The nicest wine trips end in a room among the vines. You taste without having to drive, have dinner with the estate's wine, and wake up with a view of the vineyards. Below are ten special wine hotels in Europe, from Tuscany to the Douro, in no particular order. For each region there are more addresses in our guides.
Castello di Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico
The Mazzei family has made wine in Fonterutoli since 1435. The Wine Resort's 21 rooms, suites and apartments are spread over the old houses of the medieval hamlet, and in the Osteria you eat with a view of the vineyards. More in Staying at a wine estate in Tuscany.
Hotel · Wine resort with 21 rooms, suites and apartments in the medieval hamlet
Badia a Coltibuono, Chianti Classico
An eleventh-century abbey above Gaiole in Chianti, where you sleep in the former monks' cells. In the crypt Chianti Classico ages in large old casks, as it has for centuries.
Hotel · Rooms in the former monks' cells and apartments on the estate
Casa Sobrero, Barolo
A quiet relais among the vineyards of Castiglione Falletto, with an infinity pool looking out over the Barolo hills, from La Morra to Serralunga. More in Where to stay in the Langhe.
Hotel · Relais with rooms and an infinity pool overlooking the Barolo hills
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes
A château that has made Sauternes for more than 400 years, with a hotel of thirteen rooms decorated with Lalique crystal. In the cellar there is a crystal barrel.
Château Troplong Mondot, Saint-Émilion
At the highest point of Saint-Émilion: rooms and a suite among the vines, with the restaurant Les Belles Perdrix on the estate. More in Staying at a château in Bordeaux.
Guest rooms (B&B) · Les Clefs: rooms and a suite among the vines
Château de la Gaude, Aix-en-Provence
An eighteenth-century bastide in the hills ten minutes from Aix, sheltered from the mistral and looking out on the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Wine estate, hotel, spa and art collection in one.
Quinta do Vallado, Douro
One of the oldest quintas in the Douro, dating back to 1716 and once the estate of Dona Antónia Ferreira. The wine hotel, by the Porto architects Menos é Mais, has 19 rooms, and you taste in a pavilion with a terrace over the river.
Quinta da Pacheca, Douro
Near Lamego you can sleep in an old wine barrel that has been turned into a suite. There are also ordinary rooms in the eighteenth-century house, and in the restaurant you eat Portuguese dishes with the estate's wines.
Hotel · The Wine House Hotel, including suites in wine barrels
Abadía Retuerta, Ribera del Duero
A twelfth-century abbey on the Duero, between Valladolid and Peñafiel, surrounded by 700 hectares with vineyards. The hotel LeDomaine has 27 rooms and 3 suites in the old monastery buildings.
Hotel · Five-star hotel LeDomaine in the abbey, with 27 rooms and 3 suites
Weingut Dr. Loosen, Mosel
Ernst Loosen made Mosel Riesling famous worldwide. Next to the winery in Bernkastel-Kues is a guest house with seven rooms, each named after one of the estate's top vineyards, with views of the vines and the river.
Guest rooms (B&B) · Guest house with seven rooms, each named after a Grosse Lage