Sprawling Wine Resort in the Heart of Napa

Beyond the iron gates of The Meritage Resort and Spa, rows of grape vines stretch across rolling hills. The Tuscan-inspired property lies in the heart of Napa and embraces the valley's wine culture. Unsurprisingly, it's not hard to find a good glass of wine at Meritage. The resort produces its own varietals and serves them in a tasting room and farm-to-table restaurant. Guest rooms even come stocked with a welcome bottle of wine.

The resort's 22,000-square-foot Estate Wine Cave stands out for its sheer size and Old-World Florentine architecture. Housed within the cave, the Trinitas Tasting Room boasts natural-stone walls and dark woodwork. Tastings may feature house label wines such as moscato, pinot noir, and cabernet sauvignon. Also tucked away in the cave, Spa Terra offers a range of body treatments, including the Vino Bello, a grape-seed scrub followed by a wine and rosehip mud wrap.

Chefs at the in-house restaurant, Siena, prepare locally sourced, Tuscan-influenced fare such as the rotisserie Fulton Valley chicken and herb-marinated grilled lamb chops. Back in the guest rooms, guests may opt to stomp their own grapes in a roomy marble bathtub, or cap off the night with a complimentary bottle of wine. Many rooms sport private balconies with vineyard views fit for a postcard.

The Meritage Resort and Spa's lobby is undergoing construction through early March; the resort will be open during this time.

Napa, California: Wine and Dine in the Valley

Napa Valley is California's epicenter of wine, and there's a definite local pride in all things grape. Signs posted along roads urge drivers to stop, taste, and experience private-label wines. The culinary scene has also risen to prominence, with chefs like Thomas Keller spearheading a haute-cuisine movement. Though hundreds of thousands of people visit each year, Napa still cultivates a small-town feel. There are a handful of big-name restaurants in downtown Napa that might have limos parked out front, but there are still plenty of eclectic, hole-in-the wall eateries serving vegan fare or barbecue.