The Vineyard in Berkshire is the perfect pre-summer holiday
With the weather improving but summer holidays still a way off, it’s the perfect time to cast around for mini-break options closer to home. The UK’s luxury spa market has recovered strongly from the hospitality-wide hit at the beginning of the decade, but how to distinguish between the many options? The Vineyard in Berkshire has its own twist — a temple to wine set in the rolling Berkshire countryside.
Around three miles outside Newbury, The Vineyard is perfect for a weekend getaway from town. Either a quick drive along the M4 or a short hop on the trains finds you in pretty Stockcross, surrounded by woodland trails and even the odd ruined castle. And – crucially – by wine. Although there are no vines on site – the hotel does cultivate some of its own nearby – you are left in no doubt from the start what the theme is.
This is a love-letter to the grape, and there are some 30,000 bottles on site. The hotel entrance is directly opposite the state-of-the-art, climate controlled wine cellars, and you are as likely to find interesting-looking bottles on the walls as you are the enviable private art collection. We were greeted at reception with a glass of something cold and delicious, setting the tone for the perfect oenophile’s escape.
ROOM TO RELAX
With 32 spacious suites as well as a number of elegant rooms, there is plenty of space to breathe, and the overall atmosphere is one of calm tranquillity. Setting The Vineyard apart is the impeccable service; notice the staff’s enthusiasm. Even the tiniest touches – the box of home made artisan wine gums on the pillow, for example – contribute to remind guests that they are there to be pampered. And, of course, to sample some fantastic examples of the vintner’s art.
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
The food’s great. The Vineyard’s restaurant is the domain of executive chef Tom Scade, formerly sous-chef to John Williams at The Ritz, and his meticulous attention to detail shines. Scade’s passion for sustainability and homegrown and local produce guides the menu — hogget and trout from Berkshire, beef from Herefordshire, the sea fish direct from Cornwall. All of it presented with art and precision – but polished, not pretentious. Push the boat out and enter the Tasting Room to really feast your senses: Wye Valley asparagus paired with melting, gossamer slices of lardo and a lovage sauce, Cornish Brill with a Vin Jaune emulsion so popular they provide an extra gravy boat’s worth. Lamb done two ways, and, for the curious, a miniature pie and mash topped with ossetra caviar.
Of course one expects to say “and all alongside the right wines”, but this would be to get it the wrong way round. The food has, in this case, been crafted to complement the drinks. Scade collaborates with Wine Director Romain Bourger to deliver the prefect parings, to ensure that the cellar remains the star. Exceptional offerings from the old world and the new, ranging from flint-dry whites to berry-bursting reds, and even an elegant Tokaj if you just can’t face the short trip to bed without fortification. Leave yourself in the hands of the sommeliers with utter confidence.
AND DETOX
Massage and skincare treatments are available in the spa, and there are pools, hydromassage, sauna and steam, alongside modern-day hammam experiences.
NEED TO KNOW
Rooms start from £295 per night for a luxury double room or £336 including breakfast, whilst the Tasting Menu is £115 per person and £85 for the matching wine flight. Spa experiences start at £120 for a half day. Find out more at the website here.