Wine vacation locations combine two amenities and have an advantage: after dignified tasting you can spend the night on the spot. Here are charming, elegant and unusual accommodations where you can discover wine, enjoy it and sleep in a cultured way.
Blog readers of Gentlemens Journey will be familiar with my penchant for cool accommodations. The wine quirk as well. So it makes double sense and especially joy when there are accommodations that bring both passions together whimsically. Because wine accommodations have already something practical: One has the security that the own wine love is shared by the host, and that one can spend the night besides still in beautiful ambience. Partly the hosts are winemakers themselves, partly they have a good connection to winemakers, collect wines themselves or are located in the middle of vineyards. A first small list of 6 wine hotels where you should check in, you can already find here on the blog – click. Because I always come across new exciting locations in my search for new wine adventures, it was time for a new edition on the topic of wine vacations. A little bit of dreaming is always there, but with a little saving you can really afford a visit to these wine accommodations from Austria to South Tyrol – that is the premise of my hotel recommendations. And now: pour a nice glass of wine and be inspired, hope there’s something for you again.
Wine adventure playgrounds to check in, try out and spend the night
Wine vacation Austria: Winzarei by Weingut Tement
“No – they didn’t do that!” – That was my first thought when I stumbled across Winzarei. Because behind the wine adventure playground with pools, which I fell in shock love with at first sight, is a winery I’ve been celebrating for some time. The Tement family business is internationally known as one of Austria’s leading wineries. Their Pinot Blanc was also a recommendation from host Rainer Müller while staying at the Hotel Sonnenhof in the Tannheimer Tal – check it out here.
Lets the summer knock: the Pinot Blanc Ried Sulz from the Tement Winery, enjoyed at the Hotel Sonnenhof.
Now wine fans like me can also remember the name Tement as a stylish vacation address. Doubly attractive even: Not only wine but also design lovers enjoy the art of relaxing with wine flirts in 25 unique chalets in the midst of the border region of southern Styria and Slovenia, which is great for this.
Like a vacation painting to dive into: the Winzarei with various vacation homes.
Because you should take your time for wine adventures, it is twice as fun when the accommodation is not only on site, but also equipped with modern facilities. All 25 chalets of the Winzarei, which belongs to the association of the Romantik Hotels & Restaurants with natural materials, such as wood and stone, offer a cozy base camp for the discovery tour. The South Styrian Wine Road connects two exciting countries Austria & Slovenia. In this fascinating border region lie, with breathtaking views of the vineyards, the vineyard sites Zieregg and Ciringa. For the Winzarei project, old estate houses have been extensively renovated since 2013 and transformed into stylish chalets, suites, grand suites and site cottages. Whether old stone houses or vaulted cellars – in each hideaway, old and new are combined in a stimulating and coordinated way.
The material mix: down-to-earth, relaxed, cool.
Der Material-Mix: bodenständig, entspannt, cool.
Wouldn’t you like to chill by the pool with a good night wine?
In the Winzarei, the wine perspective definitely turns out impressive.
As a guest you can choose between 4 charming locations. The Adults Only resort Ciringa Stampfer, opened in summer 2018, is located in Slovenia and impresses with a 360 degree view of the surrounding vineyards and an infinity pool. The Zieregg location offers 6 cozy, romantic vintner chalets in two stylishly renovated stone houses. Directly on the South Styrian Wine Road, the Ciringa Menhard site offers 6 charming chalets and 2 cozy suites. The complex and the site house “Pec” is surrounded by vineyards and flower meadows. Foundation? No problem. Instead of a breakfast buffet and restaurant, a well-stocked basket of regional delicacies is served here. Hurray for the local pleasure experience. Oh yes – and then there are the crispy, refreshing wines from the Tement winery, which I can only recommend – and everything tastes just that little bit cooler when tasted on site. Thanks to myself that I now have a thirst for Styria.
