Napa Valley
California's wine country
Napa Valley is America's most celebrated wine country — a 48-kilometre valley in Sonoma County, California, where Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, Michelin-starred restaurants, and some of the most refined small hotels in the United States are concentrated in a landscape of extraordinary beauty. The valley has more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than any other region in the United States; its hotels are the most food-and-wine-focused in the country.
Auberge du Soleil, on a hillside above Rutherford with views across the entire valley, is the most celebrated hotel in Napa — a 50-room Provencal-style inn with the most coveted view in the valley and a restaurant that has been one of the finest in California for four decades. Meadowood Napa Valley, woven through 250 wooded acres in St. Helena, is the most discreet: a country-club retreat with a three-Michelin-star restaurant (The Restaurant at Meadowood), a croquet lawn, and a golf course.
Calistoga Ranch, at the northern end of the valley, is the most spa-focused: an Auberge Resort in a private canyon with a geothermal pool, a spa built around the valley's volcanic hot springs, and 46 lodges in the oak woodland. Solage Calistoga is the most contemporary: a 89-room resort with a geothermal pool, a spa, and a restaurant (Solbar) that is one of the most celebrated in Napa. Both are in Calistoga, which has the most concentrated spa scene in the valley.
Yountville, at the southern end of the valley, is Napa's most culinary-focused town — the home of The French Laundry (Thomas Keller's three-Michelin-star restaurant, consistently ranked among the best in the world), Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc. The town is walkable; the best hotels are within walking distance of the restaurants. Bardessono, a LEED Platinum-certified hotel in Yountville, is the most sustainability-focused luxury hotel in the valley.
The French Laundry in Yountville requires reservations 60 days in advance, released at 10am Pacific Time. The online reservation system opens at exactly 10am; have your credit card ready. Cancellations are charged in full.
Harvest season (September–October) is the most atmospheric time to visit Napa — the vineyards are golden, the crush is underway, and the valley smells of fermenting grapes. It is also the most expensive and most crowded period.
The best wine tasting experiences in Napa are by appointment at the smaller, family-owned wineries — Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Opus One — rather than the large commercial tasting rooms on Highway 29. Your hotel concierge can arrange access.
Calistoga's mud baths and geothermal hot springs are the most authentic wellness experience in Napa — a tradition dating to the 1860s. Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort and Indian Springs are the most historic; Solage and Calistoga Ranch are the most luxurious.
September–October (harvest season) is the most atmospheric time to visit Napa: golden vineyards, the crush underway, and the valley at its most beautiful. It is also the most expensive and most crowded. May–June and November are the best value windows: good weather, fewer visitors, and lower rates. December–February is the quietest and cheapest period.
For the most celebrated and most coveted view in Napa Valley, Auberge du Soleil — a Provencal-style inn on a hillside above Rutherford with views across the entire valley — is the definitive choice for a romantic wine-country stay.
For the most complete culinary and country-club experience, Meadowood Napa Valley — 250 wooded acres in St. Helena with a three-Michelin-star restaurant, a croquet lawn, and a golf course — is the most refined address in the valley.
For the most spa-focused and geothermal wellness experience, Calistoga Ranch or Solage Calistoga — both built around the valley's volcanic hot springs — are the most complete spa destinations in Napa.
For the most sustainability-focused luxury experience and the best access to Yountville's restaurant scene, Bardessono — a LEED Platinum-certified hotel within walking distance of The French Laundry — is the most responsible and most convenient address in the valley.
