The world’s best wine hotels
With grape harvests underway at vineyards across the northern hemisphere, we raise a glass to nine corking wine hotels that will wow even the fussiest of oenophiles
01/10/2024
Coffee and wine are served at reception in Villa La Coste (Richard Haughton)
VILLA LA COSTE, PROVENCE, FRANCE
The one with the incredible art collection
Nestled high in the hills near Aix-en-Provence, Villa La Coste is the brainchild of art fanatic Paddy McKillen, who has put his vast personal collection on display for both hotel guests and members of the public to enjoy – look out for the spooky Louise Bourgeois spider on the ornamental lake while you’re ambling around the sculpture garden. Decked out in light oak, marble and natural stone, each of the hotel’s 28 suites has a spacious terrace offering sun-dappled vineyard views – McKillen’s winery, Château La Coste, produces a range of Provence wines, from refreshing rosés to rich reds. On the food front, you can choose between Argentinian meat maestro Francis Mallmann or national treasure Hélène Darroze, who shines a light on local fruit and veg.
Tillingham is a former hop barn on a farm that dates back to the 13th century
TILLINGHAM, EAST SUSSEX, UK
The one where you can glamp
English wine trailblazer Ben Walgate left a high-profile job at Kent estate Gusbourne in 2017 to set up his own project along with Founding Director Lord Devonport. The result is Tillingham in Rye, a winery on the Peasmarsh Estate (owned by the Devonport family) which shines a light on minimum intervention wines, preferring to let nature do the talking. Going back to the roots of winemaking, grapes at Tillingham, which is now in the capable hands of Sicilian Salvatore Leone, are farmed biodynamically and wines are aged in Georgian clay vessels called qvevri. For those keen to stay over to make the most of the cloudy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on draft, there are 11 double rooms in a former hop barn and a pair of bell tents to choose from. At its Green Michelin-star restaurant, the five-course garden menu showcases produce from the estate’s walled garden and surrounding farms.
The Story of Wine museum at Babylonstoren (also opening image)
BABYLONSTOREN, FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA
The one with the guided vineyard tour
Is there anything that Babylonstoren doesn’t do? Owned by aesthete Karen Roos (the former editor of Elle Decoration South Africa), this Eden-like sanctuary at the foot of the Simonsberg mountains delivers a boutique hotel and spa, working wine farm, sprawling organic gardens, guest cottages and various restaurants. Housed in an old cow shed, at farm-to-fork venue Babel you’ll find fresh produce grown on the farm, from seasonal fruit and olive oil to the estate’s award-winning Mourvèdre rosé. Offering a pleasing contrast to the manor house’s rustic aesthetic, with its old cellars and leaning bell tower, the rooms are modern, with whitewashed stone walls and shuttered windows. Guests can enjoy year-round garden tours and guided mountain drives through the vineyards and orchards. For sporty types, there’s swimming, canoeing and cycling trails.
Marqués de Riscal resembles the twisted branches of vines
MARQUES DE RISCAL, RIOJA, SPAIN
The one with the Michelin-starred restaurant
The OG of luxury wine hotels, Marqués de Riscal changed the game in 2006 when it opened its Frank Gehry-designed glinting wonder of a hotel in Rioja, whose wave-like shape was inspired by the folds in a flamenco skirt. Behind the cascading sheets of purple, gold and silver titanium lie 61 unique guest rooms and suites offering panoramic views over the mediaeval Spanish town of Elciego. For those with knots to untie, there’s a Caudalie vinotherapy spa where you can indulge in invigorating grape scrubs and then head to one of the hotel’s four restaurants for a restorative feed. For splash out occasions try the Michelin-starred restaurante gastronómico, headed up by chef Francis Paniego, where you’ll find rare vintages of Marqués de Riscal on pour.
