Story and photos by Shilo Urban
“How does the wine make you feel?” I’m sipping a glass of sauvignon blanc — at least I think that’s what I’m drinking — with my eyes closed. Dreamy music drifts around the darkened room. Images pop into my mind: green grass, towering trees, a low-glowing campfire. I’m guided by the voice of Elan Fayard, founder of Azur Wines in Napa Valley. My cousin and I have signed up for her Mindful Tasting, which combines meditation, sound healing, and wine sampling.
It’s unlike any tasting I’ve experienced before, and the ideal beginning for a wellness getaway in California’s world-famous wine country. Long before Napa Valley became known for its cabernet sauvignons and chardonnays, it was a popular wellness destination for its many mineral-rich hot springs. But can you still find wellness in a wonderland where indulging in award-winning cuisine and wine after wine is just another Tuesday night?
We begin our quest at Archer Hotel in downtown Napa, the buzziest of the valley’s five towns. With purple hues and a soaring ceiling of swirling vines, it feels like we’re inside a wine bottle. Our suite is no less poetic, with a fireplace on the wraparound balcony and a four-poster bed with gauzy white curtains. The bed is so comfortable that I hunt down and buy the same pillows online — and my cousin orders the mattress. In the lobby, a mural-sized topographical map of Napa Valley gives us our bearings. The valley is only 30 miles long and 5 miles across at its widest, easy to explore…but with more than 400 wineries, we’d better get started!
We stroll to the riverfront for dinner at Normandie, a new fine dining restaurant. Starting with sage-butter-washed martinis, we savor an unforgettable French feast, from the cognac-flambéed lobster to the velvety goat cheese soufflé with smoked tomato coulis. It’s just the first in a stream of superlative meals in Napa Valley, whose culinary bywords are fresh, local, and sustainable. We linger over delicate chicken pastries at Eight North and devour decadent scallops with crispy crab risotto at Carpe Diem. We stumble onto swoon-worthy eats without even trying, like the fresh cultured butter at Napa Farmers Market. We have a quick bagel breakfast at Loveski Deli, then realize it’s owned by a Michelin three-star chef; we duck into Calistoga Creamery for an afternoon treat and discover handmade organic ice cream. Two scoops, please.
But we’re sure to save room for our three-course meal on the Napa Valley Wine Train, a slow-rolling adventure from Napa to St. Helena and back. The whistle blows as we chug away from the depot in antique Pullman rail cars, ready to drink in the vineyard scenery and the sun-kissed California wine.
About that wine…sigh. I knew we were in for some fantastic tastings, but I didn’t expect each winery to be so unique. After Azur Wines, we visit JaM Cellars, a tasting room/music studio where a charming young buck in cowboy boots guides us through the glasses. He gives us frosé Jell-O shots and invites us to music bingo that night. We drop by Lewis Cellars next, a lavish hillside sanctuary near Yountville with irreverent art and Ancient Rome-meets-dark academia décor. The wines are just as lush, and canapés from a Michelin-starred chef heighten the sensual smorgasbord. Our host is pure elegance, providing graceful answers to my many questions. What exactly makes a chardonnay sexy, anyway?
In St. Helena, we tour a dramatic Victorian mansion dripping with stained glass at Beringer Vineyards; the winery is 150 years old this year and one of Napa Valley’s Grande Dames. An adorable Spanish wine snob leads us through the tasting, telling us exactly what’s what — and teaching us a ton.
But wait a minute…what about wellness? We press pause at the Four Seasons’ sumptuous Spa Talisa in Calistoga, the town where early Californians soaked in mineral hot springs. I opt for a muscle-melting massage and try the wine barrel sauna. We do yoga and ride e-bikes through the flat, fertile valley, whose wide bike lanes unfurl between endless rows of grapevines.
Nature simply comes closer in Napa Valley, whether pedaling through vineyards or practicing your downward dog. Nowhere is this truer than at Harvest Inn in St. Helena, a timeless hideaway tucked alongside a vineyard with tiny budding grapes. It feels like a fairy tale come to life, with winding brick pathways, ivy-covered cottages, and hundreds of giant redwoods stretching toward the sky. In the morning, we ease into our patio’s hot tub and watch the mist lift off the mountains; at night, we light our fireplace and fall asleep to the crackle. To me, this is wellness: being present in the moment and realizing that your happy place is happening right here, right now.
Somehow, five-star indulgence pairs perfectly with genuine restoration in Napa Valley, where wellness is woven into the very landscape — and where every row of vines invites you to slow down, take a deep breath, and just be.