Country bike is basically a Rivendell marketing term. Basically, it translates out to "all our bikes can take fat tires, can do moderate trail riding, and can haul a decent load". It also has a lot to do with looks, since Grant has very specific notions about what makes for a pretty bike. Lugs are a big part of it. Grant is a pretty tall guy, and their stock bikes are very much built for tall people. He thinks a bike built for tall is pretty, because it's what fits him. It's fair.

If you dig into the fitting stuff in more detail, Grant is also pretty sane on fitting very small people. That's a lot of why he likes long chainstays... they're not just for hauling, but also for making it easy to fit a small person on a bike.

Pretty much any stock bike that's meant for touring can be turned into a Riv-alike. Some cyclocross bikes can as well.

The one person I know whose daily ride is a Riv doesn't have a stock one. She's got full custom, and is happy as a clam. Given my disabilities, a Riv is actually a fairly cheap bike if I want a more roadie oriented bike. I've got some serious arthritis issues, and they're one of the few makes that does step throughs. But IMO if you do not really need the stuff that is damn near Riv-only... it's not really sensible to spring for their bikes.