As mid-January approaches, the siren songs of ski resorts and sun-kissed beaches reach a fever pitch. But before you plan your usual winter getaway, don’t overlook the pleasantly off-peak California destination where winter is better known as cabernet season.
The place is Napa Valley, and the cabernet season moniker is, of course, a nod to the region’s most prominent red — which is also the perfect complement to a hearty winter meal. When the coolest months arrive in Napa and neighboring Sonoma, the red wine comes out and fall’s harvest-happy hordes of tourists are replaced with winter festivals (for truffles, olives and cheeses), fields of mustard blossoms and intimate winery experiences.
For an extra-long cabernet-season weekend in Napa Valley and Sonoma County, check out the new Wintering in Wine Countries package from Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Meadowood Napa Valley and the Russian River Valley’s Farmhouse Inn. The two independent, luxury hotels are partnering to offer couples two memorable nights at each property.
The package includes fireplace-appointed guest rooms, breakfast each morning, welcome bottles of wine (chardonnay at Meadowood, pinot noir at Farmhouse Inn), 60-minute massages at each hotel and a customized wine-tasting itinerary for each area.
The price for four nights is $3,000 per couple. The offer can be booked through either hotel and is valid through April 30 — meaning you have just over three months to raise a glass to cabernet season.
