Just prior to the onset of the pandemic, the AAA Four-Diamond Vintner’s Resort in Santa Rosa completed a sweeping $17-million renovation. The investment added additional accommodation options and gave the entire property a gorgeous facelift. When completed in 2019, it also gave the award-winning 92-acre resort a stunning 5,000-sq.-ft., full-service Vi La Vita Spa.
And then…BAM. Pandemic.
The bright side? Though completed nearly three years ago, the epic renovation feels completely new in 2022. Thus, a staycation soon is a must.
Location. Location. Location.
Vintner’s Resort is centrally located in Sonoma. To give perspective, it is less than 15 minutes from the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, Russian River Brewing, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens, J Vineyards and its Bubble Room, Bricoleur Vineyards, DeLoach Vineyards, Williamson Wines, Old World Winery, Fogline Vineyards and Benovia Winery. If up for a daytrip, it also happens to be about 40 minutes from Bodega Bay, and there is a plethora of family-owned farms a short drive away that allow visitors to pick their own produce seasonally (ask the concierge for help arranging this experience).
Beyond its neighbors and accessibility, Vintner’s Resort is located smack dab in the middle of its own Russian River Valley AVA vineyard, meaning every single room has partial of full vineyard views as far as the eye can see. Each of the resort buildings, in fact, is covered in greenery, which almost makes the entire property disappear into the vineyard when every is in bloom.
Accommodations
There are eight lodging options at the Vintner’s Resort from which to choose – Vineyard View Fireplace King, Vineyard View Deluxe, Vineyard View Suite, Courtyard King Room, Courtyard Fireplace Room, Courtyard Junior Suite, Vineyard Terrace Deluxe Suite, and Courtyard Suite – each of which has ADA-accessible options.
While each of the rooms is breathtaking, if visiting for a special weekend, splurge on a Vineyard Terrace Deluxe Suite or Courtyard Suite.
The Vintner’s Resort’s 800-sq.-ft. Terrace Deluxe Suite, which has exceptionally high ceilings that make it feel twice as big, is a dream for romance or entertaining. It opens to a massive living room with a fireplace, plush furniture, half-bathroom, dining space for four, small wet bar and flat-screen television. There are then two doors, one of which leads to a private and fully furnished enclosed patio. The other leads to a private bedroom with a California king bed and full-size primary bathroom complete with a double vanity. If staying in this suite, be sure to check the wine cooler in the room. Vintner’s Resort is smart to provide complimentary wine to guests in these suites and already has it chilling in the cooler before arrival
At 940 square feet, the Courtyard Suite feels like a full-sized house plunked down in the middle of an oasis of vines. It has all the bells and whistles of the Deluxe Suite, but it is super-sized.
No matter the room choice, always answer when turndown service comes calling. Why? Because the Vintner’s Resort accompanies every turndown service with fresh-from-the-oven cookies that rival grandma’s.
Dining
Many people who come and fall in love with Vintner’s Resort find it first thanks to its signature restaurant, John Ash & Co.
When it opened in 1980, John Ash & Co. (according to Sonoma County Tourism) was the very first restaurant in Sonoma to produce seasonal menus utilizing ingredients from nearby producers. One might say they were “farm-to-table” before it was cool. John Ash himself is even credited by many as the “Father of Wine Country Cuisine.” While he did sell the restaurant years ago, he left it in the responsible hands of Executive Chef Tom Schmidt, who continues to lead the brand today. Every visit here is special, and each dish tells a story. If visiting for the first time, consider the chef’s tasting menu. The entire table must order it but expect a progressive four-course (plus surprises) culinary adventure that will allow taste buds to tour authentic California cuisine like never before. The John Ash & Co. menu also boasts more than 275 regional wine options, plus ever-changing signature cocktails to please those looking for whimsy as well as those who just want something spirit-forward to sip.
There are also two other restaurants at Vintner’s Resort in the Front Room Bar & Lounge, which is an extension of John Ash with its own menu of small plates and epic mixologist, and River Vine, which overlooks the Vintner’s Resort gardens and offers a beautiful spread at breakfast and lunch.
Vi La Vita Spa
Vi La Vita Spa is the crown jewel of the renovation.
The modern, tranquil space offers a full menu of traditional massage, facial and body treatments as well as a full suite of CBD-infused treatments, probiotic-infused facials, gemstone facials, coconut sugar scrubs and even professional brow and lash tinting.
Guests of Vi La Vita Spa have full use of the men’s and women’s locker rooms, each of which has a steam room in addition to showers and other amenities, as well as an adult-only co-ed outdoor pool and a co-ed caldarium, which is a modern-day take on a Roman bath house. It features an indoor warm soaking pool as well as communal relaxation space.
But Wait, There’s More
If an outdoor lover, set up a Garden Tour ahead of visiting (must book two weeks in advance). During these intimate, two-hour tours, the resort’s garden manager will dig in – literally – to all the flora and fauna that makes the property so magical. Oh, it also includes wine and a fresh little snack followed by a fabulous picnic amid the greenery.
For more information on the Vintner’s Resort, visit vintnersresort.com.
4350 Barnes Rd.
Santa Rosa, CA