Hotel Review

words by > D. Heimpel

Meadowood
Napa Valley, California
900 Meadowood Lane St. Helena, CA 800-458-8080 www.meadowood.com

Course seven of 12 at Napa Valley’s Restaurant at Meadowood is a bonus from Executive Chef Vincent Natress. A filet of sole, with a dash of yellow sauce, is brought to the table by one of 20 servers attending to the dimly lit restaurant’s 40 patrons. He lays it next to a glass of Napa Valley Riesling and explains that the sauce is an emulsification—a mixing of fat—in this case, olive oil with egg yolk, saffron and sea urchin. “It’s like a hollandaise with no butter or milk—just olive oil.”

When asked how Meadowood’s Restaurant stacks up against the rest, Natress smiles and confidently says, “It’s one of the best.” But the restaurant is just one ingredient in the 250 acres of forest, hills, tennis courts, suites, golf links and croquet pitches that make up the Meadowood feast. Sixty miles from downtown San Francisco in St. Helena, Meadowood is the perfect jump-off for Napa Valley wine tasting and dining—if you can manage to leave the resort.

Meadowood’s 85 suites and rooms are integrated into the surrounding forest. All are close enough for a shady walk to the central clubhouse with its two pools, spa and whirlpool, but Meadowood’s staff is happy to zip you around on a golf cart if you are feeling a little light-headed after the nightly wine tasting or a meal from the grill overlooking the golf links.

Every moment of your time at Meadowood is coordinated by its staff. You can’t even pick up a towel and lay it on one of the deck chairs by the pool; a white-short-and-white-polo clad attendant will insist on doing it for you. The tennis courts may not have young tennis acolytes running your balls down for you, but the pro-shop has top-of-the-line equipment and knowledgeable staff.

When you do make it off the grounds, Meadowood’s staff is happy to make arrangements for wine-tasting tours or restaurant reservations. Or, if you are feeling more adventurous, you can hit the highway yourself and visit Napa Valley’s multitude of wineries.

But Meadowood’s suites are what you pay for. With oak trees crowding the windows and firelight dancing off the beams, you can relax on the couch with a glass of one of Napa’s famous Cabernet Sauvignons, or you can simply enjoy the plush king-sized bed. Any number of reasons—the food, the wine, the diversion— might have brought you to Meadowood, but its the whole package that will bring you back.