Photos by David Duncan Livingston
Spotlight: Carneros Inn, California
March 1, 2004
The oenophile-trekked highways of Napa and Sonoma Valleys are the West Coast’s
version of Tuscany by way of East Hampton: a sumptuous, rolling landscape of
villas and working farms, row after meandering row of premium grapes on the
vine. Los Carneros, however, a 10,000-acre viticultural district joining Sonoma
to Napa at their southernmost edges, has remained largely unknown—even to
weekending urbanites from San Francisco, less than an hour away. ; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
For
decades, Napa and Sonoma have been world-class destinations, their restaurants,
hotels and spas consistently garnering critics’ highest rankings. Carneros
Valley was always the sweetly bucolic step-sibling, there being nothing remotely
chichi about its sheep pastures (much of the property is in its au naturel
grazing state) and no-frills bracero culture. But a new development—the first
luxury resort built in Napa County in 20 years, and the first ever in the Los
Carneros area—is, while cleaving to the area’s agrarian roots, about to propel
it into the 21st century. (Click image to enlarge)
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Set among vineyards, each of the 24 Homes at Carneros Inn has a modest exterior
that belies its sophisticated interior and technology. (Click image to enlarge)The Carneros Inn, which opened last fall, is
composed of 96 guest cottages, 24 single-family residences and a small town
square—all master-planned on 27 acres. Clusters of metal-roofed cottages, each
clad in board-and-batten siding and sporting a sweet old-fashioned front porch,
are arranged, quite neighborly, around rustic, gravel courtyards. But enter the
very private interiors, and the sophistication is palpable. Vaulted ceilings, lots of natural light, classic
contemporary furnishings, and rich materials (slate, limestone, Brazilian
cherrywood) make for modern country living at its most gracious. Wood-burning
fireplaces, plasma TVs, indoor and outdoor showers, and three separate Ethernet
ports make you forget there are wineries to the north and the marshy sloughs of
San Pablo Bay to the south to be explored. Keith Rogal, founder and CEO of
Carneros Partners, had in mind a luxe but not precious retreat that would both
advance the principles of environmentally sensitive design and codify the
agricultural heritage of the community. His goal, he says, was to “create a
place that is thoroughly refined yet unpretentious and respectful.” A discerning
aestheticism is seen everywhere: Le Corbusier cowhide-covered chaises in the
suites and galvanized horse troughs set on an axis with the inn’s fruit orchards
are just a couple of many signals that the details are no minor
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Rogal’s group has developed the Homes at Carneros Inn as 24
single-family residences designed and furnished in the same agrarian-chic style
as the hotel’s cottages, but with greater square footage and more residential
comforts. “Coming home to Carneros,” he points out, “is entirely different from
checking in for a brief stay.” The resort’s conveniences (concierge, catering,
maid and room service, a beautifully sited infinity pool and state-of-the-art
spa) come with ownership. Another selling point is that the residences can
always be made ready for owners and their guests—the staff, for instance, tends
individual wine storages, keeping them replenished with local vintages and
special small-lot productions from farther up in the Valley. (Click image to enlarge)
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