Heading to a post-post-harvest Wine Country for a winter staycation means you get all the perks without the crowds.
Start by checking into the Russian River Valley’s Farmhouse Inn (from $595 per night), fresh off an $8 million dollar renovation by Healdsburg designer Myra Hoefer. Seventeen luxury suites are appointed with indoor-outdoor fireplaces, stately four-poster beds, steam showers, and jetted soaking tubs. The farm-to-massage-table treatment menu at the brand new spa incorporates such curative ingredients as forest honey (a natural anti-inflammatory) and alfalfa hay (rich in vitamin A) from hotel owner Joe Bartolomei’s ranch, along with herbs grown in the garden cultivated by the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant.
While a midwinter sojourn in Wine Country may not yield impossibly picturesque fields of lush grape vines or the spirited ambiance that only builds as harvest time draws nigh, there is the phenomenally popular pliny the younger release (Feb. 6) to look forward to. Less than 20 minutes drive from the hotel, the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa releases their hoppy triple IPA for two weeks only each year, starting the first Friday in February, and fans from all over the country line up for hours to get a taste of the unbottled brew. Just remember to leave room for the Farmhouse Inn’s gooey chocolate chip cookies, left bedside at turndown. Sweet dreams, here you come.
This article was published in 7x7's February 2015 issue. Click here to subscribe.