Winzarei by Tement, stays starting at 120 Euros, more via www.winzarei.at
Wine vacation Austria: Sattlerhof, Styria
We stay in the wine adventure playground of Styria and come to a location on my bucket list where the young generation is slowly setting the tone. The Sattlerhof, the Sattler family’s world of enjoyment, welcomes pleasure hikers as well as wine fans and anyone looking for the mental switch-off button. With the fresh wind of youth, tradition and innovation are combined at the Sattlerhof – for a successful future of the family business. Son Andreas has a bachelor’s degree in oenology and has been responsible in the cellar since 2014. Son Alexander has completed his studies in business administration and has been working on the farm since 2018. Among other things, he is responsible for the press house during the harvest season. Daughter Michaela studied art and has designed, among other things, the label of Sauvignon Element and the label Sauvignon Grassnitzburg. The youngest son, Lukas, also has a graphic arts education and brings creative ideas in many ways. The location is perfect for wine discoverers – after all, it combines a hotel with its own winery.
Relaxed, fresh, classy, cozy: the design of the accommodations at Sattlerhof exudes inviting vibes.
Also tasteful in the restaurant: the color scheme.
Andreas, Willi, Maria and Alex Sattler in the tasting room.
How to stay on a wine vacation? Spacious country house rooms and suites with terrace or balcony, which have also arrived in the modern age in terms of style, open up a magnificent view of the wine landscape. A few steps away you can relax in the sauna, with a massage or in the heated swimming pool. Always good when it’s not just in the glass. And when it comes to culinary delights? Hannes Sattler has been one of the culinary pioneers of Styria for 30 years with his restaurant. The best products from local producers and from the restaurant’s own vegetable garden form the basis, although ideas from distant countries also flow in time and again. The inn, in turn, relies on recipes from the old peasant cuisine, supplemented by light, creative dishes. Right next door, brother Willi, together with wife Maria and their sons, conveniently runs one of the best wineries in the country. The successful winegrowing family has won numerous awards and consistently relies on natural viticulture with careful manual work and selective hand harvesting. If that’s not a starting point for wine memories, what is?
Weingut Sattlerhof, stays starting at 67 Euros, more via www.sattlerhof.at
Wine vacation Austria: Steirerblick, Styria
Doesn’t such a view whet your appetite? Steirerblick gathers 4 different vacation homes, I’ve picked out a specific one.
Styria again? Now it’s getting monotonous, some of you may think. Nonsense! First, Styria has a thousand wine facets, and secondly, this location for wine vacations, which has flirted directly on my bucket list, is really everything but monotonous. When sounds come up here, it’s excited wow shouts and a direct call to the wine hotline. Lovingly and with much heart blood of three young, innovative Styrians Maximilian, Kevin and Dominik conceived and built, the unique vacation houses of Steirerblick stand in each case in complete Alleinlage at the best view places, which the south and west Styria has to offer. The situation is thereby – like halt also with the wine – crucial: Peace, composure and relaxation purely with a giant portion view and landscape is served. Okay, and the one or other pool.
Grown up in the countryside, connected with nature, the dream of the three was to reflect this enthusiasm for home in the form of luxurious and individually designed vacation homes in the familiar south-west Styria. Because I simply had to decide between the four available accommodations, I have chosen the Domizil Vochera as a concrete check-in example.
Design with elegant-casual vibes, a great sense of space, and everything you need inside: the Domizil Vochera.
Here it is not only nice to dream, also waking up with wine perspective must be wonderful.
Architecturally, a lot of swag was poured in.
Space, pool and a fat portion of garden: the domicile Vochera corresponds exactly to my style.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the Schilcher Wine Route, Domizil Vochera on the vineyard stretches out on a hill with a view that you can stream in again and again like Game of Thrones. Just imagine overlooking the vastness of Western Styria, turning around, and looking at a selection of fine Austrian wines of the region, which you are now also streaming in. And all this with such a pool in front of your nose. Also on board: cozy living and dining area, high-quality equipped kitchen, two bathrooms, separate toilet, two bedrooms with double beds, gallery with high-quality sofa bed, cellar lounge with wine bar. If these wine vacation flavors do not flirt violently, I do not know. And in addition, with room for up to 6 people, there is still ample space for the family or best friends.
