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World's Best Wine Country Hotels
At Oregon\u2019s Allison Inn & Spa, you can wake up to a view of Willamette Valley from your terrace, spend the afternoon sampling Pinot Noirs at local wineries, then retreat to the hotel spa for a \u201cpinotherapy\u201d treatment.
\r\nThat kind of immersive experience has earned Allison Inn the No. 4 ranking among wine country hotels, based on Travel + Leisure readers\u2019 votes in the annual World\u2019s Best Awards survey. The winners come in lots of varietals, from opulent hotels to cozy inns, and turn up in established wine regions (South Africa\u2019s Franschhoek, Argentina\u2019s Mendoza) and less-expected destinations like Arizona\u2019s Verde Valley and the Mount Etna area of Sicily, where that volcanic soil can work wonders.
\r\nNapa Valley, CA, certainly has experience catering to the wine-focused traveler. \u201cOur customers come here to experience wine country from head to toe,\u201d says George Goeggel, managing partner of Auberge du Soleil in the Napa Valley, one of the area\u2019s first boutique resorts. \u201cWe try to embody the wine country lifestyle in all aspects, from a glass of wine at reception to the local bottles on the menu to the crushed grapes in our spa treatments.\u201d
\r\nThat sentiment rings true in Santa Barbara, CA, as well. \u201cWe estimate that 94 percent of our guests are wine lovers,\u201d says Seamus McManus, managing director of San Ysidro Ranch, whose 1,600-bottle collection features an abundance of local labels. To satisfy their expectations, the hotel offers winery tours, hosts dinners with nearby vintners, and stocks local wines in each of its cottages.\u00a0
\r\nNot to be left out, the East Coast has its own properties among this year\u2019s winners. Virginia\u2019s rolling hills nurture The Inn at Little Washington as well as Keswick Hall, decked out with hunt-club prints and Chippendale chairs and host of regular themed wine dinners.
\r\nEven select urban hotels have caught on to the interest in wine tourism and offer guided day trips to wineries within a short drive. The renovated Four Seasons, Firenze, occupies a glorious frescoed palazzo with a pool and an 11-acre park. It makes a refined base for guided excursions into Chianti, 40 minutes away, or for tastings at the hotel's Winery restaurant (nearly 400 bottles at last count).
\r\nNo matter which wine-country hotel you choose, one thing\u2019s for sure: you won\u2019t go home thirsty.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"The tiny hilltop town of Crillon le Brave lends its name to this 32-room medieval stone property with gardens, terraces, and spectacular views of vineyards and olive groves. The concierge can arrange for day trips to the wineries of C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne and Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape (about half an hour away), known for their Syrahs, Marsannes, and Grenache noirs. Or simply enjoy a local bottle and take in the sweeping scenery from the romantic terrace at the hotel\u2019s restaurant.
\r\nSee the T+L Insider Video: Foodie Getaways
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80911,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Crillon le Brave","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":2,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 1 Hotel Crillon le Brave, Crillon le Brave, France","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8945/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-hotel-crillon-le-brave_.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Hotel Crillon le Brave","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Crillon le Brave","video_embed":"","title":"No. 1 Hotel Crillon le Brave, Crillon le Brave, France","caption":"The tiny hilltop town of Crillon le Brave lends its name to this 32-room medieval stone property with gardens, terraces, and spectacular views of vineyards and olive groves. The concierge can arrange for day trips to the wineries of C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne and Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape (about half an hour away), known for their Syrahs, Marsannes, and Grenache noirs. Or simply enjoy a local bottle and take in the sweeping scenery from the romantic terrace at the hotel\u2019s restaurant.
