Meadowood Napa Valley

Several towns in California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys have a legitimate claim on the title of America’s culinary capital, and St. Helena, home of the West Coast branch of the Culinary Institute of America, is a strong contender. These days it’s also home to one of the California wine country’s most rarefied — and wine-obsessed — hotels. Meadowood Napa Valley has been a local institution for half a century, but far from showing its age, today it remains an absolutely first-rate luxury resort.

It’s certainly got all the building blocks. The setting, on the fringes of St. Helena, affords plenty of privacy to the rooms, suites, and cottages, all of which are outfitted in an elegant residential style, and which range from rather large to downright sprawling. All come with fireplaces, essential for those cool Northern California nights, as well as all the expected luxury trimmings, from California King beds with down bedding to Flamingo Estate bath products, in-room espresso machines, and the full suite of electronic conveniences.

As lodgings go, they’re more or less beyond criticism. But where Meadowood really sets itself apart is outside the bedrooms. There’s an all-suite spa, a newly renovated fitness center with plenty of class programming, three pools, and a hiking trail. Forum, the new restaurant, showcases the finest seasonal ingredients, sourced from Meadowood Farm and other local producers. And the wine program is perhaps second to none — the new Wine Center offers classes and tastings for all levels of knowledge and interest.