Saint-Estèphe in the Médoc is where La Maison d'Estournel sits among the vineyards of one of Bordeaux's most celebrated châteaux. The Orientalist architecture is extraordinary; the rooms are beautiful and the cellar is, predictably, exceptional. Days here go to tasting, walking the vines, and eating very well. One of France's most distinguished and singular wine country addresses.

The Château Smith Haut Lafitte estate outside Bordeaux is home to this beautiful set of village-like buildings surrounded by some of the appellation's most celebrated vines. The vinotherapy spa pioneered wine-bathing treatments that have been widely imitated but never quite bettered. The food is seriously good; the wine list is extraordinary. One of France's great wine country stays.