The humble vine and the not-so-humble hotel: there’s a pairing we’ll raise a glass to. But with increasing competition in the world of vineyard stays, what makes for a vintage offering? First up, the wines at these hotels impress in their own right — meaning they’re intensely quaffable and worthy of the journey. Then there’s each hotel’s sense of place, whether that’s architecture that echoes the landscape, vinotherapy treatments at the spa or fine dining that champions the fruits of the terroir. From Argentina to England, these are some of the world’s best wine hotels to visit now.
CHÂTEAU LÉOGNAN, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Enchanting forests, treehouses and a castle worthy of Rapunzel: it sounds like the opening scene of a Disney flick, but is in fact a shortlist of Château Léognan’s storybook assets. Spread across a 70-acre estate in the Pessac-Léognan appellation — a short drive from Bordeaux — this 19th-century maison is a temple of indulgence, with heritage-style rooms, a sumptuous spa and a restaurant plating Gallic specialties like duck breast from the esteemed Saint Orens farm, tuna steaks from the Basque coast and beef smoked with vine shoots from the estate. There’s an entire building dedicated to oenophile appreciation, including tours, workshops and tastings of the estate’s red, white and rosé wines.
Tasting notes The domaine’s premier wine is a punchy Pessac-Léognan red made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, which are harvested by hand and aged in French oak barrels for 12 to 14 months before bottling.
TORRE DE PALMA WINE HOTEL, ALENTEJO, PORTUGAL
Deep in the Alentejo lowlands, Torre de Palma Wine Hotel lords over a patchwork of vineyards, olive groves and pasture that stretches to the distant hills. At its centre is the hotel’s namesake tower, first built in 1338 and now a prime spot for stargazing (the skies here are famous for it). You can raise a glass to the hotel’s seven grape varieties grown over seven hectares of vineyards, getting hands-on with the production process, particularly around the wine harvest in autumn. Daily tastings and vineyard tours are on offer in the boutique wine house, where you can sample, swirl and sip to your heart’s content in the traditional cellar and barrel room.
Tasting notes The estate’s light clay soil allows for several varieties to thrive, including whites like Arinto, Alvarinho and Antão Vaz, and reds like Aragonez and Tinta Miúda. Load up on bottles of the Torre de Palma Reserva Tinto, full of black fruits, lavender and balsamic notes.
CASA NEWTON, MONTEPULCIANO, ITALY
Casa Newton rises like a crimson beacon on the Tuscan horizon, overlooking the Pienza and Montepulciano countryside. The hotel’s dark red exterior echoes the rich hue of the Sangiovese blends bottled at the estate winery, where you can walk — and sip — your way through the organic process. So far, so traditional. But the design here takes an unexpected detour into the Seventies, with frilled pink parasols shading the pool and lemon-yellow sofas, orange tasselled lampshades and bottle green chairs in the rooms. These rainbow furnishings find their match in the vibrant ingredients used in the restaurant, plucked fresh from the garden or sourced from nearby Val d’Orcia farms.
Tasting notes The red Sangiovese grape, powerhouse of the Orcia region, takes centre stage at the estate’s Fabbrica Pienza winery. Try it in their Rosso di Fabbrica or Sangiovese di Fabbrica blends, full of dark cherry, rhubarb and spice.
RONCOLO 1888, EMILIA-ROMAGNA, ITALY
Roncolo 1888 is grounded in the fertile terroir of Emilia-Romagna, the most epicurean of Italian regions. Styled as a ‘wine and balsamic relais’, it shares the same parcel of land as the Venturini Baldini winery, producing Lambrusco wines (a regional favourite) as well as near-forgotten historical varieties like Malbo Gentile and Spergola. You’ll bed down in the splendid Villa Manodori, dating from 1670, where the rooms embrace modernity with their mid-century furnishings and palette of coral, seafoam and teal. As well as the winery and the region-championing Ristorante Limonaia, there’s the Acetaia di Canossa, producing premium balsamic vinegars.
Tasting notes Dry, sparkling Lambrusco wines are Venturini Baldini’s bread and butter, but the estate’s balsamic vinegars are equally impressive, not least the flagship Puro 100, made with grapes that have been aged for no less than a century.
TILLINGHAM, SUSSEX, UK
English wine gets its time in the sun at Tillingham, a biodynamic vineyard and farm stay overlooking rolling Sussex hills and the fortified town of Rye. The hotel brings a snifter of Hackney to the High Weald with its industrial-chic interiors, cosy McCully & Crane-designed rooms and stylish low-intervention tipples. Spend your days foraging in ancient woodlands and your evenings dining on Brendan Eades’ five-course tasting menu at the hotel’s lauded Green Michelin restaurant, where an in-house sommelier is on hand to suggest perfect pairings for every dish.
Tasting notes Tillingham produces wines of every colour, using a wide variety of grapes, both niche and well-known. We love ‘R’: a juicy and slightly herbaceous red made with a blend of Regent, Gamay and Dornfelder grapes. Another must-try is the skin-contact Qvevri Artego, so named because the grapes are fermented in a Georgian clay jar known as a qvevri.
QUINTA NOVA DE NOSSA SENHORA DO CARMO, DOURO VALLEY, PORTUGAL
Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo heroes the fruits and flavours of Portugal’s Douro Valley, serving them up alongside glorious views of the fertile terrain. The 120-hectare vineyard estate encompasses a winery, traditional Portuguese manor house and orderly vine terraces threaded with paths so you can stroll around while learning about the grapes and the production process for the whites, reds, rosés and ports you’ll be knocking back during tastings. At the hotel’s acclaimed Winery Restaurant, chef André Carvalho has worked alongside winemaker Jorge Alves to create a menu that celebrates the region’s exports in perfect harmony.
Tasting notes Try the ruby-red Quinta Nova Unoaked wine, made with the estate’s main grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão. Another standout is the Quinta Nova Reserva Blanc de Noir White, a fresh, citrusy white made with red grapes harvested from the vineyard’s highest slopes.
CASA DE UCO, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
With wineries popping up like corks, Mendoza isn’t an easy place for a wine hotel to stand out. Casa de Uco seems to have taken the challenge personally, rising to the surface with its bold, futuristic architecture, infinity pool that appears to levitate over a lagoon and minimalist, window-walled suites looking out over miles of vineyards (which are either emerald or ochre, depending on the time of year). This pleasing bouquet isn’t limited to looks, however, with winery tours, tastings and harvesting experiences on offer, indulgent vinotherapy treatments available at the spa and Mod-Argentine cuisine in the restaurant, where the dishes are filled with home-grown vegetables, herbs and flowers from the estate.
Tasting notes The winery’s Malbec and Cabernet Franc are big hitters, but the diverse terroir yields some excellent Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir too. Don’t pass on the straw-coloured Blend de Blancs or the tangerine-hued El Salvaje Orange, a floral and pleasantly acidic skin-contact wine aged in French oak barrels.
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