The Estate Cave & Spa Terra
The Meritage Resort
Napa, CA
20,000 square feet
Opened May 2007
 
-The Estate Cave & Spa Terra in Napa is the world’s first wine cave spa.
-There are 1,270 linear feet of tunnel in the Meritage cave (close to a quarter mile of walkable tunnels).
-There were 12,000 cubic yards of rock removed from the cave.
-There are 1,850 cubic yards of shotcrete sprayed on the cave walls.
-There are 83,700 square feet of reinforcing wire mesh in the tunnel (which would cover almost 2 acres).

“This project was a great challenge due to schedule, ground conditions, and water infiltration into the caves.  The problem solving ability and ingenuity of our crew kept the schedule on track and the cave moving forward.  We are extremely happy that the owners recognized the depth of talent we bring to all projects and selected us as part of the team that built the first ever underground full service spa complete with entertainment space and wine tasting bar."
-David Provost, President, Bacchus Caves

“It’s always a game, you’re always fighting against gravity…the ground dictates what you can do, how fast you can go, how wide—and what structure we put up inside. We saw easier red cinder cone rock and tougher volcanic rock on this job.” Because of the cave’s proximity to the new hotel, blasting wasn’t an option. Our 82-bit roadheader did most of the work and our equipment took a lot of abuse on this job, but we ended up with the cave sized and shaped to the artistic vision of the client.”
-Brian Simmons, General Manager, Bacchus Caves

“The overall feeling of the space is perfectly appropriate for what a cave should be, sumptuous and inviting. Guests will feel cocooned by their surroundings. The overall feel is opulent, intimate and exotic.”
-David Bury, Architect

The Meritage Resort is owned by Pacific Hospitality Group
David Bury, David Bury & Associates, Architect
Bacchus Caves, Cave Excavation
Brady Mitchell Construction, General Contractor on Cave Finishing
Maraya Droney Design, Interior Design
Lynn Curry, Natural Resources Spa Consulting