\r\nSee the T+L Insider Video: Foodie Getaways
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"This handsome 19th-century hunting lodge is covered in ivy vines, furnished with antiques, and occupies 178 forested acres along the wine route in Loir-et-Cher. The restaurant, overseen by chef R\u00e9my Giraud, serves the Loire Valley\u2019s famed Vouvrays, Montlouises, and Touraines, though guests seeking a bird\u2019s-eye view of the region\u2019s ch\u00e2teaux can arrange for a private helicopter or hot-air balloon tour of neighboring vineyards, castles, and ancient cities.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80912,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Domaine des Hauts de Loire","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":3,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 2 Domaine des Hauts de Loire, Onzain, France","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8906/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-domaine-des-hauts-de-loire.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy Domaine des Hauts de Loire","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Domaine des Hauts de Loire","video_embed":"","title":"No. 2 Domaine des Hauts de Loire, Onzain, France","caption":"This handsome 19th-century hunting lodge is covered in ivy vines, furnished with antiques, and occupies 178 forested acres along the wine route in Loir-et-Cher. The restaurant, overseen by chef R\u00e9my Giraud, serves the Loire Valley\u2019s famed Vouvrays, Montlouises, and Touraines, though guests seeking a bird\u2019s-eye view of the region\u2019s ch\u00e2teaux can arrange for a private helicopter or hot-air balloon tour of neighboring vineyards, castles, and ancient cities.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"In the heart of the Champagne region, this 20-room Belle \u00c9poque ch\u00e2teau (a former family home) maintains an impeccable sense of classic style. The wine cellar at the Michelin-starred restaurant counts 400 champagne labels, and the hotel can arrange visits to bold-faced sites like nearby Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin or the Mo\u00ebt et Chandon cellars, as well as the Notre Dame Cathedral.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80913,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Les Crayeres","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":4,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 3 Les Cray\u00e8res, Reims, France","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9036/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-reims-france-les-crayeres.jpg","photo_credit":"Malcolm Park Wine and Vineyards / Alamy","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Les Crayeres","video_embed":"","title":"No. 3 Les Cray\u00e8res, Reims, France","caption":"In the heart of the Champagne region, this 20-room Belle \u00c9poque ch\u00e2teau (a former family home) maintains an impeccable sense of classic style. The wine cellar at the Michelin-starred restaurant counts 400 champagne labels, and the hotel can arrange visits to bold-faced sites like nearby Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin or the Mo\u00ebt et Chandon cellars, as well as the Notre Dame Cathedral.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"Sitting pretty in the Willamette wine country, Allison Inn blends neatly into its setting, with subtle earth tones that match the nearby vineyards, gardens, and lawns. Each of the 85 guest rooms comes with valley views from private terraces or balconies, and 200 wineries, renowned for their Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, are within easy access. The on-site restaurant JORY (named after the volcanic clay soil indigenous to the region) stocks hundreds of local bottles, and the award-winning spa offers \u201cpinotherapy\u201d treatments.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80914,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Allison Inn & Spa","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":5,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 4 Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, OR","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8854/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-allison-inn-and-spa.jpg","photo_credit":"Steve Kepple","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Allison Inn & Spa","video_embed":"","title":"No. 4 Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, OR","caption":"Sitting pretty in the Willamette wine country, Allison Inn blends neatly into its setting, with subtle earth tones that match the nearby vineyards, gardens, and lawns. Each of the 85 guest rooms comes with valley views from private terraces or balconies, and 200 wineries, renowned for their Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, are within easy access. The on-site restaurant JORY (named after the volcanic clay soil indigenous to the region) stocks hundreds of local bottles, and the award-winning spa offers \u201cpinotherapy\u201d treatments.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"The three former residences that make up this secluded hotel have a Proven\u00e7al feel and dramatic countryside views from their perch atop a craggy hill. The region, between Avignon and the Rh\u00f4ne delta, is known for its Grenaches and Syrahs, many of them organic and biodynamic. The cellar at L\u2019Oustau\u2019s Michelin-starred restaurant overflows with an astonishing 60,000 bottles, including L\u2019Affectif, the local Grenache blend created and produced by the hotel\u2019s proprietor, Jean-Andre Charial.