Elevating the Napa Experience

By Fran Endicott Miller | Photos Courtesy of Vista Collina Resort

More than a hotel, Tuscan-inspired Vista Collina Resort presents a new format for discovering the bounty of wine country. Located in an area often referred to as the gateway to Napa Valley, Vista Collina curates the best of Napa at its centerpiece, The Village, where nine wine tasting rooms encircle the resort’s large community lawn. Some of the finest boutique wineries and micro breweries in Napa Valley are featured, including Trinitas Cellars, Foley Food & Wine Society, Jayson by Pahlmeyer, Napa Smith Brewery, Luna Vineyards, GEN 7 Wines, Anarchist Co., Cornerstone Cellars, and Mi Sueno.

An on-site grocery, a professional cooking school, and the expansive 16,000-square-foot event lawn that is ideal for picnics and private concerts make Vista Collina a destination unto itself. Fivetown Grocery offers a delectable assortment of gourmet nibbles, tastes, and gift items from the five towns that make up Napa Valley, with selections ranging from housemade pasta and sauces to freshly baked bread, all made from scratch in small batches by celebrated executive chef Vincent Lesage. The Village Food & Wine Center features an exhibition kitchen, where a cast of rotating chefs and bakers offer cooking classes.

While it’s not necessary to be an overnight guest to enjoy many of these amenities, it would be a shame to miss the full scope of the resort’s hospitality. An intimate reception lounge resembling an elegant residential living room serves as the unassuming yet refined check-in area. All 145 guest rooms and suites are upholstered in hues of merlot, gold, and green, and feature beds swathed in sumptuous Frette® linens. Cozy blankets and robes ward off the nighttime chill. Suites offer their own living and kitchen areas and feature luxurious bathrooms with barn-door entry, freestanding soaking tubs, and separate showers. The resort’s partnership with Heston Cue allows for a particular suite highlight: guests can select a seasonal, farm-fresh recipe they’d like to make. The resort’s culinary team delivers the ingredients, and Chef Lesage provides instruction via video.

“There’s a casual sophistication to the property that’s reflective of Napa, with truly one-of-a-kind experiences—from our incredible culinary offerings to custom design,” says Vista Collina Resort Managing Director Shashi Poudyal. “We wanted to capture Napa’s style and charm in an understated way.”