Domizil Vochera by Steirerblick, stays starting at 600 Euros per day, more via www.steirerblicke.at/domizil-vochera
Wine vacation South Tyrol: Vinum Hotel Pacherhof
This spot for wine vacation deluxe has been on my bucket list for years. Because the Pacherhof isn’t only member of the Vinum Hotels and thus predestined for wine adventures to check in. The 29 members of the South Tyrolean Hotel Association are characterized by the fact that they share their love of wine. In the form of special offers, cellars with large collections, wine tours, or – as in the case of the Pacherhof – are winemakers themselves. Exactly! The charming hotel high up in the Eisack Valley also includes a winery. On about 8 hectares, eight white grape varieties are grown there, which pass every character test because they are down-to-earth deluxe. Because of the minerality, for example, the grape variety Müller-Thurgau, which I previously considered rather unsexy, makes pressure on the outside of the tongue with a juiciness like Ronaldo at his best times.
How elegant can wine cellar architecture be, please?
Unfortunately, it was not possible to open a barrel, but here at the Pacherhof winery a large portion of wine adventure awaits the guests.
Resistance futile: Just go for the wine flirts, the South Tyrolean wine fun from the Pacherhof is final stage.
Too pool to be true. At the Pacherhof Winery and Hotel, the motto is: come to stay.
The heart of the Pacherhof in Neustift – Brixen is the historic courtyard dating back to the 11th century. The wood-paneled, cozy Tyrolean parlors of the hotel are a sign of Tyrolean coziness and combine charisma with rustic tradition. The newly built stylish salon in modern design connects to the old walls, radiates peace and comfort, is bright and open and yet a place of retreat. The architecture always leaves a gap between history and modernity. Old does not touch new, it is a beautiful respect. And this balance is also what makes the hotel so appealing. Just the idea of tasting your way through the hotel’s own wines by the pool with a panoramic view arouses wanderlust, doesn’t it? During my short visit on site was unfortunately only time for a date with the wine cellar – of which you will read a detailed report here shortly. The stay at the Pacherhof – and one or two other wine crash courses – is still at the top of the “must-do” list. And maybe soon on yours, too?
Vinum Hotel Pacherhof, stays with half board starting at 136 Euros, more via www.pacherhof.com
Wine vacation South Tyrol: Vinum Hotel Spitalerhof
The Spitalerhof in Klausen, also in the Eisack Valley in South Tyrol, has also been on my bucket list since last year. Because that’s when I learned about the first conversion plans, saw the first sketches, and fell in love with the planned concept right away. The Spitalerhof is also a member of the Vinum Hotels, and offers for me an absolutely curious wine adventure playground. Not only that the house has its own winery, and a distillery, yes, no – you can now also vacation there in wine barrel style. This type of check-in goes by the name of Fassl Lodge, is available twice in the Spitalerhof and is an architecturally charming accommodation in the style of an XXL wine barrel. Attention: including its own whirlpool.
On the terrace you can relax and taste the wines of the house.
Wine adventure playground in a wooden outfit: the tasting room.
Wine vacation with charm deluxe. In the Fassl Lodge you have your own whirlpool.
The interior design in the XXL wine barrel is a round thing, too.
Feel like a future fruit salad and store it in a wine barrel? This has made me so curious that I will soon try it out myself – and of course then report to you in detail on the blog. Be curious! The Spitalerhof has not only the Fassl Lodges, but also a nice selection of charming and modern rooms and suites, with lots of wood, lots of views and lots of space. In addition: an attractive pool and appetizing culinary offer. Those who want to discover wine can, among other things, visit the wine talk & tastings, try the in-house farm store with homemade South Tyrolean specialties through, or retire to the private flirt with the house wines. Everything is allowed, the wine love should always be pursued.
Vinum Hotel Spitalerhof, stays starting at 64 Euros, more via www.spitalerhof.it/de
