When two of my favourite things in life – a luxury hotel and a good wine – come together in one package, I was sold. They had me at just the mention of wine, to be honest, but The Vineyard Hotel near Newbury, Berkshire, has so much more to offer. A spa, rated by the Good Spa Guide as one of the very best in the UK; a destination restaurant presided over by award-winning chef Daniel Galmiche; an impressive art collection and a beautiful location, to name but a few.
Located less than an hour’s drive from Heathrow, or just under two hours from London by train, The Vineyard is the perfect location for a spot of relaxation and pampering, far from the pressures of the daily grind. And if you like horse racing, it’s very close to the famous Newbury racecourse, while fans of Downton Abbey can visit nearby Highclere Castle, the main filming location for the series.
Shortly after checking in with my husband, two complimentary glasses of Taittinger champagne and a selection of delicious macaroons were delivered to our suite, one of 32 suites, as well as 17 bedrooms, that are all named after iconic wines of the world. This level of service was a mere taster for what to expect during our short stay at the 18th century former hunting lodge, now a fabulous 5-star hotel. Other little touches, such as the weather report for the following day that was left on our pillow, with a note to “sleep tight”, really made us feel special and welcomed.
Given its name, it’s no surprise that wine is at the forefront of things here – even my delightful spa treatment – a pampering ‘grapetherapy’ exfoliation, head massage and body wrap – featured the Spa’s exclusive Red Grape products. Sheer bliss.
The hotel is privately owned by the Michael family who are also proud owners of the highly-regarded Peter Michael Winery in California. The hotel boasts 30,000 bottles, 3,000 bins and 100 wines by the glass, all carefully chosen by the sommelier team, including a collection from Peter Michael wines, plus a stunning glass-floored wine vault holding over 5,000 bottles.
Following my spa treatment, we spent a relaxing afternoon strolling around the gardens which feature not only an array of colourful flowers and exotic shrubs, but also several modern sculptures which somehow fit in perfectly with their historic surroundings. Despite being very tempted by a rather delicious-looking afternoon tea, we wanted to keep our appetites intact for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.
Although the a la carte menu looked very tempting, we opted for “The Judgement of Paris” Spring tasting menu, in which each course of the chef’s selection of seasonal dishes is paired with the sommelier’s choice of accompanying wines. The concept derives from an event which took place in Paris in 1976, in which some of the world’s leading wine connoisseurs took part in a ‘blind’ tasting between French and Californian wines, the results of which turned traditional views about old and new world wines upside down.
Although our non-existent reputation as wine experts wasn’t exactly at stake on this occasion, we found it both challenging and entertaining, trying to determine the geographical origin of the six French and six Californian wines we were served during the meal. There were also two wines served in a black glass which, without the usual visual clues, made it extremely difficult for we novices to distinguish a rose from a white wine.
Despite our lack of skill in identifying some of the wines, we were able to determine that the pairings were perfectly chosen by the experts – dishes including a pressed rabbit and parsley terrine; Cornish cod; line-caught halibut and a rack of spring lamb were perfectly balanced with wines selected from The Vineyard’s cellar.
Even the puddings – a Granny Smith apple crumble and a chocolate and salted caramel fromage blanc sorbet were accompanied by some beautiful dessert wines, which we voted to be amongst the highlights of the whole wonderful experience.
To my mind, one of the most decadent experiences in life is being served breakfast in bed, a pleasure which sadly doesn’t happen very often in my day-to-day life. Even when staying at hotels, breakfast is usually a last minute dash around the buffet just before it closes, stacking my plate with a sorry selection of lukewarm leftovers.
As we were determined to make the most of our relaxing break at The Vineyard, we filled in the breakfast card before retiring for the night. Eight hours later, a gentle knock at the door aroused us from a sound slumber – breakfast had arrived, the heavily-laden trays of freshly cooked eggs, sausages and bacon accompanied warm pastries, fruit juice and piping hot tea and coffee.
Although our check out time was imminent, we were able to enjoy one last taste of The Vineyard’s excellent food and service in the opulent surroundings of our suite – our only question was, which wine would go best with toast?