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80915,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: L'Oustau de Baumaniere","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":6,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 5 L\u2019Oustau de Baumani\u00e8re, Les Baux-de-Provence, France","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9010/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-loustau-de-baumaniere.jpg","photo_credit":"Rachel McKenna ","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: L'Oustau de Baumaniere","video_embed":"","title":"No. 5 L\u2019Oustau de Baumani\u00e8re, Les Baux-de-Provence, France","caption":"The three former residences that make up this secluded hotel have a Proven\u00e7al feel and dramatic countryside views from their perch atop a craggy hill. The region, between Avignon and the Rh\u00f4ne delta, is known for its Grenaches and Syrahs, many of them organic and biodynamic. The cellar at L\u2019Oustau\u2019s Michelin-starred restaurant overflows with an astonishing 60,000 bottles, including L\u2019Affectif, the local Grenache blend created and produced by the hotel\u2019s proprietor, Jean-Andre Charial.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"Built into the 15th-century Palazzo Scala della Gherardesca and a 16th-century former convent, the Four Seasons feels like an opulent resort, with glorious frescoes inside and a pool and adjacent 11-acre private park outside. The on-site Winery restaurant counts nearly 400 bottles, and the concierge can arrange for tastings further afleld in the Chianti region\u2014celebrated for its Super Tuscan and Chianti Classico wines\u2014about 40 minutes away.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80916,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Four Seasons Firenze","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":7,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 6 The Four Seasons Hotel, Firenze, Italy","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8919/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-four-seasons-firenze.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Four Seasons Firenze","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Four Seasons Firenze","video_embed":"","title":"No. 6 The Four Seasons Hotel, Firenze, Italy","caption":"Built into the 15th-century Palazzo Scala della Gherardesca and a 16th-century former convent, the Four Seasons feels like an opulent resort, with glorious frescoes inside and a pool and adjacent 11-acre private park outside. The on-site Winery restaurant counts nearly 400 bottles, and the concierge can arrange for tastings further afleld in the Chianti region\u2014celebrated for its Super Tuscan and Chianti Classico wines\u2014about 40 minutes away.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"This sprawling 500-acre property at the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains was given a $150 million reinvestment in 2011, so each of the 41 vine-covered cottages and suites winding along San Ysidro\u2019s hilly, creek-lined paths looks better than ever. It\u2019s an hour south of the Santa Ynez Valley, one of Santa Barbara\u2019s most picturesque viniculture areas, known for its Chardonnay and Rh\u00f4ne varietals.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80917,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":8,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 7 San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort, Santa Barbara, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9049/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-san-ysidro-ranch.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of San Ysidro Ranch","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort","video_embed":"","title":"No. 7 San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort, Santa Barbara, CA","caption":"This sprawling 500-acre property at the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains was given a $150 million reinvestment in 2011, so each of the 41 vine-covered cottages and suites winding along San Ysidro\u2019s hilly, creek-lined paths looks better than ever. It\u2019s an hour south of the Santa Ynez Valley, one of Santa Barbara\u2019s most picturesque viniculture areas, known for its Chardonnay and Rh\u00f4ne varietals.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"Arizona\u2019s growing Verde Valley wine trail isn\u2019t far from this English countryside\u2013style inn with a cozy atmosphere and pretty creek-side views. Use it as a jumping-off point for exploring wineries in Sedona, Page Springs, Cottonwood, and Jerome (several independent wine tour operators can also pick you up from the hotel for daylong excursions). Or stay happily put at the property\u2019s newly refurbished indoor/outdoor wine bar and dining patio.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80918,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: L'Auberge de Sedona","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":9,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 8 L\u2019Auberge de Sedona, AZ","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:36Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8984/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-lauberge-de-sedona.