Rutherford
California


The Experience

When it opened more than two decades ago, Auberge du Soleil helped launch the wine country's luxury revolution with its Mediterranean-style rooms, suites and private maisons spread over 33 acres of Tuscan-like hillside 90 minutes north of San Francisco. The Auberge began as a Provençal-style restaurant with prime vineyard views and an equally eye-catching menu. Eventually, terra-cotta-colored rooms and annexes were added, as was the grand tiled pool shrouded in olive trees, and more recently a sculpture gallery with 110 earthen pieces -- all positioned to maximize the surrounding vineyards and redwoods. Auberge du Soleil means "Inn of the Sun" in French, and this now trailblazing retreat continues to shine bright despite a plethora of ambitious upstarts.

The Rooms

The Auberge underwent a top-to-bottom renovation as part of its recent 20th anniversary by the same design minds who created its original elegance. In the rooms, this means a lighter, more modern take on Mediterranean chic -- from Mexican tile floors, Italian linens and oak-colored limestone fixtures to Wi-Fi access, iPod docks, flat-screen plasma TVs and espresso machines. All of the standard rooms range between 420 and 520 square feet, varying mostly by the quality of their vineyard-covered valley views. At 1,200 to 1,500 square feet, the suites are dramatically larger, though the most dramatic quarters of all are the hotel's two new maisons, aptly named Champagne and Loire. Both weigh in at a grand 1,800 square feet, with private outdoor tubs, charming fireplaces and one or two bedrooms.

The Service

Although it may be hard to actually leave the resort, the Auberge's concierge team helps guests make the most of their rustic surroundings -- from its 200-plus wineries to the best local galleries and shops. For those who stick around this adobe-colored lair, there are numerous unexpected touches, from free fitness classes to guests' names on every doorbell, to free minibars stocked with locally made snacks and daily wine and cheese service in every room.

The Highlights

Along with its postcard-perfect setting, the Auberge is best known for its trendsetting restaurant and five-year-old Spa du Soleil. The latter is a separate compound whose charming courtyard is filled with century-old olive trees; seven treatment rooms each contain spacious patios, plunge pools, an herb-infused hammam and more than two dozen expert therapists. Stroll the gardens filled with lavender and verbena over to the restaurant, which remains a Napa legend 25 years after it first opened its doors. Executive chef Robert Curry -- who trained under Alain Ducasse and Michel Rostang, among others -- uses the finest local ingredients to create dishes such as seared foie gras with poached rhubarb and poached lobster, avocado with brioche and orange vanilla vinaigrette.

-- David Kaufman

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