Carneros Resort and Spa

Finally a break from the Tuscan-Provençal style that seems to dominate the California wine country. Carneros Resort and Spa, at the south end of Napa, close to San Francisco, is rather more modern, its style a sort of rustic minimalism, its inspiration seemingly drawn not from Europe but from the American Midwest and Northeast.

It’s the buildings that people tend to either love or hate about Carneros. The corrugated metal roofs of the cottages are striking and unassuming at the same time, and fit well into the landscape of rolling hills and wide-open farmland. Once inside, though, it’s difficult to find fault — while not as over-the-top as some wine country accommodations, the cottages are simple, tasteful, and more than luxurious enough, with the full range of modern electronics, splendid indoor-outdoor showers, and private garden patios, complete with gas heaters for cool California nights.

Add to this a long outdoor pool with an idyllic view of the vineyards, a spa to compete with any in the wine country, and Farm, a restaurant serving locally sourced California cuisine, and it’s clear Carneros is a contender. There’s no accounting for taste, of course, but if you’re not afraid of modern architecture, you’ll find nothing at all to complain about here.