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of L'Auberge de Sedona","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: L'Auberge de Sedona","video_embed":"","title":"No. 8 L\u2019Auberge de Sedona, AZ","caption":"Arizona\u2019s growing Verde Valley wine trail isn\u2019t far from this English countryside\u2013style inn with a cozy atmosphere and pretty creek-side views. Use it as a jumping-off point for exploring wineries in Sedona, Page Springs, Cottonwood, and Jerome (several independent wine tour operators can also pick you up from the hotel for daylong excursions). Or stay happily put at the property\u2019s newly refurbished indoor/outdoor wine bar and dining patio.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"It\u2019s not often that an 18-room inn in a tiny town becomes a destination in its own right, but that\u2019s the case with the Inn at Little Washington, which also happens to be in the heart of Virginia wine country, celebrated for its Chardonnays and Cabernet Francs. Star chef /owner Patrick O\u2019Connell hand-picks local bottles for the acclaimed restaurant, and wine director Jennifer Knowles can suggest and help arrange several self-guided itineraries from the property, with the option for a local car service to chauffeur your group.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80919,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Inn at Little Washington","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":10,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 9 The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, VA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8958/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-inn-at-little-washington.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Inn at Little Washington","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Inn at Little Washington","video_embed":"","title":"No. 9 The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, VA","caption":"It\u2019s not often that an 18-room inn in a tiny town becomes a destination in its own right, but that\u2019s the case with the Inn at Little Washington, which also happens to be in the heart of Virginia wine country, celebrated for its Chardonnays and Cabernet Francs. Star chef /owner Patrick O\u2019Connell hand-picks local bottles for the acclaimed restaurant, and wine director Jennifer Knowles can suggest and help arrange several self-guided itineraries from the property, with the option for a local car service to chauffeur your group.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"While golfers know this elegant 161-room resort for its legendary links, the Lodge\u2019s location near Monterey Wine Country makes it appealing to oenophiles as well. The local Monterey Wine Trolley in downtown Monterey runs groups through popular wineries in the foggy, mountain-ringed Carmel Valley, 15 minutes away; for a more personalized experience, book a custom daylong wine tour with a dedicated driver.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80920,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Lodge at Pebble Beach","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":11,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 10 Lodge at Pebble Beach, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9088/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-the-lodge-at-pebble-beach.jpg","photo_credit":"Alex Vertikoff ","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Lodge at Pebble Beach","video_embed":"","title":"No. 10 Lodge at Pebble Beach, CA","caption":"While golfers know this elegant 161-room resort for its legendary links, the Lodge\u2019s location near Monterey Wine Country makes it appealing to oenophiles as well. The local Monterey Wine Trolley in downtown Monterey runs groups through popular wineries in the foggy, mountain-ringed Carmel Valley, 15 minutes away; for a more personalized experience, book a custom daylong wine tour with a dedicated driver.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"This boutique resort\u2014one of the first in the Napa Valley (opened in 1985)\u2014has 52 Mediterranean-style villas with wood-burning fireplaces and private verandas overlooking 33 acres of lush olive groves. Wine director Kris Margerum leads restaurant staffers on advanced-level winery tours and tastings to ensure they create the perfect pairings for the restaurant\u2019s prix fixe menus. And guests have 400 wineries waiting outside the hotel doors.
\r\nSee the T+L Insider Video: Foodie Getaways
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80921,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Auberge du Soleil","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":12,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 11 Auberge du Soleil, Napa, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8867/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-auberge-du-soleil.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Auberge du Soleil","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Auberge du Soleil","video_embed":"","title":"No. 11 Auberge du Soleil, Napa, CA","caption":"This boutique resort\u2014one of the first in the Napa Valley (opened in 1985)\u2014has 52 Mediterranean-style villas with wood-burning fireplaces and private verandas overlooking 33 acres of lush olive groves. Wine director Kris Margerum leads restaurant staffers on advanced-level winery tours and tastings to ensure they create the perfect pairings for the restaurant\u2019s prix fixe menus. And guests have 400 wineries waiting outside the hotel doors.
