What better way to enjoy a wine-growing region than to stay amongst the vines, whether at a charming manor house in Chile's Maipo Valley or a swanky inn between Napa and Sonoma? The numerous charms of wine-growing regions worldwide are difficult to capture in one day. Here are our favorite places around the world to relax and stay while we enjoy the fruits of the land.

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CALIFORNIA

Napa/Sonoma
The Carneros Inn
www.thecarnerosinn.com

When deciding to undertake a tour of the Northern Californian wine region, it’s difficult to know where to stay. An intimate B&B or a luxury spa hotel? Napa or Sonoma? For those who don't want to choose, this inn is ideal. It's situated in the Carneros winegrowing district equidistant from the area's two main wine regions, and although it has 86 accommodations, each is its own individual cottage. Style is contemporary, making great use of large windows and natural light, and privacy is at a premium—along with your own patio and garden, you can also enjoy an al fresco shower. There's a café and wine bar, croquet, fruit orchards and, yes, a full-service spa.

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NEW YORK

Finger Lakes District
Geneva on the Lake
www.genevaonthelake.com

Sometimes taking a back seat to New York's Hudson Valley wine region, the Finger Lakes district offers a fine selection of boutique wineries producing Cabernets, Chardonnays and Rieslings on three trails, including the Seneca Lakes Wine Trail. Situated in a beautiful lakefront setting, Geneva on the Lake was built in 1914 as a private home and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was modeled after Villa Lancellotti in Frascati, Italy, served a stint as a monastery and now offers 29 guest suites and studios decorated with Stickley furnishings. Marble fireplaces, wood-coffered ceilings, formal gardens and a 70-foot pool surrounded by columns add to the sophisticated, European atmosphere.

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WASHINGTON STATE

Snoqualmie Falls
Salish Lodge and Spa
www.salishlodge.com

The luxurious Salish Lodge and Spa, overlooking the 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls, ranks among the best small resorts in the world. More than just a gorgeous getaway, it is a wine-lover’s paradise. Salish cellars overflow with more than 10,000 bottles; the 62-page wine list offers fantastic vintages by the glass ranging from $5-$29, allowing diners to savor a different wine with each course of chef Roy Breiman’s French-influenced cuisine. Fireside Fridays at Salish feature complimentary wine and cheese tastings with presentations by local chefs, artists and musicians. Salish may be a ‘wine-lover’s destination,’ but there is something for everyone. The Asian-inspired spa is world-famous and the lodge’s comfort unparalleled; each of its 91 guest rooms has a bedside wood-burning fireplace, two-person whirlpool tub, feather bed and view. Activities include tours of local vineyards, kayaking, golf, rock climbing, horseback riding, fishing, mountain biking and the chance to see Downtown Seattle or Mount Rainier from above in a private plane or helicopter.

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AUSTRALIA

Hunter Valley
Tower Lodge
www.towerlodge.com.au

With more than 70 wineries, the Hunter Valley has long been one of Australia's most accessible wine regions (Rosemount, Lindemans, etc.). Making a name for itself in the boutique field is the Tower Estate, home to two restaurants, a small limited production vineyard and a twelve-room inn. Wines are handcrafted (think foot-stomping), and the sleek guestrooms are reached by secluded passageways. Each accommodation has its own unique selling point, such as a wood-burning fireplace, outdoor plunge tub or private courtyard. While the atmosphere may be intimate, the amenities are large-scale—an 18-hole putting course, heated outdoor lap pool, massage treatment room and 1.6 km walking track. The valley is two hours outside Sydney.

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CHILE

Maipo Valley
Casa Real, Santa Rita Vineyards
www.santarita.com

Just south of Santiago, the Maipo Valley is the country's oldest wine region, birthplace of many a Cabernet Sauvignon and home to Casa Real. This 19th-century manor house is part of the Santa Rita Winery's main estate (there are three others) and is surrounded by a 40-hectare garden of olive, almond, orange and lemon trees, designed by a French landscape artist in 1882. The sixteen swanky European-style bedrooms are decorated with antiques, and the clubby game room is equipped with a billiard table imported from England. As for the notables, they include the Doña Paula restaurant, an 1885 neo-Gothic chapel freshened up by a restorer of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel and the winery's Cabs, Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs.

