HotelChatter

Of course, when you are ready to see some of California’s fabled wine country, Steve and Cathi Fowler, the hosts at Honor Mansion, are on a first name basis with most of the vintners and restaurateurs in the area, helping you get to a top-rate wine-tasting experience in Healdsburg. (Ed. Note: And hopefully a little drunk too!)

While movies like Sideways have helped root the Napa Valley firmly in pop culture, for visitors interested in learning about wine, enjoying good food, and really relaxing, the extra few minutes spent driving beyond Napa to the Russian River Valley section of Sonoma County is the best investment they can make in their trip

Where other regions are populated by large corporate wineries, Healdsburg and the surrounding communities are primarily family-run, and the personal investment shows in every bottle of wine, and in every plate of food.

Back at the Honor Mansion, they have taken “Bed & Breakfast” up to the ranks of luxury and resort amenities. The hotel offers fine dining and a level of “just enough” pampering that is endlessly accommodating, yet discreet.

In the morning your beverage of choice, biscotti, and newspaper are delivered to your door in a wicker basket. And by the time you slide into your private hot tub at day’s end, you’ll know what it means to honor yourself.

Rates start at $230 a night for a "Mansion" room.