\r\nSee the T+L Insider Video: Foodie Getaways
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"Nature reaches a new height of luxury at this northern California retreat, with 48 individual cedar-and-glass guest lodges among 157 acres of forest and hot springs. The property has its own chandelier-adorned wine cave carved into the bedrock along Lake Lommel in Napa Valley, plus a private Cabernet vineyard in Napa, whose grapes are used in its private-label bottles. Guests can also sign up for grape harvesting and blending parties to customize their own bottle as a souvenir to take home.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80922,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Calistoga Ranch","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":13,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 12 Calistoga Ranch, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8893/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-calistoga-ranch.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Calistoga Ranch","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Calistoga Ranch","video_embed":"","title":"No. 12 Calistoga Ranch, CA","caption":"Nature reaches a new height of luxury at this northern California retreat, with 48 individual cedar-and-glass guest lodges among 157 acres of forest and hot springs. The property has its own chandelier-adorned wine cave carved into the bedrock along Lake Lommel in Napa Valley, plus a private Cabernet vineyard in Napa, whose grapes are used in its private-label bottles. Guests can also sign up for grape harvesting and blending parties to customize their own bottle as a souvenir to take home.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"A young, hip alternative to more traditional Napa resorts, this laid-back hotel (run by the same team behind Calistoga Ranch) has 83 urbane studio rooms, plus a yoga studio, a bocce court, and cruiser bikes that guests can borrow to tool around downtown Calistoga. The hotel\u2019s just north of Napa, where you can indulge in vineyard walks, tastings, and meals at local wineries like Fisher Vineyards.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80923,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Solage Calistoga","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":14,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 13 Solage Calistoga, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9062/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-solage-calistoga.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Solage Calistoga","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Solage Calistoga","video_embed":"","title":"No. 13 Solage Calistoga, CA","caption":"A young, hip alternative to more traditional Napa resorts, this laid-back hotel (run by the same team behind Calistoga Ranch) has 83 urbane studio rooms, plus a yoga studio, a bocce court, and cruiser bikes that guests can borrow to tool around downtown Calistoga. The hotel\u2019s just north of Napa, where you can indulge in vineyard walks, tastings, and meals at local wineries like Fisher Vineyards.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"This stately 48-room lodge in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains goes for a handsome, old-guard aesthetic (hunt-club prints, Chippendale chairs aplenty). Private Virginia wine country vineyard tours with the sommelier of its lauded restaurant, Fossett\u2019s, can be arranged, along with self-guided or chauffeured tours down nearby Route 151, a scenic highway passing through many of Charlottesville\u2019s top wineries.\u00a0 Fossett\u2019s also serves local bottles and hosts themed wine dinners several times a month.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80924,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Keswick Hall","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":15,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 14 Keswick Hall, Charlottesville, VA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8971/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-keswick-hall-vineyard.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Keswick Hall at Monticello","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Keswick Hall","video_embed":"","title":"No. 14 Keswick Hall, Charlottesville, VA","caption":"This stately 48-room lodge in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains goes for a handsome, old-guard aesthetic (hunt-club prints, Chippendale chairs aplenty). Private Virginia wine country vineyard tours with the sommelier of its lauded restaurant, Fossett\u2019s, can be arranged, along with self-guided or chauffeured tours down nearby Route 151, a scenic highway passing through many of Charlottesville\u2019s top wineries.\u00a0 Fossett\u2019s also serves local bottles and hosts themed wine dinners several times a month.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"This 62-room LEED-certified Platinum hotel (one of only three in the country) in the Napa Valley is as chic as it is green; eco-friendly accents include organic cotton linens, salvaged wood furnishings, and a farm-to-table restaurant. And carbon footprints stay small thanks to the hotel\u2019s walking-distance location to several top tasting rooms in downtown Yountville. Swing by the hotel bar on Friday evenings for complimentary tastings featuring many local wines.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80925,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Bardessono","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":16,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 15 Bardessono, Yountville, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8880/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-bardessono-yountville.jpg","photo_credit":"Aya Brackett","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Bardessono","video_embed":"","title":"No. 15 Bardessono, Yountville, CA","caption":"This 62-room LEED-certified Platinum hotel (one of only three in the country) in the Napa Valley is as chic as it is green; eco-friendly accents include organic cotton linens, salvaged wood furnishings, and a farm-to-table restaurant. And carbon footprints stay small thanks to the hotel\u2019s walking-distance location to several top tasting rooms in downtown Yountville. Swing by the hotel bar on Friday evenings for complimentary tastings featuring many local wines.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"This idyllic, Spanish-accented seaside hotel is surrounded by both pines and the famed golf course, but wine options are plentiful, too. Hop on the nearby Monterey Wine Trolley, the concierge recommends, or book a day trip with AgVenture Tours, whose knowledgeable guides can pick up hotel guests for personalized wine tours through Monterey Wine Country\u2019s 85-plus vineyards.