Did you know there is a place in Napa Valley where you can experience wine country’s magic and never have to leave the property?! The Meritage Resort and Spa in South Napa is the perfect place to stage your wine country adventure or the ideal local getaway in your backyard. The Meritage Napa is a destination resort with two distinctive stay experiences (The Meritage Resort and Spa and Vista Collina at The Meritage), two pools, a bowling alley, tasting rooms, multiple restaurants, and all the fun you could want! On a warm summer day, my friend and I decided to “treat ourselves” and spent the day exploring everything the Meritage Resort and Spa has to offer. 

Our first stop of the day was their flagship restaurant, Olive & Hay, for brunch. At Olive & Hay, local Napa Valley ingredients meet a farm-to-table menu experience. A combination that centers around the journey of each ingredient, fusing homemade and homegrown, modern and classic, innovative and traditional Italian cuisine. I love a good brunch, and Olive & Hay did not disappoint!

pancakes with raspberries and blue berries
bloody mary and mimosa
avocado toast with salmon and potatoes

To start our brunch experience, we ordered cappuccinos and bloody marys (why not?). The coffee service was served in beautiful ceramic mugs, and the bloody mary was just spicy enough. There were so many amazing-sounding dishes on the menu that we decided to try a couple of things. I decided on the mushroom omelet with roasted wild mushrooms, baby spinach, goat cheese, roasted potatoes, and piquillo marmalade. Laticia opted for the fancy avocado toast with smoked salmon, smashed avocado, red onion capers, and everything seasoning, served with roasted potatoes. We are both suckers for lemon ricotta pancakes, so we also ordered those for the table. Everything was absolutely delicious! My omelet had the perfect ratio of mushrooms to goat cheese, and the smoked salmon on Laticia’s avocado toast made it the perfect brunch treat. We both could not get enough of the lemon ricotta pancakes and almost ordered a second round.

Inside a pool cabana with couches and champagne
3 1
A bottle of GH Mumm held up against a sign that says but first champagne

After brunch, it was time to hit the pool! We walked over to the Meritage lobby to check in for our cabana reservation. The Meritage offers day passes for their pool, so you don’t have to stay on property to enjoy it! With the theme of the day to treat ourselves, we decided to go big and book the Hideaway With Me VIP Cabana experience. The Hideaway cabanas are located at the adults-only pool tucked back from the hustle of the pool area. You can choose from either the Agava Cabana or the Bubbles Cabana. We opted for the Bubbles Cabana. Your cabana comes with a magnum of G.H. Mumm Champagne, an assortment of sodas, comfy couches, and two lounge chairs. We settled in with our glasses of champagne and spent the afternoon reading and lounging by the pool.

Jessica and Laticia in hats and sunglasses smiling
view of vineyards from a hill
blonde girl in a pool with a hat

After a few hours of relaxation, we were hungry again! We decided to head to the newest restaurant on the property, The Village Bistro. Located at The Village, The Village Bistro is French-influenced with a wine country twist. The dining experience is based on family-style dining, and you can see why! We started our meals with two French-inspired cocktails, a French Martini for me with caper juice instead of olive juice, and the Southern Affair, a mix of jefferson bourbon, prickly pear, and mint for Laticia. We started our meal with the deviled eggs, filled with oeuf mayo, mustard, herbs, sun-dried tomato breadcrumbs, and the beef tartar complete with dijon vinaigrette, shallots, cornichon, and little gem. For our main courses, I enjoyed the Parisian Gnocchi. Crispy gnocchi served with spring onion purée, crispy artichokes, spring peas, and pea tendrils. Laticia chose the Clam & Mussel Steam Pot with shallot, garlic, white wine, and herb butter. The steam pot came in the most adorable pot! Even though we were stuffed to the brim after dinner, we opted for two espresso martinis.

gnocchi with spring veggies
Laticia with a very large pink drink
one deviled egg with flower

After dinner, we needed to do something to combat how full we were! Our last stop of the day was Crush Lounge bowling alley. Crush offers cocktails, sports entertainment, and six lanes of bowling all in one place! We got our bowling shoes and headed to the lanes. While neither of us is going to the Premier Bowling League, we did have fun!

person holding a bowling ball with a number 7
two espresso martinis
two peoples bowling shoes

Whether you are looking for a place to stay and experience wine country or you’re a local looking for a fun afternoon, Meritage Resort & Spa has something for you!

Meritage Resort & Spa
850 Bordeaux Way, Napa, CA 94559
(707) 251-1900
https://meritagecollection.com/meritage-resort