As America's wine expertise has grown, so has the demand for great destinations to enhance the oenophile's experience. The passion of wine discovery is amplified by a vast array of personalized vacation offerings. Quaint and cozy B&Bs are being upstaged by exceptional settings with enough amenities to please the most discerning travelers. No longer strictly California dreaming, the U.S. is bursting with remarkable wine country inns presenting culinary and sensory indulgences, spiced with a dash of history.

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CALIFORNIA

Calistoga
Calistoga Ranch
www.calistogaranch.com

Despite our thirst to discover new wine countries, we'll never abandon our fondness for Napa Valley. The reigning champ of the American wine scene, it doesn't take its status for granted, and is continually evolving with new inns, restaurants and vintages. Among our favorites is Calistoga Ranch. Set in a secluded canyon, this rustically sophisticated property has 46 freestanding cedar guest lodges and a handful of privately owned lodges, all with fireplaces and indoor/outdoor living spaces that take full advantage of the natural setting. Think exclusivity. The restaurant is available only to guests and owners, and a tiny onsite vineyard makes it easy for you to learn the art of pruning, participate in crushing or bottle and cork select wines. There's also the divine Bathhouse spa and a yoga deck, to enhance the relaxation factor.

Paso Robles
The Just Inn
www.justinwine.com

Tranquil, picturesque and a short, scenic drive from the Pacific Ocean, Paso Robles holds a special place in our hearts. Grapes were first planted here in the late 1700s by Spanish conquistadors and Franciscan missionaries—check out the old fermentation vats at Mission San Miguel, just north of town. Today this pretty destination between Los Angeles and San Francisco boasts more than 60 wineries, and those wanting to do more than simply take a day tour can stay the night at Justin Vineyards & Winery's intimate Just Inn, with its four European-style suites. Feather beds and frescoed ceilings compete for attention with tastings, an outdoor pool surrounded by vines and dinners in Deborah's Room, featuring a selection of current and library vintage Justin wines. If you're lucky, there might be a sip of the celebrated Isosceles blend on offer.

Napa
Poetry Inn
www.poetryinn.com

Three may be a crowd when it comes to clichés, but it's just the opposite at Poetry Inn. With only three suites, this may be one of the least crowded lodgings in the area. Gazing over Stags Leap District and the adjacent Cliff Lede vineyards, the inn, which belongs to the Cliff Lede owners, is truly deluxe. Accommodations on three separate levels measure in at up to 1,400 square feet and feature balconies, wood-burning fireplaces, outdoor showers and original artwork. Although a three-course breakfast is served daily, this isn't a fussy B&B. Earth-toned décor is tasteful, and service is discreet. Staying here also means silence (kids under the age of sixteen aren't encouraged) and access to the inn's private cellar, which includes the Poetry label.

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MICHIGAN

Traverse City
Chateau Chantal
www.chateauchantal.com

Dividing Lake Michigan's Traverse Bay, Old Mission Peninsula is the place to go when you want to get away from it all. Although it's home to only five wineries, it's an official American Viticultural Area, one of four in Michigan, a state that specializes in vinifera, hybrid and native grape varieties. Come out here for a long weekend and you'll have enough time to get to know each winery well, beginning with Chateau Chantal, a European chateau-style winery on a 65-acre estate. The winery is home to an eleven room B&B, as well as a cooking school. Of course, the most pleasant way to pass the time here is by sitting on the patio, sipping a glass of house wine and savoring views of the bay, vines and cherry orchards.

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NEW YORK

North Fork
The Greenporter Hotel & Spa
www.thegreenporter.com

Just across the bay from the Hamptons lies the North Fork—a picture book setting of historic fishing villages, beaches, woods and farmlands where vast acres of premium European vines yield wines of unusual quality. The Greenporter Hotel & Spa is a breath of fresh air—a modernist comfort zone and an alternative to the traditional lodgings normally associated with wine country. The hotel offers 30 rooms with queen or king-size beds, Internet access, cable television and a 5,000-square-foot spa with wine-inspired treatments. The Greenporter's on-premise restaurant, La Cuvée Wine Bar & Bistro, offers fine dining with an emphasis on gourmet spa and country French cuisine, featuring fresh local seafood and organic produce. The restaurant features 45 wines by the glass and more than 30 other local and international wines by the bottle.

