A Tale of Two Wine Countries
The first thing to know about The Inn at Mattei's Tavern, the Auberge Resorts Collection property that recently opened in Los Olivos, California, is that the bikes have an electronic function. I say this chiefly because I myself had no idea but have lived to tell the tale.
The thing is, there’s nothing about the Santa Ynez Valley that doesn’t make you want to spend a little more time outdoors. Perfect light? Check. Great weather? Almost always. Charming destinations? By the boatload. So, when during a recent stay at Mattei’s—which dates back to 1886 and is soaked in Golden State history; Walt Disney kept a horse there and stars like Ava Gardner and Clark Gable have checked in—a friend proposed that we borrow some bikes to peddle through picturesque Los Olivos, and then on to nearby Solving to pick up pastries from a beloved local bakery, it seemed like a no-brainer.
And it was at first. But whether it was the wind at our fronts or bags of sweets brought back from Solving dangling heavily on the handlebars of our bikes, the ride back was more of a workout than we’d anticipated. We arrived at Mattei’s a bit winded and just a few minutes late for chef Rhoda Magbitang’s weekly outdoor paella dinner (an outstanding tradition more eateries should offer) and a hotel staffer raised her eyebrows at the length of our ride. “At least,” she said, “you took the e-bikes.” We did, I asked. She laughed. It took me a little while to join her.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that the bikes at Mattei’s would have helped me pedal. Seemingly everything on the property is designed to assist guests with unwinding; from the AvroKo-designed, clapboard-clad guest rooms outfitted with porch swings and fire pits, to the spa and various dining options, you can’t get far without finding something delicious or delightful to enjoy.
That sense of discovery is now extending far beyond Mattei’s property line—all the way to Stanly Ranch, the Auberge Resorts Collection in Napa Valley. A new package for guests who want to compare and contrast two of California’s best loved wine regions includes two nights at the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern and two nights at Stanly Ranch, with a Surf Air charter flight between them to make the trip take next to no time. Also on tap? A meal at The Tavern at Mattei’s (whatever you get, don’t skip the crispy cauliflower), one at Stanly Ranch's Bear, a spa treatment at Stanly Ranch’s Halehouse Wellbeing Center, and off-site experiences—think visits to local wineries, like the Santa Ynez Valley’s Crown Point Vineyards or Napa's Donum Estate—at both locations. And while winemakers in the two regions might be quick to tell you about their differences, what’s clear when you visit both areas is that the things that make them similar (and there are plenty) are also what make them delightful to visit.
Both properties, situated in some of the world’s most storied settings for grape growing, are undoubtedly destinations for oenophiles, but there’s more to them than just that. While Mattei’s and Stanly Ranch might differ in style, they share a certain something in their DNA that compels visitors to unwind. Would I normally cut short an afternoon at a spa to take a cocktail making class in a garden? Unlikely. But at Stanly—where farm director Nick Runkle and bartender Angel Hernandez lead the class—it didn’t feel so much like an interruption to my day of rest and relaxation and an unexpected continuation of it. Even dinner at the property’s restaurant, Bear, where a crowd of well-heeled clients (and at least one visiting movie star) were clamoring for crispy maitake mushrooms and lamb ribs with pickled ramps, there wasn’t a sense of being in a place that was too much but instead being in one where there was plenty, and we were all on hand to enjoy it. (One thing there isn't always plenty of? The lavender buns at the on-site coffee shop Gavel; it's worth waking up early to grab one before they sell out.)
That sense of abundance is what was apparent throughout the trip. Sure, you could pit the two regions against one another, pledging allegiance to Northern or Central California or loyalty to one region or another, but what this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity left me thinking is that instead of being in competition, the areas are actually better viewed as being in harmony. Each has strengths complemented by the other and might even be better appreciated as part of a pair, and the same could be said for the two properties as well. Each on its own is certainly a destination worth visiting, but combined the two places tell a more textured story about where they are and the best those places have to offer.
And if you have to take some of it in on a bike ride that leaves you just a bit winded, that’s perhaps a small price to pay.
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