Speaking of gems, this quaint resort town set in the northern part of Napa Valley is a true one. Known for its geothermal hot springs and mud baths, a stay, or even just a day, in Calistoga is an instant vacation. Two of its long-time resorts have undergone facelifts recently, as well as added restaurants, making it even easier to relax and rejuvenate all in one place.

Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa has had a few other names and owners over the years (and is one of my personal favorite places to stay), but the current iteration of this 5 acre property that includes two geothermal pools, a large whirlpool, and a spa, is as an upscale, yet quirky RV-themed resort with a bold blue and white palette accented with warm woods. In 2020, construction was completed on a second floor addition with 12 new guestrooms, aptly named the Vista rooms as they look out over the property.

This summer, they redesigned the reception area and lobby, which now connects to their first on-site bar and restaurant, Fleetwood. The restaurant offers wood-fired foods and delicious cocktails that can be enjoyed inside the chicly designed space or outside on the patio which features a convivial firepit area festooned with white string lights and pendants hanging from shady trees.

Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs, which has been an iconic destination for wellness since 1952, finalized a major renovation and expansion in June 2021. In addition to modernizing the existing hotel and spa while retaining its eclectic, mid-century modern style, eight extra guestrooms were added and three historic Victorian buildings dating back to the 1890s were restored and turned into bungalows and a bunkhouse that can sleep up to 15 guests.

House of Better, the new restaurant featuring Southwestern inspired cuisine and refreshing, health focused mocktails (and cocktails), is housed in two shipping containers next to the backyard pool. Enjoy your meal on the covered patio or sip some drinks while lazily swinging on one of two tree swings or several hammocks nearby.

Approaching its 50^th anniversary in 2022, Jordan Winery had already planned to refresh some areas of its ivy-covered, French chateaux inspired buildings that hadn’t been updated in decades. The pandemic expedited those plans and in the last year, they’ve been very busy! Two landscape design projects were completed and pollinator sanctuaries were added around the 1200 acre estate to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Photography by R. Brad Knipstein

They expanded from indoor-only tastings and introduced outdoor wine and food pairing experiences on their terrace – don’t miss the Paris on the Terrace experience, it will leave you feeling like you just spent a lovely afternoon in a café along the Champs-Élysées. For the interiors, they turned to Susan Schippmann for Richardson Pribuss Architects to turn their wine library into an actual library filled with rare books and tasting alcoves, and turned a secluded cellar room into an antique-filled showcase for some of Jordan’s oldest vintages.

Photography by R. Brad Knipstein

And if you needed any motivation to join their winery loyalty program (it’s free), the three gorgeous on-site suites (Vendange, Cépage and Chêne) which recently underwent a $1 million renovation and are only available to members, should do the trick. Using the Jordan family’s heirlooms and antiques as inspiration, San Francisco based interior designer Maria Haidamus lovingly updated each guest room with a modern luxe meets Old World charm. Each suite is different, each sprinkled with surprise and delight finds, like the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Schumacher Italian Panoramic mural wallpaper in the Chêne bathroom.

Photography by R. Brad Knipstein

Bacchus Landing: Set on a three-acre property less than 5 minutes from the downtown Healdsburg Plaza, this multi-winery tasting room, which just opened in July 2021, offers visitors the opportunity to try a range of wine styles in a stunning, Old World European inspired setting. Whether meeting the winemakers at any of the five spacious, open-air tasting rooms, shopping at the artisanal food market for picnic supplies to enjoy on the sprawling grounds, or playing a game or two on the bocce courts, Bacchus was designed for visitors to spend the day experiencing the beauty of what Wine Country has to offer.

If sleek and modern is more your style, don’t miss Aperture Estate. Its tasting rooms feature clean lines and a wealth of natural light courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the 40-acre Russian River Valley estate, as well as a fine art collection by winemaker Jesse Katz’s father, acclaimed photographer Andy Katz. Their red and white varietals can be enjoyed either on the outdoor terrace, inside their private lounge, or through their virtual tasting experiences if travel isn’t in the cards right now.

Think Wine Country is only about wine? Think again. Craft breweries and distilleries also abound, many utilizing the abundance of agricultural products in the area. Like organic grapes, which Hanson of Sonoma uses to make their award-winning organic vodkas (nope, no potatoes or grains in sight!). Located in the Carneros Wine Region, only 10 minutes from the historic downtown Sonoma Plaza, this family owned and operated distillery added an outdoor, oasis-like spirits garden and a wood-fired pizza oven to keep tastings going throughout quarantine. Fresh white furnishings, including umbrellas, linen-topped tables, and Adirondack chairs, are set amid the lush greenery that surrounds a large pond, providing the perfect setting to enjoy their expertly crafted cocktails, snacks, and special tastings, like martini and caviar pairings or vodka and chocolate truffle pairings. And if you somehow can’t make it to their Sonoma property, don’t worry; they also have a second tasting room in their family owned fine art gallery in downtown Sausalito.

The Donum Estate, in the gently rolling hills of the Carneros Wine Region, reopened their newly designed tasting room, the Donum Home, this past May as part of their 20th anniversary. Sculptures also grace the vineyard property, beautifully placed throughout the lush estate, creating an environment ideal for anyone who appreciates art and design, as well as fine wine.

Photography Courtesy of Donum Home – The Donum Estate and David Thulstrup by Eric Petschek

Designed by award-winning Danish architect and designer, David Thulstrup, the minimalistic design combines Californian and Scandinavian influences, using natural and local materials, as well as a mix of newly commissioned artwork and pieces already in the Donum Collection.

Photography Courtesy of Donum Home – The Donum Estate and David Thulstrup by Eric Petschek

This tiny town in the Napa Valley isn’t just home to the world-famous restaurant, The French Laundry, it’s also surrounded by top notch vineyards known for producing some of the finest Napa Cabs.

BRION, set on a 46-acre property located on Sleeping Lady Vineyard along Highway 29, opened its stylish new tasting room in October 2020. Featuring a whimsically-designed, art-filled modern interior, it was designed by interior designer Ronda Wise, who also happens to be founder Brion Wise’s wife. The tasting room serves vintages of its single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons by appointment only, allowing plenty of time to savor both the wine and the artwork.