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NORTH CAROLINA

Winston-Salem
Brookstown Inn
www.brookstowninn.com

For touring North Carolina's Yadkin Valley wine trail, and soaking up the grand beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there is no better base than Winston-Salem, home to the country's first arts council. You can get a taste of the town's historic flavor by staying at the Brookstown Inn, originally built in 1837 as a textile mill—charming remnants from its earliest days include exposed brick walls and ceiling beams. Continental breakfast is served in a pretty dining room, and wine and cheese are offered in the evenings. Prepare to encounter the spirits of Moravian settlers, Daniel Boone and Revolutionary War heroes as you travel from vineyard to vineyard. Scenic back roads make this a great area to explore by bike.

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OREGON

McMinnville
Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn
www.youngberghill.com

Twelve acres of Pinot Noir vineyards on a 50-acre estate provide the peaceful, bucolic setting for this winery and inn. It is poised on a hilltop, and perhaps its greatest feature is the wraparound porch. Sitting out with a cup of coffee or glass of estate wine, you can enjoy views over vines and across the valley all the way to the Coast Range, Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood. A trio of suites and four bedrooms (most with fireplaces) are complemented by a ground floor library, salon and dining room. As the state's largest wine region, the Willamette Valley has more than 200 wineries, and although most do specialize in Pinot Noir, you can also taste Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and even sparkling wines. Between tastings, plunder one of the many antique shops in the area.

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TEXAS

Fredericksburg
Settlers Crossing Bed & Breakfast
www.settlerscrossing.com

Peaches, pecans, beer gardens and vineyards. Welcome to eclectic Fredericksburg. Just two hours from Austin, this hospitable town, settled by German immigrants in the 1840s, is an anomaly in the land of longhorns. With over fifteen area wineries, it has been instrumental in the evolution of the Texas wine industry, which began in the 1970s and is now the country's fifth largest producer. Our lodging of choice is Settler's Crossing Bed & Breakfast, home to seven private historic cottages and Buster, the house donkey—consider him a Lone Star version of a pink elephant if you return to the estate after one glass too many. Among the accommodations are the circa 1787 Von Heinrich Home (imported all the way from Pennsylvania) and the 1865 Pioneer Log Cabin with a restored wine cellar and 40-foot long porch.

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VIRGINIA

Barboursville
The 1804 Inn
www.the1804inn.com

The ravishing 1804 Inn at Barboursville Vineyards is truly a destination. A historic estate adjacent to Monticello and Montpelier, the residence now known as The 1804 Inn is magnificently outfitted with period English bone china, antique silver, priceless furnishings and art of England, Italy, France and Virginia from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Accommodations include suites in the main building and the 18th-century Vineyard Cottage, which, renovated to 21st-century standards of comfort, includes amenities like air-conditioning and individual kitchens. Gianni and Silvana Zonin, the owners and founders of Barboursville Vineyards and The 1804 Inn, have carefully preserved the estate’s original charm while adding an Italian flair; the restaurant is aptly named the Palladian. The Zonins, who hail from Veneto in Italy, acquired this plantation in 1976 with the goal of creating a vineyard. Thomas Jefferson had attempted this in the 19th century at Monticello, failing to achieve a single harvest. Clearly, the Zonins have the magic touch; 2006 marked the Barboursville winery’s 30th anniversary in a region now boasting more than 100 vineyards.

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WASHINGTON

Walla Walla
The Inn at Abeja
www.abeja.net

Wine cultivation began in the Walla Walla Valley in the late 1850s, but The Inn at Abeja dates back even further. This century-old farmstead in the foothills of the Blue Mountains comprises a collection of restored farm buildings. From the Bunk House to the Summer Kitchen, each structure is its own private accommodation, and the capacious former mule and horse barn is now Abeja Winery, specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon. Guests staying here enjoy 22 acres of gardens, creeks and vineyards, as well as the solitude provided by the surrounding wheat fields. Because many local vineyards provide grapes for fellow vintners, as well as for wineries in Western Washington, a sense of camaraderie adds to the area's appeal.

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(Updated: 03/20/08 HC)