Auberge du Soleil

The Auberge setting may be the best in the Valley, high atop a hill overlooking neighboring vineyards. It is the perfect place to watch the setting sun each day. I’m not sure which meal I enjoy more here. The food, wine and panoramic vistas lend themselves to long leisurely meals.

The dining room has a kind of rustic elegance with exposed beams, wood furnishings , rich yellow walls and abstract artwork. A wood burning fireplace centers the room.

The 120 seat Michelin rated restaurant is under the direction of Executive Chef Robert Curry who has crafted a Mediterranean inspired menu using house made ingredients and local products. Breakfast on the terrace is one of life’s great pleasures. Do not miss the Duck Confit Hash, Slow Cooked Farm Eggs, Mache and Red Wine Sauce. Lunch brought a wonderful Sonoma Chicken with Haricots Verts, Yellow Wax Beans and Fingerling Potatoes with a Sherry Vinaigrette. For dinner I enjoyed a Sweet White Corn Soup with Maine Rock Crab and Chervil Oil as an appetizer and Bacon Wrapped Veal with White Corn, Mad Fritz Parmesan Beignet, Chanterelles and Caramelized Shallots. Desserts like Crispy Cornbread Pudding with Delta Blueberries, Lemon Marmalade and Husk Ice Cream were tempting, but I opted for the selection of 5 cheeses  with house baked breads, marcona almonds  and fresh and dried fruit.

The wine list, presented on an IPad with lots of information to help you decide, is one of the largest and most extensive in the Valley and features over 40 wines by the glass. It is a wonderfully diverse list with plenty of choices under $75. It may be the best selection of Cabernets we have ever seen.

ROMANTIC QUOTIENT: Possibly the most romantic spot in the Valley.

WHAT OTHERS SAY…

Wine Spectator Award Winning List

 You’ll never want to leave given the ‘wow factor’ at this wine-country experience within a luxurious Rutherford resort, where a panoramic patio with magnificent views of the Napa Valley vineyards lends a sensational backdrop for seasonal menus of top-flight Cal-Med fare and a 1,500-label wine list; graciously overseen by a first-class staff, it’s a splurge-worthy destination to put on your “bucket list. ~ ZAGAT