It’s late summer, when farm stands are full of color, piled high with fruits and vegetables in the weeks before the season closes. And where better to enjoy the summer harvest — or try your hand at activities like beekeeping, foraging, even the art of ax throwing — than a farm or vineyard hotel?
If you want to escape to a working farm just outside of Nashville; a farm and vineyard with an inn and “yurt village” in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia; or a restored distillery and boutique hotel on a river in Cognac, France, these getaways for epicures and country lovers await with fresh eggs, jams and soul food.
Bristol, Va.
Nicewonder Farm and Vineyards
Tour the 450-acre farm and vineyard in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains (its viognier, chardonnay and merlot have been winners of Virginia Governor’s Cup competition) and you’ll find cows, chickens, a vegetable garden — and a new 28 room-and-suite inn. Or you can stay in the “yurt village”: nine yurts made of cedar, which make them look like cabins, located between the inn and the winery’s tasting room. Book a yurt and you’ll have your own kitchenette and rainfall shower, as well as a porch and back deck to breathe in the mountain air. Each yurt can sleep two to six people; pets are also welcome (for a fee).
As you’d expect, the meals at Nicewonder are farm-to-table affairs. Hickory, on the inn’s ground floor, serves seasonal, Appalachian-inspired dishes — like whipped Spam with house pickles, nori, yuzu hot sauce and fried saltines — and overlooks the lake and vineyards. There is also a bar and, of course, a wine cellar. And you can shop for flowers, vegetables, jams and jellies at the property’s produce market. In fact, you could spend an entire weekend eating and drinking. But there are miles of trails to tackle, leading you through trees, over hills and near a creek. You can swim in the infinity pool and, come September, work out in a new “fitness yurt” with spin bikes and exercise equipment, or relax with a spa treatment in the upcoming “spa yurt village.” Prices from $335 per night in August and September, breakfast included.
Los Olivos, Calif.
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection
A former stagecoach stop, this property, located near the vineyards and farms of the Santa Ynez Valley, has been welcoming guests since the late 1880s. Closed in 2018, it reopened this year after a renovation that included new buildings and a new name. You can choose from 67 rooms, four of which are restored cottages built in the early 1900s. There are new guest rooms, each with a patio, terrace or sun porch, located in structures called Guest Houses. Also new is the two-bedroom Courtyard cottage with a living room and private outdoor space where you can end the day by an outdoor fireplace or in a hot tub. The Homestead cottage has two bedrooms and a private outdoor space as well.
Beyond your sleeping quarters is the Tavern restaurant, where many of the ingredients come from an on-site garden and the menu focuses on grilled proteins and vegetables, served indoors or outdoors under a trellis. . For dishes inspired by Chinese cuisine — think duck won tons, soy-braised Chinese eggplant, crispy pork belly, spicy peanuts, grilled shiitakes and shrimp toast — head to Gin’s Tap Bar, named for the property’s former chef, Gin Lung Gin. Need a caffeine fix? Try Felix Feed & Coffee, where you can also order fresh baked goods and breakfast. For a cocktail or a glass of wine, head to the Bar. Or don a bathing suit and visit the Shed, a poolside bar with casual Mediterranean-inspired fare. After a bite and a swim, hop on a bike and ride through the vineyards — or stick around and learn how to infuse your own olive oil with herbs from the garden. Prices from $950 per night.
Cognac, France
La Nauve Hôtel et Jardin
While France is known for its major wine regions like Bordeaux and Champagne, this restored distillery and boutique hotel aims to lure you into the Cognac country of southwestern France, home to top producers like Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin. The hotel opened in June in a belle epoque mansion by the Charente River and is part of the Almae Collection of hotels as well as a member of a hotel network Relais and Chateaux. Its 12 suites are set amidst 12 acres of gardens full of fruit trees, rose bushes and vegetables. Open a favorite novel, take a dip in the swimming pool, or follow the gardens to the river. There, private canoes await. Or you can take the hotel boat and visit the town of Cognac. E-bikes are also available.