The Chile suite at Vik delivers astounding views
VIK, CACHAPOAL, CHILE
The one with the 360° views
Norwegian power couple Alexander and Carrie Vik are fast making a name for themselves in Chile for their wine hotel set in a private nature reserve in Cachapoal that includes 327 hectares of vines. With an undulating titanium roof seemingly sprung from Frank Gehry’s playbook, the hotel’s 22 rooms make the most of the stunning 360° views, the communal spaces have wraparound glass walls offering perfect panoramas of the valley, and the infinity pool gives guests the sensation of being fully immersed in the landscape. You can get even closer to nature in one of seven glass bungalows with their own private hot tubs and terraces. The standard rooms don’t disappoint either – each has its own theme and cherry-picked artworks from the couple’s private collection.
Oenogastronomy at SB Winemaker’s House
SB WINEMAKER’S HOUSE & SPA SUITES, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
The one where you can make your own blend
Winemaking maverick Susana Balbo has blazed a trail for decades in Argentina and now she’s keen to share her learnings at her first wine hotel. SB Winemaker’s House is a joint project with her daughter, Ana, and its aim is to give guests a home from home experience. Among its many features is a spa with a sauna and ‘sensations shower’, and a private garden with a fire pit and heated loungers to encourage chatting over a glass late into the night. For foodies there’s a 14-course chef’s table experience at La Vida restaurant where citrus-infused duck and flame-grilled steaks are paired with a selection of Susana Balbo wines. Those keen to learn on the job can have a go at making their own bespoke wine blends from an array of different grape varieties.
Lavender borders the infinity pool at Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco
ROSEWOOD CASTIGLION DEL BOSCO, TUSCANY, ITALY
The one with its own vineyard
With the Ferragamo family behind it, there was no chance of Castiglion del Bosco and its 42 suites and 11 villas being anything but the last word in Tuscan luxury. The owners of the esteemed fashion house turned a derelict feudal town into one of the world’s top wine hotels complete with cypress-lined avenues, a mediaeval castle and the chapel of San Michele Arcangelo, where you’ll find a well-preserved 14th-century fresco. Best of all, the resort is home to 62 hectares of Brunello di Montalcino vineyards, which produce a show-stopping red that you shouldn’t leave without trying. Order a glass at Osteria La Canonica, a charming trattoria within the grounds where blistering pizzas bubble inside an old bread oven.
Secluded Treetop Room at Meadowood
MEADOWOOD, NAPA VALLEY, USA
The one with the wine school
The grande dame of Napa Valley wine hotels is still going strong, despite a devastating fire in 2020 that destroyed its three-Michelin-starred restaurant. While the restaurant remains closed, it’s business as usual at the 100-hectare Relais & Châteaux property in the heart of California wine country, which has a tennis court, golf course, croquet lawn, swimming pool and spa. Its cosy cabins sit in acres of verdant woodland, allowing guests to switch off and reconnect with nature. A stay here puts you on the doorstep to some of Napa’s most prized vineyards, so it’s worth getting your walking boots on and having an amble. The hotel’s on-site Wine Center offers approachable and informative tutored tastings for those keen to delve deeper into the intricacies of the local terroir.
Six Senses is a restored 19th-century quinta with glorious gardens
SIX SENSES DOURO VALLEY, PORTUGAL
The one with the swanky spa
Making the most of the Douro Valley’s jaw-dropping beauty, Six Senses’ boutique hotel occupies a scenic hilltop spot giving guests a bird’s-eye view over the valley. From the organic produce grown in its kitchen garden to its nature trails, everything is geared towards wellbeing while you’re cocooned in its gentle clutches. The light-filled rooms are decked out with oak floors and glass-walled bathrooms – book yourself into a Quinta Duplex suite if you’re keen on heart-stopping views of the Douro River from your tub. If its vineyards you’re after, go for a Quinta Panorama suite on the fifth floor. The spa offers grape pulp massages, a sauna, herbal bath, steam room and calming colour therapy pool. Perhaps best of all, the hotel is pet friendly, and all four-legged guests have their own bed.
