Luxury Travel Advisor - August 2007 - (Page 14) selves away to head over to the Fleury Estate Winery (www.fleurywinery.com), whose enchanting owners, Brian and Claudia Fleury, create a number of varietals and blends, such as Cab-Zin. ( Their Pinot Noir was the best we’ve ever tasted.) A Fleury Estate visit is extremely hands-on; clients can actually blend their own wine, which is bottled with their own names on the label, cased and shipped to their homes. Again with great difficulty, we moved on for our visit with Barry Waitte, owner of Tamber Bey Estate (www.tamberbey.com). Imagine, if you will, sitting at the dining room table of a vintner’s estate, sipping his Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals as he and his winemaker share their secrets with you. It’s wise to leave time to wander the lush grounds here; Waitte owns horses, which are on property, and he’s also renovated a guesthouse on the premises (we hear that someone who rented it recently found it difficult to leave it, even with all of Napa’s and Sonoma’s offerings at his doorstep). At this point, we’d felt we’d experienced it all. We had been tasting world-class wines all day, made at least five new best friends, and been overwhelmed by the beauty of our surroundings. With this cavalier attitude firmly in place, we drove with Viviani to Hall (www.hallwines. com) in Rutherford, which was simply unlike any of our other adventures that day. A descent to the “wine caves” of this decadent establishment leads to a subtly lit wine tasting room that could easily house a most elegant affair. It was like being in a futuristic bat cave, only one with row after row of barrels filled with fermenting wine. At the end of our day, we most reluctantly left Viviani, but it was time to retire to The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa (www.fairmont.com/sonoma), where we had reserved a Signature Mission Suite. It was, indeed, the quintessential escape. Why? These accommodations have four-poster beds, a fire- place, two-person Jacuzzi bathtubs and French doors that lead to a private outdoor veranda. We suggest requesting Suite #935; it has views not only of the resort, but also the hills and vineyards to the west. For sunset views, opt for third-floor suites in the resort’s 900 building. General Manager Kelley Cosgrove (kelley.cos grove@fairmont.com) oversees the resort, however, we suggest reaching out to Melanie Burquez (melanie.burquez@fairmont.com; 707-939-2467) to make special requests for your treasured clients.The spa at the resort is a special place; with 30 rooms, it is the venue in which to be pampered in the region. Aside from the popular rooms reserved for couples, two outdoor spa areas allow one to soak in the beauty of the Sonoma region. Contact Spa Director David Erlich (david.erlich@fairmont. com) to arrange a massage with top therapist David Miller. Call on Head Concierge Judy Mendel (judy.mendel@fairmont.com; 707-939-2407) to set up a private dinner with a local chef; you can also ask her about The Fairmont’s daily, complimentary wine tasting in its lobby, where THE FAIRMONT Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa’s Signature Mission Suite (left) . HALL (below) is a dramatic venue for wine lovers to visit. The state-of-the-art facility produces toprated wines in Napa. 14 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | August 2007 http://www.fleurywinery.com http://www.hallwines.com http://www.hallwines.com http://www.tamberbey.com http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma
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