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80926,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Inn at Spanish Bay","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":17,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 16 Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9075/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-the-inn-at-spanish-bay.jpg","photo_credit":"Joann Dost","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Inn at Spanish Bay","video_embed":"","title":"No. 16 Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, CA","caption":"This idyllic, Spanish-accented seaside hotel is surrounded by both pines and the famed golf course, but wine options are plentiful, too. Hop on the nearby Monterey Wine Trolley, the concierge recommends, or book a day trip with AgVenture Tours, whose knowledgeable guides can pick up hotel guests for personalized wine tours through Monterey Wine Country\u2019s 85-plus vineyards.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"With blooming rose and jasmine gardens and gorgeous Winelands scenery, this 22-room Relais & Ch\u00e2teaux is a romantic base for exploring dozens of South African wineries, many known for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The hotel can arrange for several nontraditional wine-related activities, including a \u201cgrapes and art\u201d tour, \u201chistory, grapes, and charcuterie\u201d class, and a custom wine-blending class at M\u00f4reson, its family vineyard.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80927,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Le Quartier Francais","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":18,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 17 Le Quartier Fran\u00e7ais, Franschhoek, South Africa","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:37Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8997/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-le-quartier-francais.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Le Quartier Francais","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Le Quartier Francais","video_embed":"","title":"No. 17 Le Quartier Fran\u00e7ais, Franschhoek, South Africa","caption":"With blooming rose and jasmine gardens and gorgeous Winelands scenery, this 22-room Relais & Ch\u00e2teaux is a romantic base for exploring dozens of South African wineries, many known for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The hotel can arrange for several nontraditional wine-related activities, including a \u201cgrapes and art\u201d tour, \u201chistory, grapes, and charcuterie\u201d class, and a custom wine-blending class at M\u00f4reson, its family vineyard.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"Although located in downtown Mendoza\u2019s Plaza Independencia, Park Hyatt knows how to please wine lovers: the vinoteca lounge features more than 100 boutique Argentinian wines; the spa offers Malbec-based treatments; and guests can book bodega packages ranging from tasting tours to private lunches. The 186 sleek rooms and suites face either the Andes foothills or the hotel\u2019s expansive gardens and showcase local bounty of another sort: photographs and sculptures by area artists.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:38Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80928,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Park Hyatt, Mendoza","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":19,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 18 Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:38Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9023/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-park-hyatt-mendoza.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Park Hyatt Mendoza","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Park Hyatt, Mendoza","video_embed":"","title":"No. 18 Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina","caption":"Although located in downtown Mendoza\u2019s Plaza Independencia, Park Hyatt knows how to please wine lovers: the vinoteca lounge features more than 100 boutique Argentinian wines; the spa offers Malbec-based treatments; and guests can book bodega packages ranging from tasting tours to private lunches. The 186 sleek rooms and suites face either the Andes foothills or the hotel\u2019s expansive gardens and showcase local bounty of another sort: photographs and sculptures by area artists.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"A complimentary bottle of Sauvignon Blanc at check-in sets the mood for a wine-soaked vacation here in prime Napa territory. The Tuscan-style villa tucked into 23 landscaped acres near downtown is connected to V Marketplace, site of the 4,000-bottle-strong V Wine Cellar; more than a dozen other tasting rooms are within walking distance. The concierge can help create custom vineyard itineraries, or plan your own with an iTouch borrowed from the hotel and preprogrammed with winery maps and tasting routes.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:38Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80929,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Villagio Inn and Spa","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":20,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 19 Villagio Inn and Spa, Yountville, CA","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:38Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/9101/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-villagio-inn-and-spa.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Villagio Inn & Spa","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Villagio Inn and Spa","video_embed":"","title":"No. 19 Villagio Inn and Spa, Yountville, CA","caption":"A complimentary bottle of Sauvignon Blanc at check-in sets the mood for a wine-soaked vacation here in prime Napa territory. The Tuscan-style villa tucked into 23 landscaped acres near downtown is connected to V Marketplace, site of the 4,000-bottle-strong V Wine Cellar; more than a dozen other tasting rooms are within walking distance. The concierge can help create custom vineyard itineraries, or plan your own with an iTouch borrowed from the hotel and preprogrammed with winery maps and tasting routes.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"Grand feels like the right adjective to describe this 72-room retreat, given its baroque interiors and dramatic views of the sea, an ancient Greek theater, and seismically active Mount Etna, whose volcanic soil and unpredictable climate help create some of the world\u2019s most intriguing wines. The hotel offers chauffeured day trips to Etna vineyards (half an hour away) that include a stop at a local enoteca for lunch. But it can be tempting instead to linger on the hotel\u2019s terrace bar with a glass of local rosado\u2014and that volcano at a distance.
