Napa Valley Editor Picks

These days Napa Valley has so many outstanding restaurants, inns, and spas that it is easy to take the 27-year-old Auberge du Soleil – which is all three – for granted.

2008 SMART LUXURY WINNER
Napa’s Primo Retreat

Perched on a hillside overlooking vineyards and mountains, the inn began in 1981 as a restaurant, launched by French-born Claude Rouas, who believed his Provence-obsessed approach to food would work nicely in California’s laid-back, ingredients-rich wine country. Auberge du Soleil quickly won high marks for personable service and top-flight gastronomical experiences. In 1985, guest rooms and villas were added and then came a spa specializing in treatments that incorporate local ingredients, a pool, and an outdoor activities “pagoda.” Yes, other nearby resorts have similar offerings, but nobody does them all nearly as well all at once. Best season for value: winter/early spring.

Great Value Alternative: In nearby Sonoma, the Applewood Inn looks like a Mediterranean villa dropped in among the redwoods and has a terrific, Michelin-rated restaurant. From $195/night; www.applewoodinn.com

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Napa Valley is bed-and-breakfast happy, but prices can be as sky-high as the resorts. The Inn on Randolph is a great buy, and it’s a short stroll from downtown Napa’s attractions, including Copia and the new Oxbow Public Market. Five television-free rooms are in the main Victorian-style house built in 1860, and five suites are in three 1930s cottages in the garden. Some have whirlpool tubs, some fireplaces, and others decks or private patios. The cottages have TVs, CD, and DVDs. Room décor runs the gamut from standard B&B Victorian kitsch (in the main house, each room has a seasonal theme) to the more simple and elegant, like the Library Suite. A full breakfast is served in your room or in the dining room, and the innkeeper spends time with each guest recommending wineries, restaurants, and activities.

Eighty luxury guestrooms, all with vaulted ceilings, private balconies, whirlpool bathtubs, fireplaces, and stunning views. The overall feeling is French, but the tone is Napa Valley: youthful and vibrant. Expect a welcome-bottle of wine, enjoy the champagne breakfast buffet, and relax with a spot of afternoon tea.

Housed in a vine-covered French chateau constructed in the 1880s, the cabs and rieslings here are sensational. Reservations are required and tour groups are limited, so it feels like a beautifully secluded retreat.

Every presidential administration since Nixon’s has served Schramsberg’s sparkling wines during official functions, and this chic location is where it all begins. Tour the picturesque Victorian house, historic caves (hand-dug by Chinese immigrants), and enjoy a tasting (not terribly expensive, but a splurge worth enjoying).

Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred French restaurant is the holy grail of wine country...more

Tourists and locals line up for blocks to try Taylor’s juicy burgers and tasty sandwiches....more

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1881-built country store features extensive California wine selections, specialty cheeses, charcuterie meats and smoked fish, select local produce, locally roasted espresso drinks, fresh morning pastries, rustic hearth breads, and more. Perfect for picnicking.