By the time Boon Fly Café, the property's casual restaurant facing Highway 12, begins serving breakfast and lunch to resort guests and locals in February, the hotel itself should be in full swing. But for the lucky explorers who've caught wind of the early opening date, a sneak preview offers the same delight as sneaking behind the velvet rope to revel in a private party beyond a cordoned barrier.

When I heard plans were in the works to build a new resort community in the Carneros, I was skeptical. As a wine journalist, the rugged splendor of the Carneros ranks it among my favorite wine regions of the world.

"How could a project that represents such scarring of this unspoiled landscape (the building of not only a hotel and spa, but a also a housing community) ever have passed local zoning?" I asked myself.

The simple explanation is that the developers love this tiny corner of the winemaking world for the same reasons I treasure the place.

The concept behind the new resort is that one may luxuriate in the beauty of nature. Instead of defacing a rolling western Napa hillside, the Carneros Inn has added to the beauty with careful landscaping, including the planting and preservation of hundreds of trees.

Built to cascade down a slope, (the spa and dining room steal the best views at the top; cottages and a 24-home community are situated on the even valley floor), the resort incorporates state-of-the-art water recycling. (The hotel says that cottages offer geo-thermal heating and cooling).

The complex is so modest that, upon first view, I mistook guest accommodations for the cabins at a sleep-away camp. Divided into tiny compounds, the cottages, with their white wooden rockers on miniature porches, are identical, save for the front door, each of which is painted in a rich, different shade. (My sage green was flanked by periwinkle blue and tomato red).

As I opened the front door to my cabin, I expected to see mirrored rows of bunks running the length. But what I found instead was a modern sanctuary of sensuality. If rooms could be feng shuied for sex, these would have to be the finest representation of the art.

I found myself more than a little depressed that I arrived alone. My cottage was positively a room made for two. Although the cottages are crammed into a very small section of the resort property, there are no shared walls and once the front door is shut, the cabin exudes a sense of total seclusion.

From the wood burning fireplace to the al fresco shower to the pale sage, suede sofa, which still smelled of new leather, (a scent scientifically proven to enhance libido), my room was meant for a romantic rendezvous. It added up to be the perfect juxtaposition to the raw, rugged landscape and constantly changing weather outside the patio's glass doors. It could be that, even without the added furnishings, the Carneros itself is an incredible turn-on. To add pleasure to… pleasure, the bathroom boasted a heated slate floor, the bed offered soft, white cotton sheets, and for lonely lovelorn like myself, the free high speed Internet hookup was an added bonus.

Eventually, the resort will offer in-cottage dining, but for now, couples must tear themselves away from their personal love den to receive sustenance in the Hilltop restaurant. The dining room, a wide glass structure positioned to take best advantage of the local beauty, is overseen by the cooking talents of Philip Wang, a former protégé of Daniel Boulod and San Francisco's Traci Des Jardins. Service is of the discrete, four-star style and the cuisine features Napa and Sonoma's harvest bounty. The Hilltop is open only to resort guests, but a second restaurant, Boon Fly Café, will cater to hungry wine country tourists. Wang will also oversee this restaurant, which is slated to open by February first.

For anyone who can find the time to desert his/her private haven, the resort offers a full-service spa. Without an illicit rendezvous to occupy my time, I took a trip to the spa to enjoy the signature stone massage, which incorporates rhythmic rubbing with a combination of hot and cold river stones. I also tried a grape seed and guava scrub that left my skin as soft, creamy and smooth as butter.

Incorporated into the Carneros Inn concept is a community of 24 three-bedroom homes and a town square to service all the needs of a local community. (Much needed in the Carneros where the nearest market and post office are over six miles away). I did not see a model home, as they were all still under construction, but from a distance the homes appeared in close proximity to each other. Together, they resemble a suburban subdivision, a bit incongruous in the middle of one of the country's most beautiful, wide-open spaces.

If my bank account would allow me to purchase such a home, I think I'd want something more secluded, off on a winding country road. But, if I were a San Francisco resident longing for a no-fuss weekend escape, the resort concept might hold much allure. And if the homes were decked out with the same mystical, sexual aura as the guest accommodations, the resort might do well to rent them out to couples enrolled in a fertility program!

The Carneros Inn, Hwy 121 at Old Sonoma Rd. 707-299-4900, $350-$1,000/night.

Amy Reiley is a freelance food, wine & spirits journalist and creator of Life of Reiley (www.lifeofreiley.com), a site that celebrates the sensual side of food and wine.