California Dreamin’

SOAK UP THE SUN: No time is drearier in Dallas than the dead of winter. So head to the California wine country, where the sun (almost) always shines, for a little pick-me-up at Auberge du Soleil, a 33-acre French country-inspired retreat on the outskirts of the sleepy little winemaking town of Rutherford. Here is where luxury, haute cuisine, and relaxation converge. Settle into a cozy maison room, maison suite, or, the ultimate, a private maison. No matter which accommodation you choose, you can snuggle up in king beds outfitted with soft Frette linens, enjoy relaxing soaks among flickering candles (and flat-screen TV), or curl up in front of a crackling fire. Perhaps most important, you can wake up, throw open the French doors, and step out onto your private terrace overlooking the lush valley. There’s no better way to sip a cappuccino and welcome in a new day.

SERENE SPA: The 7,000-square-foot Auberge Spa, built around a central courtyard with stone fountains and olive trees, provides respite from the outside world—even from the rest of the property. Signature treatments are smartly divided into four categories—the vineyard, the garden, the grove, the valley—depending on the ingredients (grapes, herbs and flowers, olives, and muds and minerals, respectively). Should you travel with your beloved, select from one of the many packages labeled Bliss for Two. Choose the Rendezvous, and you and your mate can apply warm mud to each other in the privacy of your own couples suite. It’s a chance to be silly and flirty—and show off your artistic talents. Then rinse off in the private outdoor couples shower, slide between the sheets on the massage table, and prepare to be pampered. If you prefer to spa solo, we recommend the rejuvenating and moisturizing 90-minute Grove Head to Toe: a full-body Meyer lemon olive oil massage with lemon zest foot therapy and olive oil hair treatment. If you’d like to give your immune system a little boost, book a 60-minute Colds and Flu Remedy Bath. After a therapeutic soak and Yin from the Cold elixir, snuggle into warm blankets and prepare for an acupressure treatment. You’ll go home feeling ready to conquer the cold.

GOOD EATS: Auberge du Soleil was a restaurant first, founded in 1981 by famed French-born restaurateur Claude Rouas. Not surprisingly, the legacy of fine food and wine, much of it sourced from local farmers and purveyors in the surrounding valley, remains intact, thanks in large part to the efforts of head sommelier Kris Margerum and executive chef Robert Curry, whose skills come together to create a dining experience magnificent enough to please the taste buds of even the snootiest foodie. Dishes such as pan-seared foie gras with poached rhubarb and red wine strawberry jus, crispy skate wing with wild mushrooms and parsley coulis, and Liberty Farm duck with parsnip purée and verjus braised radicchio are only a handful of the culinary treasures. If you find the energy to leave your nest at Auberge, you simply must make the rounds at the local vineyards. There’s a mind-numbing number of wineries open for tours and tastings, and where you go is really a matter of personal taste. But, if we may, we’d like to suggest braving the uphill, curvy road to the remote  Cain Vineyard & Winery. Just make a reservation before you hit the road. Speaking of wine, in Napa you’ll find a killer selection of wines at even the most unassuming establishments, like the super-fun quasi-drive thru Taylor’s Automatic Refresher (www.taylorsrefresher.com), where the burgers, made from hormone-free California beef, have been elevated to regal status. A visit there demands an ahi burger, slathered with ginger wasabi mayo and Asian slaw, a side of fries tossed in garlic butter and parsley, and an espresso bean shake. Mustards Grill  (www.mustardsgrill.com) has been a Napa favorite for nearly 25 years. The long list of palate pleasers solicits return visits, and even a bar-side meal of starters—seared rare ahi with wasabi cream on homemade sesame crackers and Maine crab cakes with chipotle aioli—will prove tremendously satisfying before or after a winery tour or two. If Today’s Delight is a brownie sundae with homemade peanut butter ice cream, order it immediately. One bite and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.