A FAB U Lous Hotel-the Meadowood in the California Wine Country…

Nestled into a beautiful, secluded parcel of land in St. Helena in the California Wine Country above San Francisco, is Meadowood, a spectacular resort celebrating over 40 years of hospitality and tradition.

Originally built as a private club in 1964, 25 years later it became the place to stay for visitors to this area. Today its classic architecture, and a large variety of amenities and resort activities serves the area very well. Where else will you find a tennis pro, golf pro, croquet pro, and a cultural affairs director on staff?

Scattered over the 250 acres of forested hillside, you will find 85 suites, lodges and cottages all tastefully decorated with modern amenities. The Hillside Terrace boasts a wood burning fireplace, king bed, bathroom with soaking tub, a private balcony and magnificent views of the wooded hillside. The Studio offers a queen bed, spacious bathroom with shower, a wood burning fireplace and a private deck with awesome views. And, there are at least five other styles of rooms plus suites at Meadowood.

When you do leave your comfy room or cottage, there is plenty to do. On the property you'll find a spa, a fitness center with certified trainers and weekly aerobic classes, family and adult swimming pools, an adult whirlpool, two croquet lawns, a nine hole golf course, seven plexi-paved tennis courts and ball machines, and a hiking trail called "The Meadowood Loop," a 4.5 mile trail which meanders through the mountains surrounding the property.

Meadowood is very proud of its wine and cuisine and considers it the "heart and soul" of the guest experience. Here you'll find honey from their own hives, wine from a nearby vineyard, olives from their orchard, and much of the produce which is freshly picked every morning. You may choose to dine in The Restaurant, The Grill, in your room, poolside in summer, or request a custom picnic to take with you to a private place somewhere on the grounds.

They also have the staff and the many venues to host any type of event or business meeting. Imagine your own croquet tournament followed by local sparkling wines and scrumptious appetizers. Or, your wedding ceremony in one location followed by the reception in another. Another option is a private dinner party in a barrel room.

At some point you do need to leave Meadowood and all its activities to see a little bit of the area. St. Helena is a wonderful little town and I've enjoyed many of its attractions and eateries. My last experience there was attending the wedding held at their Catholic church followed by the reception at a local winery. It was a night worth remembering.

Main Street is the first place you'll want to head. In only three short blocks, you'll find yummy and locally made gourmet chocolates, unique fur fashions, foot candy (that's shoes to you and I), imported perfumes, hand crafted items, eateries and more. You might check out Lolo's - it's an upscale consignment shop and was named "favorite upscale consignment store" by the North Bay Bohemian Magazine. You'll find a large and eclectic array of reasonably priced merchandise chosen from the area. A visit to the Napa Soap Company will also prove interesting. A local young mother who wanted to create products using local ingredients started the company. Now, line contains cold-pressed grapeseed oil, a by-product from local wineries. You'll find wonderful hand-crafted soaps, gift baskets, natural cleansers for your kitchen and a friendly place to browse and enjoy the wonderful aromas.

Of course, you have to visit a couple of local wineries. Merryvale Vineyard's tasting cellar is right of Main Street near Tra Vigne Restaurant. They offer wine tasting daily, week-end seminars with a tour included, wine and food pairings on the 4th weekend of every month, and barrel tastings the 2nd Saturday and Sunday every month. (merryvale.com has details.)

Ballintine Vineyards is on Hwy. 29 as you head north out of St. Helena, just past Deer Park Road. This winery was the 115th bonded winery of California - today there are almost 6,000 bonded wineries in the state. They have won numerous awards for their wines which are all red varietals and all of the grapes used in their wines come from three local vineyards. One of the vineyards, Betty's Vineyards, is adjacent to the winery and is the Ballintine family home. They are looking forward to the first release of their first Cabernet Sauvignon. (Visit their website at ballintinevineyards.com for more information.)

St. Helena has many fine eateries from budget coffee shops to the Culinary Institute of America at St. Helena. I've been to events at the Culinary Institute - they have a great "banquet room" upstairs which is more like a long wine cave and the food is very, very good. Tra Vigne is another great restaurant - there is, or was, a sign with my family name on it in their front courtyard on Main Street. (We don't know of any connection but there must have been one long ago.) Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen on Railroad Avenue is a terrific place to go. The owner, Cindy Pawlcyn, also owns the world renowned Mustard's Grill of Napa and is the co-creator of many other restaurants in this wine region. (Visit cindysbackstreetkitchen.com for more information.) The Model Bakery is on Main Street and you'll want to go in and browse their bread (or pain) before buying some - it is absolutely to die for! This bakery is over 80 years old and the bakers still use the ovens built by the Italian masons in the 1920's. (See themodelbakery.com for more information.)

Other activities in the area include bicycling, hot air ballooning, spa treatments, and, of course, visiting more wineries. You might also enjoy taking the Napa Valley Wine Train and enjoying a meal paired with wines. (Visit them at winetrain.com for hours, schedules, etc.) Sterling Vineyards offers an aerial tram ride overlooking their vineyard. (See them at sterlingvineyards.com.)

You might also consider some of the tours provided in the region so you don't have to worry and drinking and driving. Plus at times the traffic can be horrendous in the area. (Visit napawinetours.net) The hotel concierge at Meadowood will have information on this also.

Have a grape time!