Napa Valley: California's most-exciting foodie corner
Arriving in the Napa Valley, there has always been a sense of entering a different ecosystem: one not just of rose bushes and golden vine-covered hills, but of languorous lunches and time slowing to the pace of a ripening grape. Recent years have threatened the Edenic status of Napa and its neighbouring wine region Sonoma – the pandemic, of course, but also the wildfires that ripped through in 2020, destroying more than 30 wineries, including Calistoga Ranch, and causing extensive damage to woodsy properties such as Meadowood Napa Valley. Yet the story this spring is one of resilience. Meadowood is back up and running, and new tasting rooms have opened.
Alina TyulyuAmong them is Faust Haus, where the organic Cabernet Sauvignons are presented in a matt-black Queen Anne building worthy of the chicest horror movie. Napa’s almost 400 wineries are more sustainable than ever, too, with innovations to make growing grapes less water-intensive. ‘We’ve seen this whole community come together to fight,’ says Kashy Khaledi, the owner of Ashes & Diamonds, which opened in 2018 as a campus-like winery that takes its cues from mid-century modernism.
‘Hellfire and apocalypse make better soundbites, but the Napa Valley is really a tight-knit collection of mostly family-run businesses, and we’re coming out of this strong.’ Ashes & Diamonds’ highly rated grand vins are more in demand than ever, as are many of the area’s tasting rooms, partly, Khaledi says, because people are consuming more consciously. More than that, Napa is still the place he fell in love with as a stressed-out Capitol Records executive. A ‘Shangri-La, a place to disconnect from a disposable culture... a place that is tangible, in all the right ways.’
Adrian GautMembers' club wineries in Napa Valley
Many of Napa and Sonoma’s favourite tasting rooms trade on organic wine and highly coveted wine clubs. Scribe, owned by fourth-generation farmers Andrew and Adam Mariani, has so many adoring fans in San Francisco that only members of its viticultural society can enjoy the picnic tables and rope swings of its Sonoma winery. Reeve in Healdsburg, run by well-travelled partners Noah and Kelly Dorrance, is a more accessible take on mod-rustic, with a gorgeous indoor-outdoor tasting room, and the chance to stay in the villa on the 55-acre vineyard.
Other regional favourites are more openly design-driven, including sunny Ashes & Diamonds, all zigzag roofs and portholes; and the glassy angles of Quintessa, on a gorgeous 280-acre estate in Rutherford, split between biodynamic vineyards and protected woodland. The newest tasting rooms include Seven Apart, a sharply modern space atop Atlas Peak that opened in autumn 2021, with wines from celebrated Napa maker Andy Erickson (the man behind names such as Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate); and Faust Haus, just north-west of St Helena, which serves its organic wines in a space that’s almost punk-Victorian, with freehand murals and vintage photographs.
Emily NathanClassic wineries in Napa Valley
If the Napa Valley can do smart modernity, the area is also about a certain Old World-inspired grandeur. There’s Domaine Carneros, between Napa and Sonoma, a European-style château with topiary gardens and méthode traditionelle sparkling wines; and Chateau Montelena, built in English Gothic style in 1888, and a winner at the historic Judgement of Paris competition in 1976, when the French wine world was shocked that Californian vintages came out top in each category.
Many estates trade on family stories: the Venetian-style palazzo of Del Dotto, from an Italian clan whose winemaking roots go back to the 1400s; Caymus, where the Wagners have been producing quality Cabernet Sauvignon since 1972; and Joseph Phelps, founded in 1973 and in the family ever since, and where Joseph’s son Bill oversees the smart timber tasting room. Few Napa families come more famous than the Coppolas, the latest owners of Rutherford winery Inglenook, whose vast 19th-century château, all creeping vines and ornamental fountains, is one of the grandest in the valley.
Rachel WeillThe hottest restaurants in Napa Valley
Is there a better corner of America to eat in? Yountville and St Helena have fewer than 5,000 residents each, but both are three-Michelin-star territory: Thomas Keller’s locavore pioneer The French Laundry and The Restaurant At Meadowood, which is due to reopen imminently after fire damage. Given the overwhelming density of great provenance-centred eating, it’s easier to stick to some of the more recent arrivals, including Yountville’s North Block Restaurant, where Momofuku alumnus Nick Tamburo brings wood and smoke to bear on seasonal Californian ingredients, as well as serving naturally leavened pizzas.