","created_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:38Z","created_user_id":null,"hd_slide_image_url":null,"id":80930,"image_alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Grand Hotel Timeo","is_master":null,"old_slide_id":null,"old_slideshow_id":null,"position":21,"slideshow_id":1032,"title":"No. 20 Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina, Sicily","updated_at":"2012-11-07T10:26:38Z","updated_user_id":null,"version":null,"video_embed_code":"","slide_image_data":{"src":"/images/amexpub/0032/8932/201209-w-worlds-best-wine-country-hotels-grand-hotel-timeo.jpg","photo_credit":"Courtesy of Grand Hotel Timeo","alt":"World's Best Wine Country Hotels: Grand Hotel Timeo","video_embed":"","title":"No. 20 Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina, Sicily","caption":"Grand feels like the right adjective to describe this 72-room retreat, given its baroque interiors and dramatic views of the sea, an ancient Greek theater, and seismically active Mount Etna, whose volcanic soil and unpredictable climate help create some of the world\u2019s most intriguing wines. The hotel offers chauffeured day trips to Etna vineyards (half an hour away) that include a stop at a local enoteca for lunch. But it can be tempting instead to linger on the hotel\u2019s terrace bar with a glass of local rosado\u2014and that volcano at a distance.
"}},{"active":true,"caption":"More Articles from T+L
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More Articles from T+L
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- See all of our slideshows \r\n
- * Check out our blog! * \r\n
At Oregon’s Allison Inn & Spa, you can wake up to a view of Willamette Valley from your terrace, spend the afternoon sampling Pinot Noirs at local wineries, then retreat to the hotel spa for a “pinotherapy” treatment.
That kind of immersive experience has earned Allison Inn the No. 4 ranking among wine country hotels, based on Travel + Leisure readers’ votes in the annual World’s Best Awards survey. The winners come in lots of varietals, from opulent hotels to cozy inns, and turn up in established wine regions (South Africa’s Franschhoek, Argentina’s Mendoza) and less-expected destinations like Arizona’s Verde Valley and the Mount Etna area of Sicily, where that volcanic soil can work wonders.
Napa Valley, CA, certainly has experience catering to the wine-focused traveler. “Our customers come here to experience wine country from head to toe,” says George Goeggel, managing partner of Auberge du Soleil in the Napa Valley, one of the area’s first boutique resorts. “We try to embody the wine country lifestyle in all aspects, from a glass of wine at reception to the local bottles on the menu to the crushed grapes in our spa treatments.”
That sentiment rings true in Santa Barbara, CA, as well. “We estimate that 94 percent of our guests are wine lovers,” says Seamus McManus, managing director of San Ysidro Ranch, whose 1,600-bottle collection features an abundance of local labels. To satisfy their expectations, the hotel offers winery tours, hosts dinners with nearby vintners, and stocks local wines in each of its cottages.
Not to be left out, the East Coast has its own properties among this year’s winners. Virginia’s rolling hills nurture The Inn at Little Washington as well as Keswick Hall, decked out with hunt-club prints and Chippendale chairs and host of regular themed wine dinners.
Even select urban hotels have caught on to the interest in wine tourism and offer guided day trips to wineries within a short drive. The renovated Four Seasons, Firenze, occupies a glorious frescoed palazzo with a pool and an 11-acre park. It makes a refined base for guided excursions into Chianti, 40 minutes away, or for tastings at the hotel's Winery restaurant (nearly 400 bottles at last count).
No matter which wine-country hotel you choose, one thing’s for sure: you won’t go home thirsty.