The Meritage Resort and Spa: A Napa Valley Wine Country Retreat

There are no pristine white sandy beaches, no cascading waterfalls, no wickedly wild water sports to lure visitors to this valley. Instead, as we entered Napa Valley we were surrounded by vineyards everywhere — in the valleys and atop the hills. The area has hundreds of acres of land reserved for growing grapes, which will eventually be harvested to compete for the best varietals and estate signature wines for wineries and lodgings to impress their guests.

In wine country it is a custom for a lodging or restaurant to have its own vineyard, and the Meritage Resort is among that list. Sitting on nine acres of private vineyard, the resort offers guests an opportunity to sip, soak, and relax — sip on world-class wines from their cellar, soak in grapeseed during one of the signature treatments at Spa Terra, then wrap yourself in a Meritage robe and relax with a glass of their signature wine on the balcony. The Meritage offers a complete package for travelers visiting Napa Valley and serves as an ideal outpost for wine enthusiasts to explore the valley's many excursions.

A large statue of a man standing over a huge bucket — the Wine Crusher — signaled our arrival into wine country and onto the Meritage property. Gary and I were both invited to Napa for a celebration of the resort's recent upgrades and its $40 million expansion, which lasted over 19 months. Shortly after passing through the iron gates, the hotel revealed its true character. The weather was below 70 degrees, and walking into the lobby to check in — where a lit fireplace was centered — was a warm welcome from the outside chill.

The Meritage offers just the right combination as an introduction to the valley: complimentary wine, full spa treatments, an underground and earthy experience to quiet the mind, an outdoor urban village, a sports lounge with bowling lanes, a café, an outdoor wedding area overlooking hillside vineyards, and delicious local-seasonal cuisine.

Our room was located in the newly constructed wing, where we were offered a complimentary first night and a reduced rate on the second. A welcome gift and pleasant surprise awaited us: a bottle of the hotel's signature wine, Trinitas from their Trinitas Cellar, left in the room as a gift to all guests. The room featured a king-size bed, full shower, double sinks, an enclosed toilet, and a private balcony with a view of the vineyard and the Wine Crusher statue. The wing is new and has a few kinks to work out, but those will be ironed out over time.

Among the hotel's most distinctive features is the only underground spa in the region: Spa Terra. The 22,000-square-foot estate cave spa offers a natural, earthy, and truly relaxing subterranean experience through massage therapies, facials, and its signature treatment, Solo Vino. For 100 minutes, guests exfoliate in a cabernet grapeseed scrub, followed by an invigorating jet shower rinse and a decadent body wrap with wine cave mud, ending with a Terra Massage and a cheese tray.

The cave serves a double purpose as both spa and wine cellar. Venture into the underworld of the Meritage and be seduced with a glass of wine while de-stressing with one of their signature massage therapies in this inviting, subterranean atmosphere. Adjoining the spa is the Trinitas Wine Cellar — a showplace for the Meritage wine collection, open for guided and private tours and tastings from morning to night.

At Siena Restaurant, Executive Chef Michael prepares Tuscan and California-inspired fare locally sourced from Napa and its surroundings. On the first evening we were welcomed with a glass of prosecco and later enjoyed small portions of their delicious offerings.

Although the Meritage sits just outside Napa Valley proper, it offers reasonable rates and just the right amount of excitement to keep guests entertained — including Crush Ultra Lounge, a luxury sports bar featuring six bowling lanes and the first installation in the United States of the Vollmer String Bowling system for resetting pins. The lively bar allows the wine experience to continue long after you've left the valley.

If you are looking for the perfect home base to explore the wineries of the valley — or to host the ultimate wine-country wedding — visit themeritageresort.com. Date visited: May 2012.

For more upcoming events across South Florida, visit the Premier Guide Miami Events Calendar .