Over in Sonoma’s Healdsburg, The Matheson – a cavernous space with a sushi kitchen and rooftop bar – is the latest farm-to-table opening from renowned San Francisco chef Dustin Valette. Little Saint is a new farm-forward spot in the glassy, 10,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Shed, with plant-based food, music and film screenings from Kyle and Katina Connaughton, the owners of much-hyped farmstay SingleThread.
Don RiddleWhere to stay in Napa Valley
The opening of the Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley in November 2021 was always going to be an event. Five minutes from Calistoga, its 85 barn-like rooms gently nod to the area’s ranching past, with rare double views of the Vaca and Mayacama mountains. What really sets it apart though is its very own winery, Elusa, a partnership with famed local vintner Thomas Rivers Brown. The land always feels close: terraces are just feet from rows of Cabernet grapes, and the Truss restaurant is all about provenance, with ingredients sourced locally for dishes such as quail with asparagus and fava beans.
Book your stay at the Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley now, doubles from about £910
Auberge Resorts CollectionIn the town of Napa, which has come into its own as a destination in recent years, two revamped Victorian homes have upped the game: The McClelland House is an Italianate mansion turned into a lovely six-room B&B, while The George has nine rooms in a restored Queen Anne building with such elegant turrets that it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. Both are great bases from which to explore Oxbow public market, which has an outpost of local favourite Hog Island Oyster Bar.
Book your stay at The McClelland House now, doubles from about £225
Book your stay at The George now, doubles from about £320
Katie NewburnAnyone who has driven through Calistoga over the past 70 years has likely clocked the neon sign advertising hot springs and mud baths at Dr Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Spa. This mid-century landmark recently had a sassy makeover that feels instantly more Coachella Valley than Napa, with retro mini-fridges, pink bathrobes and relative affordability for these parts. Doc Wilkinson was a wellness pioneer when he opened the place in 1952, and though his Buick is no longer parked outside, the hotel channels his ethos – from the essential oils given to guests on arrival to the smartly updated spa and CBD treatments. The House of Better restaurant is health-driven and inspired by the American Southwest, and booze-free tonics are an antidote to all that wine tasting.
Book your stay at Dr Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Spa now, doubles from about £210
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts CollectionA bit further out of Calistoga, Auberge Resorts’ Solage has had a £22 million renovation, with new suites, smartened-up guest rooms and an expanded terrace at its rustic restaurant Solbar. The most exciting addition might be Picobar, a new eating spot beside the large pool with views of the Mayacamas mountains, where Mexican chef Gustavo Rios turns out dishes of whipped avocado with goat’s cheese and edible flowers.
Book your stay at Solage now, doubles from about £605
Rachel WeillNear St Helena to the south, Meadowood Napa Valley was damaged by the Glass Fire, but the reopened space feels intimate and its 36 rooms are as gorgeous as ever. Though chef Christopher Kostow’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant was destroyed in the blaze it is due to be relaunched soon; his team have used the time out of the kitchen to seek inspiration in dining destinations such as Smyth in Chicago and Mexico City’s Pujol.
Book your stay at Meadowood Napa Valley now, doubles from about £680
The Napa Valley has long been associated with wellness thanks to the hot springs of Calistoga, which have been luring pilgrims for more than a century. But when Stanly Ranch opens early this year, it will usher in a new era of self-care. The centrepiece will be Halehouse, a sprawling wellbeing centre with a multi-level sauna and cutting-edge treatments including cryotherapy. With 78 cottages surrounded by 700 acres of ranch land, it feels like a return to Calistoga’s golden age of healing.
Book your stay at Stanly Ranch now, doubles from about £760
Keep scrolling for more images of Napa Valley…
Stephanie RussoVineyard Barn at the Four Seasons
Rachel WeillSolage
Gentleman and a GingerThe McClelland House
Rachel WeillMeadowood
Gentleman and a GingerBreakfast at The McClelland House
Chiara LesecThe library suite at The McClelland House
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts CollectionOutdoor fireplace at Solage
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts CollectionWine server at Solage
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts CollectionThe grounds at Solage
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts CollectionCocktails at Solbar at Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection
The IngallsLunch on the terrace at Solbar
Noah WebbElusa Winery at the Four Seasons
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts CollectionCaesar salad at Solbar
The IngallsFirepit at Solbar
Chiara LesecThe McClelland House