Newbury's Vineyard is a food and wine revelation

Given the passion I share with my husband and friends for combining fine food with just the right wine, it's amazing that it's taken me this long to discover The Vineyard. This is, no doubt, because it's on the outskirts of Newbury, well out of any of our regular routes and a town not really known as either a cultural or dining destination.

"Discover" isn't quite the right word.  I encountered The Vineyard by association five years ago when I was treated to dinner at Coworth Park created by chef John Campbell, who'd just been lured from The Vineyard ... where he'd gained two Michelin stars ... to run the kitchens at the new Dorchester property (story here).  The Vineyard's loss of its two stars after he left was big news on the foodie scene. And current head chef Daniel Galmiche turns up occasionally on Saturday Kitchen.  So I knew about it, but had never made the effort to get there.

It's a worthy destination.  The food is classic, elegant Continental cuisine.  Exquisite tastes, delicate portions, artful presentation. This is, admittedly, like many fine dining establishments.  The differentiator is the wine ... and the puzzle that they haven't re-gained at least one Michelin star.

Proprietors the Michael family also own the Peter Michael Winery in Sonoma, and there's no doubt they're serious about their craft.  The 30,000 bottles in their cellar here are used as a design element, with long walls of wine tempting you to exploration.  Their award-winning wine list looks more like a soft-bound version of Larousse's wine encyclopaedia, with comprehensive global coverage and choices from classic to quirky. They offer an unparalleled (in my experience) 100 wines by the glass.  A large mural of The Judgement of Paris ... that famous blind tasting that saw California beat France and inspired the film Bottle Shock ... is the first thing your eye sees when you enter the lobby.  The interiors have a Californian vineyard feel about them, all stone-washed elegance, big windows, tasteful modern art and exquisite wrought iron grape vines providing balustrades, balconies and handrails.

As this was a serious business lunch, we had a glass of wine each, with pre-printed discs placed beneath each glass to tell us what we were drinking.  I immediately wanted to collect a set.  The menu was full of enticing wine flights and special offers for tastings and classes.

The classic chablis chosen by our host was a multi-functional crowd pleaser well suited to stretching across the variety of two courses.  But the menu's tempting variety offered a range to spur the imagination.  How would they pair with the ever-tricky artichoke?  How to counter the bitterness of that endive?  Would you honestly put that upstate New York wine with anything?

Having just had a rotten weigh-in at Weight Watchers, I attempted to go light on my choices.  I avoided the bread-crumbed ball of foie gras on pickled red onions in a pond of creamy sweet onion volute, though the look of satisfaction on my colleagues faces told me I would have loved it.  My more virtuous pressed rabbit terrine with confit and pickled heritage carrots was delicious, though I could have used a bit more savoury balance to the very sweet veg.  The presentation, however, was perfect.  Thanks to our ridiculously cold spring, I could still indulge in seasonal asparagus for the main; thin, grilled shoots served here with some light-as-air parmesan gnocchi and morels.  My only complaint? More morels, please.  But who wouldn't say that?  Virtue, however, collapsed in the face of dark chocolate and salted caramel.  This combo has been overdone of late and can easily fail if you don't get the ingredients in balance.  Here, the dark chocolate was both bitter and sweet, the caramel layered more sweetness with just a hint of salt, biscuit bits gave texture.  A masterful marriage, and a small enough portion that I like to think I didn't do too much damage.

The dining experience closest to The Vineyard?  Le Manoir au Quat'Saisons.  (My review here.) The same elegance, the same quality of food.  Similarly assured staff, assuming that you share their passion for food and wine and guiding you through the experience with insight.  Both attached to luxurious Relais & Chateaux hotels (though The Vineyard has a far more modern vibe and a big spa).  Both surrounded by lovely gardens allowing for pre- and post-prandial al-fresco drinking (though the Manoir's gardens are far more extensive).  The Vineyard has earned plenty of accolades, but at this point it has still failed to re-gain any Michelin stars.  Which, especially given the similarity to the Manoir, I find deeply puzzling.

The advantage to that lack, however, may be price.  The luncheon menu is £29 for three dishes, £39 for four. Dinner is £65 for four, £75 for five, and the pull-out-all-the-stops eight-course tasting menu is £99.  All significantly less than the Oxfordshire venue. Gardens aside, I confess I'm far more intrigued by the possibility of a return to The Vineyard.  With wine flight, of course.