Three days in the northern tip of California wine country!
Each time I’ve been to Napa Valley, I’ve fallen more in love with California’s world-renowned wine region. Aside from the wine, what I appreciate the most is the area’s ability to deliver novel experiences, pursuits that are for wine and non-wine drinkers alike.
On my recent visit, I traveled north along the Silverado Trail to Calistoga, where I checked into Okaeri, a Japanese-inspired inn that has seven individually decorated guest rooms. Perched on a hill off of Foothill Boulevard, the property opened in March 2025 after an extensive renovation.
Inside, I was transported to a minimalist interior with eye-catching decor choices, from the black and gold wallpaper along the stairway to the blue check-in desk. The public spaces feature carved wood furnishings, custom-built shoji screens painted with murals, Japanese art and Yakisugi black wood on the walls. The main dining room surrounds an indoor pond filled with 12 colorful koi fish, and the bottom level boasts a karaoke room and wine cellar. At Okaeri, Japanese for “welcome home,” the rooms live up to the moniker with ample space and pampering. My room was the 565-square-foot Auzora Suite where the spa-like bathroom’s round soaking tub beckoned from the second I arrived. I made use of all the room’s special touches: bath salts, soft robes and pour over service with a custom roast by Cento coffee. Other than the tub, my favorite in-room spot was sitting next to one of the two fireplaces, taking in the mountain views past my private patio.
Calistoga is known for its geothermal hot springs, so I took a short stroll from Okaeri through the town’s charming center and checked into the spa at Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs. For the next 30 minutes, I soaked in a mineral whirlpool bath infused with essential oils, sea minerals and electrolytes. The spa attendant let me get settled and then applied a face mask and CBD oil and salts to the warm water. After the soak, I spent 10 minutes in the steam room and another 10 in a blanket wrap with noise cancelling headphones on, completely checked out. Following my bath, I visited House of Better, Dr. Wilkinson’s alfresco dining spot. I ordered grilled halibut tacos and Mud Water, a blend of masala chai, cacao, mushrooms and adaptogens mixed with oat milk. I relished the relaxing after-effects of my treatment and the warm California sun hitting my skin in the middle of winter.
While in Calistoga, I also visited Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and took an easy hike to the Bale Grist Mill, a water-powered mill built in 1846 that is still operational today. For an educational twist, I stopped by Grove 45 for an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting where Tasting Room Manager Emily Hernandez led me through the unique properties of their four extra virgin olive oils and two balsamic vinegars paired with light bites and popcorn.
Amidst my activities, Okaeri was a rejuvenating place to rest and reset. The inn also offers its own food and wine experiences, including private tastings of Kanpai Wines, the inn owner’s Napa winery, in the 150-year-old stone cellar, and Japanese-inspired meals, including a breakfast of miso marinated cod with traditional Japanese sides that left me satiated and energized, but not weighed down.
There are so many renown places to stay in Napa Valley, but Okaeri offers a rare kind of luxury that always makes a return trip to wine country a good idea.
OKAERI CALISTOGA
okaericalistoga.com
@okaericalistoga
