These Are the Best Hotels, Wineries, and Destinations to Visit in Wine Country 

The West is home to some of the best wine growing regions in the world, as well as some of the most beautiful hotels and resorts to stay in and enjoy the fruits of the wineries, and tasting rooms that make wine travel so satisfying. In our annual travel awards, we routinely honor the lodging and regions for delivering superlative experiences and hospitality. Here’s a collection of the wine country destinations that we think you should visit this year. Cheers!

The New Inn

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The New Inn, nestled in Southern California’s famed Temecula wine country, offers an exclusive escape with glamorous accommodations and access to the region’s top wineries through complimentary tasting cards. Guests enjoy curated experiences like hot-air balloon rides, horseback adventures, and couples’ massages, all while fostering community and creating lasting memories in a breathtaking setting.

Bella Union Winery

Yoshi Makino

Far Niente’s newest winery and tasting room is all earth and jewel tones, a super chic addition to Napa Valley that feels as much like an indoor-outdoor wine country social club as it does a tasting center. With an artist in residence program and culinary offerings, it’s a dynamic spin on the vinous good life.

MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa

MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa

City and country combine at this relaxing modern farmhouse resort in the heart of the town of Sonoma. The ratio of 69 rooms to six acres allows for privacy and space to stroll the grounds and enjoy the firepits, pool, sculptures, and art (there’s an excellent artist residency program), or simply spa the day away. Be sure to book at one of its restaurants to experience the bounty of the surrounding countryside.

San Luis Obispo County

Courtesy of Visit SLO CAL

Here, adventure comes in many forms—whether it’s hiking to wildflower-covered peaks in Montaña de Oro, surfing the coast’s 80 miles of shoreline, spotting elephant seals and monarch butterflies, or swinging above vibrant hillsides at the Instagram-famous “Serenity Swing.” Travelers can also indulge in the region’s rich farm-to-table culture and top it all off with a visit to one of our favorite up-and-already there wine regions, Paso Robles.

Far Niente Winery

Courtesy of Far Niente Winery

Known for its impeccable cabs and chards, this family-owned Napa winery established in 1885 has stood the test of time.

Gaige House

Courtesy of Four Sisters Inns

Tucked away in Glen Ellen, Gaige House is a serene, ultra-private retreat where wine country charm meets Japanese-inspired tranquility, complete with ryokan suites featuring granite soaking tubs and onsen-style baths. With Zen gardens, creekside hammocks, morning yoga, and soundtracked serenity from Calabazas Creek, it’s a hidden haven for deep relaxation and refined escape.

Hotel San Luis Obispo

Tanveer Badal

This handsome boutique luxury hotel in downtown San Luis Obispo offers a modern retreat on the Central Coast. With a rooftop bar offering sips, drinks, and views of the rolling hills, plus three other restaurants with local produce and proteins cooked with exacting technique, and sleek and chic rooms, Hotel SLO is a uniquely sophisticated stay in the region and combines the best of city and country.

Santa Maria Valley

Courtesy of Santa Maria Valley

This destination is so much more than the regional style of barbecue that makes it famous. Its cool maritime climate not only makes for award-winning wines but also excellent outdoor adventures like hiking and mountain biking, craft beer tasting, and shopping at indie boutiques.

Soter Vineyards

Michele McSwain

Soter puts conservation front and center at its biodynamic Mineral Springs Ranch, where its nuanced Pinot Noirs and other varietals are served alongside an optional Provisions Tasting menu of foraged and locally sourced, seasonal ingredients: think morels, favas, duck confit, and Oregon birch syrup. This Willamette Valley experience is a relaxed and celebratory combination of sustainability and luxury.

Solvang

SolvangUSA.com

Solvang captivates visitors with its Danish-American charm, offering a delightful array of wine tasting, unique boutiques, and artisan food experiences ranging from street cuisine to Michelin-honored, new-Californian fare. Amid its enchanting architecture, guests can enjoy small-batch coffee, hand-bottled spices, and local events like the festive Solvang Julefest, ensuring an unforgettable cultural escape on the West Coast.

Healdsburg

Stay Healdsburg

It’s a rare occasion to thumb through an issue of Sunset and not see something about this stunner of a town, which lies at the crux of three of the region’s premier American Viticultural Areas—Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley. With world-class restaurants, eco-conscious boutique hotels, and the obvious wine tasting, it’s the perfect spot to situate yourself for an ideal wine country weekend.

Echolands Estate

Bea Murray

The striking new estate and winery produces wine from top Walla Walla fruit, boasts a tasting room cantilevered over Mill Creek, and offers spectacular views of the Blue Mountains. The abundant rain allows for dry farming, making this a sustainable and stylish must-visit addition to the region.

Cliff Lede Vineyards

Courtesy of Cliff Lede Vineyards

Located in Napa Valley’s prized Stags Leap District just outside of Yountville, Cliff Lede Vineyards makes stellar wines from some of the best grapes in the appellation. With a winery designed by legend Howard Backen, the property offers tastings of its excellent wines in a beautiful setting filled with art and rock ’n’ roll memorabilia.

Abbey Road Farm

John Valls

Abbey Road Farm is a dreamy Willamette Valley escape where you can sip estate-grown wines, sleep in chic converted silos, and wake to a gourmet breakfast crafted by Chef Will Preisch. With a winery, tasting room, and a cast of resident alpacas, pigs, and donkeys, this is farm life with a seriously luxurious twist.

Alma Rosa Winery

Zach Brown of Atlas Imagery

As the first certified organic winery in Santa Barbara, this pioneering estate makes exceptional coastal cool climate wines that are the embodiment of the Santa Rita Hills appellation.

Frank Family Vineyards

Courtesy of Frank Family Vineyards

Though its patriarch sadly passed recently, this cult producer will always be synonymous with Calistoga Cabernet.

Séka Hills Tasting Room

Courtesy of Séka Hills

We’re big fans of Séka Hills olive oil, and its new Capay Valley tasting room northwest of Sacramento celebrates the oil and other agricultural products produced by this company, owned and operated by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. Here, you can try olive oils, wines, honey, beef jerky, and seasoned nuts, as well as hot and cold small plates featuring Yocha Dehe ranch-raised beef and farm-fresh produce.

Petit Soleil

Blake Bronstead

Petit Soleil is a charming 17-room escape in San Luis Obispo, channeling French Riviera vibes with whimsical design, luxe linens, and organic bath products. Guests are treated to farm-fresh breakfasts, an aperitif hour with local wine and cheese, and warm, detail-driven hospitality, making every stay feel like home.