SAN FRANCISCO MAGAZINE - After the crush of fall grapes and summer visitors, wine country winds down for locals—and becomes the perfect place for a winter break. Oenophiles can meet famed and often reclusive vintners, who regularly pop into the tasting rooms to chat. And foodies can find tables at high season’s hard-to-book restaurants. Here’s how to hit the vineyards this holiday season.
Napa Valley
Across from Meritage Resort & Spa, its sister property on Napa’s outskirts, Vista Collina Resort features not only 145 casual-elegant rooms (from $179) with Frette linens and a wine-inspired palette, but also a microcosm of the CIA at Copia culinary compound downtown. The Village boasts tasting rooms and a locally sourced artisanal grocery, stocked with fresh bread from executive chef Vincent Lesage, formerly of Bacara; it will begin offering cooking classes in an exhibition kitchen next year. Guests in the 39 suites with kitchens can prepare Lesage’s recipes using Hestan Cue’s video guide for their Bluetooth-connected pans and induction burners. 850 Bordeaux Way, Napa, 888-965-7090