Dine at Notes, a fine-dining restaurant with a four-course or seven-course tasting menu that uses herbs and vegetables from the property’s gardens, as well as ingredients from Cognac distilleries and local farms . Alternatively, head to the old distillery building, now the Brasserie des Flâneurs, where the French brasserie menu highlights seasonal produce such as ceviche with citrus fruit from the property’s greenhouse. There is also the Bar and Tea Room, connected to a terrace where you can have a pastry (or two) with your tea or coffee. If you prefer something a little stronger, you can order a cocktail, wine or — what else?— Cognac. Prices from 450 euros, or about $490, a night, including breakfast.
Amenia, NY
Troutbeck
This storied Hudson Valley estate about two hours north of Manhattan has attracted a long list of writers and thinkers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and WEB Du Bois. In the early 1900s the property was purchased from its original owners, the Benton family, by Amy and Joel E. Spingarnone of the founders of the publisher Harcourt, Brace & Co. and a former president of the NAACP (he originated the Spingarn Medalwhich is awarded annually by the NAACP). Today the 250-acre property is a member of Design Hotels and has 37 rooms and suites. Recently, it opened the Benton House along Webutuck Creek, where you’ll find 13 guest rooms, each with a private outdoor space among grasses and wildflowers. All look to nature for inspiration, with grasscloth wallpaper and beds by Connecticut-based furniture maker Ian Ingersoll.
Head to the barns – covered in timber reclaimed from the old Tappan Zee Bridge Hudson River crossing — for a fitness or yoga class, or use the gym and sauna. Outside you can play tennis, swim in the pool, stroll through the walled garden dating back to 1916, or take a private falconry session. You can also walk and bike on the property. Or venture a little further afield for a fly-fishing excursion, or a trip nearby Maitri Farm, where you can browse produce and flowers (private tours are also available). Birders may wish to check out the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy. Other guests, in the Troutbeck tradition, may just want to sit and talk over a meal. Sit at a booth in the Dining Room for seasonal dishes with local ingredients, such as spelled out ricotta cavatelli with chanterelles and garlic scapes. For bite on the go and late-night snack, the Pantry offers temptations like salted chocolate chip cookies, coffee cake, brownies and blondies made in house and available 24 hours. Prices from $400 per night.
Franklin, Tenn.
Southall Farm & Inn
Just 25 miles south of Nashville’s buzzing music scene, this fledgling farm and inn offers a unique buzz with seven apiaries housing millions of beehives, along with approximately 1,300 apple trees, greenhouses (including an orangerie), formal kitchen gardens, crops. and lots of soil for finding fungi and berries. Although the property is reminiscent of a historic farm, it has the convenience of a modern escape. You can choose from 62 rooms and suites, 16 cottages and many places to taste the riches of the land. For casual eats, try Sojourner, where you can start each day with pastries and eggs (lunch and dinner also available). Even the cocktails are made with freshly harvested herbs and juices. Stop by the Farm Stand for produce, picnic baskets and preserves. And later this year, look out for January, a restaurant with a dining room and outdoor patio which plans to offer multicourse menus with ingredients grown in Southall.
If the pastoral views aren’t enough to melt away your stress, head to the 15,000-square-foot spa to decompress with treatments that use botanicals and ingredients, some from the farm. You can work out in the fitness center, float in the 104-degree mineral pool (there’s also an outdoor pool), strike a pose in the property’s hilltop meditation and yoga spot, or challenge yourself on the ropes-and-obstacle course. Runners and hikers can take advantage of more than five miles of trails. And there’s no shortage of additional outdoor activities (some for a fee), including falconry, fishing, beekeeping, archery and ax throwing. Prices from $559 a night in August, and from $839 starting in September.
Follow New York Times Travel in Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming of a future vacation or armchair travel? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023.
