The Land | Blair Spangler - The Collection

Environment & Sustainability

Our story starts with the land, or terroir, as it is so often referred to in our part of the world. This is fundamentally what we are all about: preserving it, accentuating it with structures that best frame its vistas, flora, and fauna at our locations, all among the vineyards of Napa & Sonoma. We take our land stewardship seriously and most respectfully ask that all who come to stay do the same. Devotion to our neighbors (2-footed and 4) is foundational in our environmental endeavors. We are being as hyper-local and organic as much is pivotal. These get easier to attain with each passing year. We underscore the importance of respecting our neighborhood microcosm to improve our greater regional wellbeing simultaneously. We are committed proponents of the Slow Movement, “The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible”. In the local Italian wine world, the Slow movement first manifested “the right to pleasure,” which was increasingly getting lost in demand for speed and productivity in modern everyday life. The Slow Food manifesto so exquisitely states that “a quiet defense of pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal Folly of the Fast Life. May suitable doses of guaranteed sensual pleasure and slow, long-lasting enjoyment preserve us from the contagion of the multitude who mistake frenzy for efficiency”. Slow tourism is a correction to over-tourism and an ever-evolving sustainable solution in leisure travel. Propelled by a much-publicized protest against a Mcdonalds’ at the Spanish steps in Rome in1986, the Slow movement has spread to many sectors. Slow travel is about immersing oneself in a destination, lingering to develop a deep connection with a place. In all honesty, the one common refrain we hear most often from our guests is, “I wish we had spent more time at the house!”

There is a common tendency among guests to overbook experiences in pre-travel planning for a 3 to 4-night stay. Many guests do arrive and cancel some or all of their off-site bookings. As we can bring many wine country experiences to you at our estates, we encourage you to heed this warning and make plans to luxuriate at our micro-resorts rather than run hither and yon. Please also consider that if you want to dine off property, lunch is the better choice so you can best view the countryside and then enjoy the sunsets and culinary stylings of our much-acclaimed chefs.

Slow Food in the form of authentic farm-to-table is the crucial ingredient chez The Blair Spangler Collection (BSC) as the fertile lands and seasons allow. Please know that It is far easier to arrange private luncheons than dinners at wineries based on the specifics of their operational permits. Nor is driving our country roads in the dark visually rewarding or fun to navigate. The better choice is to dine on the property to partake of the Technicolor evening skies that are merely the warm-up act for your private symphony of stars. Nothing compares to an alfresco, farm-fresh dinner followed by an extended interlude around our fire pits sharing wine or port while tracing constellations in the stars above.

Consider, though It is ever-so possible to get drunk on the region’s wine, few fully realize that it is equally unavoidable to get light-headed on the inspiriting harmonies of the land, the birdsong, and our 4-footed inhabitants that abound at our wine country estates.

We believe that guests will be moved to cherish Dame Nature more demonstrably when she boisterously rises to embrace them as she does so gloriously at our properties. Our locations are an endless source of inspirational beauty, but equally a gentle reminder of what is essential and needs to be taken care of. This is at the core of everything we choose to design, build and cultivate. We pray that our environments are so compelling that guests go forth with a greater commitment to environmental preservation and sustainability. Our mission statement:

” I care to live only to entice people to look at Nature’s loveliness”

Our staff loyalty and feedback document that people are happier and more creative in their work if their surroundings are close to nature and further if their efforts are contributing to the pleasure and inspiration of others. For this reason (among many others), our properties are idyllic for brainstorming and leadership conferences or just re-evaluating the meaning of life.

We Promise Memories of a lifetime

I highly recommend The Ranch Above. The entire management team was accommodating and responsive to all our questions and needs. We had a couple days of a heat wave and had no problem with the AC. They even had an additional unit in the media room. Our entire group watched the football game with plenty of seating. The entertaining outside space was absolutely perfect.

We recently stayed at the St. Helena FarmHouse with a large group. It was an absolutely gorgeous place to spend our time in Wine Country!! We had a group of 5 couples (10 people) for a 40th birthday trip, and it was just incredible. The house is beautifully decorated, with a wonderfully equipped gourmet kitchen and a great sound system. It has everything… pool, bocce ball, overlook deck, outdoor table for dining, hot tub, fantast

We had a fantastic time. This place is even nicer than the pictures!! It was perfect for our extended family weekend away. We enjoyed the infinity pool, hot tub, bocce ball court, spacious areas to eat/ hang out, the media room, the sunset deck, and the huge kitchen where we could all cook.

Our six guests and I had a wonderful experience. The Ranch Above was Visually stimulating within itself and the breathtaking views beyond. We had hired a driver and van who came and collected us daily to escort us to all of our tastings by day and made sure that we returned safely by day's end.