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FRANCE

Burgundy
L'Espérance
www.marc-meneau-esperance.com

While the town of Beaune is a more obvious choice for a wine country sojourn in Burgundy, there's something to be said for the lesser traveled Vézelay. Not only is this tranquil, cobblestone village a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's the hometown of Marc Meneau, whose celebrated cuisine is a highlight at his intimate hotel/restaurant L'Espérance. A two-hour drive from Paris, the former private manor house is simply adorned, with an elegance that relies on natural sunlight and views of the beautifully landscaped estate. Meneau also has his own vineyards, so you can sample his Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

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ITALY

Tuscany
Borgo Argenina
www.borgoargenina.it

When Milanese fashion designer Elena Nappa discovered the rundown Borgo Argenina in Tuscany's Chianti region, she undertook an ambitious project. Not only did she restore the buildings that house the bed-and-breakfast, she purchased and rejuvenated the entire hamlet the B&B resides in. Hospitality is warm, accommodations are few (four doubles, two suites and two private apartments) and décor is delicious thanks to local artisans and Nappa's talents. Terracotta floors and exposed beam ceilings provide the framework for modest, old-fashioned interiors adorned with painted wrought-iron beds, linen curtains embroidered in traditional Florentine style and quilts and cushions handmade by Nappa.

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NEW ZEALAND

Marlborough Wine Region
Old St. Mary's Convent
www.convent.co.nz

Surely there is no more tranquil place to retreat to than a convent. Second best is an inn housed in a former convent. Designed in 1901 (using native timbers such as Matai, Rimu and Kauri) for the Sisters of Mercy, Old St. Mary's Convent sits on a 60-acre garden estate in the wine district of Marlborough on New Zealand's South Island. This unique lodging has just five accommodations, including the stunning Honeymoon Suite, which is a replica of the old house chapel. Done in warm Mediterranean colors, it is simple and elegant, and like the other spacious and airy bedrooms, it provides the feeling of a sanctuary. Vineyards surround the property and nearby is the waterfront village of Blenheim, situated at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound.

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SOUTH AFRICA

Franschhoek Valley
Le Quartier Français
www.lequartier.co.za

An intimate auberge situated in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, Le Quartier Français places great emphasis on luxury, privacy and a sense of romance. Here, less than an hour east of Cape Town, the inn invites you to relax in one of fifteen lyrical guest rooms that open onto a flower-filled courtyard; two additional suites feature their own private pool. The Tasting Room, under the direction of award-winning Chef Margot Janse, is renowned for its innovative cuisine and superb wine list. For casual, uncomplicated dining, Ici is the inn’s relaxed restaurant. You’ll also enjoy an intimate on-site screening room.

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SPAIN

Rioja
Hotel Marqués de Riscal
www.luxurycollection.com/marquesderiscal

They call it "The Wine City." Located in the heart of the Rioja wine region, Frank Gehry’s stunning masterpiece Hotel Marqués de Riscal is one of the area’s most fascinating draws and a modern mirror of the art of wine as a destination. The original Marqués de Riscal winery was transformed after this $77 million, eight-year renovation project. Besides the original winery, the 24-acre property includes 43 Gehry-designed guest suites, a wine library, a restaurant, banquet rooms, a rooftop bar and lounge, a Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa and meeting and conference centers. The flamenco-inspired exterior of the hotel/winery features canopies of pink, gold and silver titanium sheets cascading from the rooftop. Most rooms include flat-screen LCD TVs, CD players and marble bathrooms. The restaurant, under the direction of chef Francis Paniego, marries traditional Rioja and Basque cuisine. The hotel features a wine bar and a wine tasting corner, as well as guided tours of the vineyards.

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