peggy

For my husbands 50th birthday, I would love a recommendation, for a charming "chateau" style accomadation in California Wine Country. Would love to stay at a winery, but not required. Any suggestions? Thanks

linda

Peggy,
Having just returned from there, my 50 yr old husband loved Sonoma Valley hands down over crowded Napa. He's been twice. You hear traffic and have congestion even in the off-season. Suggest you look under rants and raves and start there.

Peggy

Thanks, I am not locked into Napa, mostly trying to get romantic chateau like getaway... also.. where is "rants and raves?"

linda

Rants and Raves is on home page of Fodors. Look where it says rate Hotels and restaurants. It will lead you to a page with states and cities...scroll down to California and hit the link for Wine Country. You'll find Fodor's picks plus reviews from readers. Great place to find info!

peggy

Thanks linda!

Tony

There are two great places to stay in the Wine Country for a special occasion that you might want to check out. In the Sonoma Valley, there is the Sonoma Mission and Inn. In the Napa Valley, a very special place is Meadowood Napa Valley. It is an exquisite property that reminds you of a country estate. There are about 85 cottages, suites and lodges spread around among the oak and pine trees. My wife and I stay there for our special occasions.

Kathy

Peggy-

My husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary at Castle in the Clouds B&B in Napa Valley and it was splendid! It was VERY private with only 4 rooms and gates to limit access. The views were spectacular! See if you can find their web site and you can get a great idea of what to expect. The innkeepers were also very helpful in providing assistance in planning a customized itinerary, and avoiding the notorious crowds. We stayed for 5 days and were able to visit Sonoma as well which we also liked.

sharon

While in general I agree with Peggy - I prefer Sonoma to Napa - my favorite romantic spot to stay is in Napa.

Auberge du Soliel http://www.aubergedusoleil.com

Peggy

Boy, I love this website! You get such great suggestions. Both Meadowwood and Auberge du soleil look fantastic. Thanks!!

kam

Not a "chateau" but a beautiful old house is Madrona Manor, our very favorite place in the wine country. Excellent dining room, charming rooms, wonderful staff, located just outside Healdsburg in the Sonoma wine country.

Ben

Personally, I prefer Meadowood over Auberge du Soleil. While Meadowood is expensive, it is not outrageously expensive like Auberge du Soleil. The atmosphere is also more private and romantic. If my wife was doing this for me I would definitely prefer Meadowood.

linda

I'm back. I prefer anything in Sonoma over Napa. We had a $120 lunch for 2 at Auberge- and though it was very nice, you still heard all the traffic along the Silverado trail the whole time, as you did with almost all the wineries in Napa.There is no quiet or tranquility there. The wineries are close to the main drag and have the constant roar and beeping of traffic!Sonoma is quiet and refined. Healdsburg is a lovely area. We loved it and are planning our return trip for next year!

xxx

zinfandelinn.com
Beautiful old Tudor style house. Very romantic and quiet.

peggy

Madrona Manor looks beautiful. It's not a B&B is it? Is it walking distance to wineries? When we were in Carmel, after visiting a few wineries, we really needed some "sobering" time before driving back to our hotel. I know we don't HAVE TO swallow the wine...but, for us that's most of the fun.

kam

No, Madrona Manor is not a B&B, it's a full service hotel with dining room etc. And, no, unfortunately I don't think there are wineries within walking distance. Sonoma is more spread out. You could walk into the town of Healdsburg though. One thing that might help in your wine tasting is to have a really good lunch halfway through the day. But, do be careful.

linda

Peggy,
There are wine tasting rooms in Healdsburg, so you can finish off the day there and not worry about your buzz. Healdsburg is one of the coolest towns I've visited in the US.

peggy

I do like the idea of Sonoma being quieter then Napa... since I am looking for something romantic. The room is important, fireplace, terrace, lovely gardens... great restaurants nearby, but we are not late nighters... we would prefer to go back to our room with a great bottle we found at a wonderful local winery... everyone has had such great info.. thank you so much.

wine

My husband and I LOVED the Zinfandel Inn! That is a "best kept" secret there! It is soooo romantic and the rooms are beautiful. The owner is very nice and seems to know so much about where to go and what to see. Take a look at it.

Joe

peggy: I too prefer laid back Sonoma over Napa. BUT, everything you describe as a requirement says Meadowwood. I gaurentee you will not hear traffic at Meadowwood. It is magnificent. You can have the seclusion, the fireplace, the great cusine and a wonderful wine list as well. One of my favorite places. There are wineries very close by (short drive). Have fun.