they built four cabins (one- and two-bedrooms) to serve as plush landing pads after a day of nature immersion. The couple also partnered with James Beard Award–nominated chef Ryan Smith of Atlanta’s Staplehouse to oversee the on-site restaurant, Uberto. 

Here’s a look at the boutique ranch.

A living space with arched ceilings, a stone fireplace, and seating

Photo: Emily Followill

Visconti di Modrone and Pervanas worked with Birmingham-based Tammy Connor Interior Design on the cabins. There’s a minimalist Japanese influence in the paper lantern and natural materials like wood and stone, while Visconti di Modrone’s family heirlooms imbue a lived-in feel. “The cabins are in a rustic setting, but they are elevated with furniture that has been in our family for many generations,” Visconti di Modrone says.


 

A stone fireplace burns on a vaulted porch

Photo: Emily Followill

Each cabin has a spacious porch outfitted with an outdoor fireplace—an ideal spot to enjoy the daily in-room breakfast. All-inclusive stays also include picnic lunches and dinner at the on-site restaurant.


 

Emily Followill

With Visconti di Mordons’s background in nutrition, it was important to her to champion wellness throughout the property, starting in the rooms. “We sourced organic and natural materials like toxin-free paint and organic mattresses as much as possible,” she says.


 

Photo: mammoth studio

Chef Ryan Smith embraced the opportunity to helm Uberto, which came with a fermentation lab as well as a high-end kitchen. “Dinners will be a simple protein, vegetable-heavy, and will lean toward things we raise and produce on property,” he says. 


 

Photo: mammoth studio

The Flint River and offshoot creeks run through the property, and guests are invited to fish and kayak.


Lia Picard is a lifestyle writer who has called Atlanta home for more than a decade. She writes about travel, food, interior design, and interesting people for Garden & Gun as well as the New York Times, Travel + Leisure, and Atlanta magazine, among other national and regional publications. When she’s not writing, she’s exploring the South with her family and shares her adventures on Instagram.