Grape Expectations

There’s more to the notion of a wine-country holiday than just a few regions in France and Italy. These days there are high-quality producers in all sorts of far-flung places, and this week it’s time to shine a spotlight on a few of our lesser-known favorites.

All of the following hotels are currently offering deep discounts through Tablet’s Private Sale. Access to the sale is normally granted by invitation only, but Talk readers can get special access today.

QUINTA DA ROMANEIRA
Douro Valley, Portugal

The Douro Valley is probably best known for Port, which might seem too narrow a focus to sustain much in the way of vineyard tourism. But today’s visitor will find much more, including some excellent table wines produced by the area’s quintas, best consumed against the backdrop of the Douro Valley’s stunning landscape and in the company of friendly locals. In 2001, the entire Alto Douro region was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site, and if that’s not a green light for upscale tourism, we don’t know what is.

Exemplary among the valley’s new crop of traditional estates turned contemporary hotels is Quinta da Romaneira, set on a hillside above the banks of the river Douro. On April 15 they’ll re-open after their regular seasonal closing, and these Private Sale rates are the cheapest way to get a look.

VALLE PERDIDO
Neuquén, Argentina

There was a time when New World wine was little more than a curiosity, but today Argentina’s wine regions are globally renowned. Add a sublime setting in northern Patagonia, where the Andes give way to the arid lands of Neuquén, and you’ve got the makings of a world-class wine getaway. The warm days and cool nights, make for a great wine-growing climate, producing some fine reds like Pinot Noir and Merlot and some outstanding, fresh whites such as Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer.

It’s at this geographic crossroads that you’ll find Valle Perdido, a modernist monument hewn from local stone—the perfect luxe base camp from which to explore the legendary landscape of Patagonia. Harvest season lasts through April, so there’s no time like the present.

H2HOTEL
Sonoma County, CA

Northern California wine is a fairly laid-back affair, especially now that the region has shaken off what was left of its Euro-envy. The Napa County corridor is where a lot of the action is, which leaves Sonoma slightly off the beaten path. While they’ve certainly got a lot to brag about — stellar wines and gourmet food, breath-taking scenery, and a hip new hotel — Sonoma has stayed true to its down-to-earth, farm-country roots. Perhaps the best part of visiting is that you see many of the vineyards on foot, which certainly beats sitting in traffic on the 29.

It’s a scene without a center, per se, but if you had to choose one it would have to be Healdsburg, where the new h2hotel brings a bit of urban boutique chic to the wine country. It’s the contemporary sister to the Hotel Healdsburg, and makes for an eye-opening contrast — and in Spoonbar it offers the chance to wine and dine in style.

JEDEDIAH HAWKINS INN
Long Island, NY

What Sonoma is to Napa, the North Fork is to the Hamptons. That is to say, the North Fork of Long Island still feels like countryside, pleasantly devoid of bottle-service nightclubs and Land Rover dealerships. Instead, you’ll find a string of small, unpretentious villages, bikeable roads and charming, small-scale wine producers.

If you’re looking for throwback rustic glamour, you’ll find the question is settled by the century-spanning décor and subtly high-end comforts of the Jedediah Hawkins Inn in Jamesport. This Victorian estate is packed with personality, and so is the restaurant, where the award-winning Keith Luce pairs Long Island’s finest bottles with the best of the local produce.

Looking for other boutique hotels in the wine country? From Cape Town to Tuscany, Tablet has a number of options in some spectacular settings.