Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia — October 2017

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Napa,

Off the Vine

A slew of hotels, restaurants, cultural hot spots

and even breweries are giving the valley a new

groove. (But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of

wine.) BY JENNA SCATENA

COURTESY OF LAS ALCOBAS

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / OCTOBER 2017 29

Las Alcobas,

amid St. Helena’s

vineyard

dreamscape.

IT’S NOT THAT NAPA VALLEY ever lost its

appeal. Enough great wine can make any place

seem exciting, after all, and vineyard-laden

hills and temperate weather cover a multitude

of sins. But by the beginning of this decade, the

region had started to feel a little too familiar,

as if every tasting room and hotel had modeled

itself after the same platonic ideal of Napa. In

recent years, the valley’s been on a reinvention

kick, and the buzziest arrivals—some from

newcomers, many from homegrown talents—

have brought a breezy, creative energy to the

area. Perhaps the most anticipated opening

was that of Las Alcobas (lasalcobasnapa valley.

com; doubles from US$695), the Luxury

Collection property from Mexico City–based

hotelier Samuel Leizorek. Set amid St. Helena’s

vineyard dream scape, the 1907 Georgian

building has been re-created as a 68-room

resort with a freestanding cedar spa and

contemporary luxe rooms by celebrated design

firm Yabu Pushelberg. Acclaimed chef Chris

Cosentino, of San Francisco’s Cockscomb,

helms the hotel’s restaurant, Acacia House,

crafting lively dishes like rustic cuts of lamb >>