Just an hour's train journey or drive out of the capital lies The Vineyard, a luxury hotel in Berkshire with an award-winning wine cellar.
An oenophile's paradise, the hotel's glass-fronted cellar holds some 30,000 bottles of wine.
The Vineyard is owned by Sir Peter Michael, an engineer and businessman who built a vineyard in California's Sonoma Valley some 35 years ago and then brought a taste of it to Newbury in Berkshire. What an inspired idea that was.
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As our taxi swung into the hotel's gravel drive, the busy main road we had just turned off was swiftly forgotten. A glamorous Georgian house came into view, set amid manicured gardens. Guests could be seen sipping drinks around tables dotted around a large water feature. It was a supremely pretty scene.
On arrival, we were immediately handed a glass of sauvignon blanc – the first of many glasses consumed during our stay – before being shown to our suite.
Our room was magnificent. Classical FM music drifted from a radio (Sir Peter founded the station), paintings lined the walls, a three-piece suite sat around a fireplace and a mahogany desk rested in one corner. The four-poster bed was positively regal with a traditional canopy and silk headboard, while the bathroom, which was supplied with gorgeous Ren products, featured a freestanding bath, two sinks and a walk-in shower.
With a couple of hours spare before dinner, we headed to the spa, a relaxing observatory-style arena with an attractive circular pool at the centre, and a steam room and sauna located down another flight of stairs.
Before our meal, we paid a visit to the cocktail bar (we felt we had to).
Opting for the five-course discovery tasting menu paired with wines from around the world, we started with salmon adorned with wasabi and dill. I'm not usually a fan of wasabi but it was delicately flavoured and delicious. We continued with a bowl of earthy beetroot and crisp apples, with a refreshing sorrel sorbet to match. Next came farfalle pasta with broccoli, monk's beard and lettuce, followed by a fillet of halibut enhanced with mussels, which proved a pleasingly salty accompaniment.
But it was the wine that was the real star of the show. Superb selections were paired with each course, including a beautifully fresh 2009 English sparkling wine from Gusbourne, an appealingly dry 2012 grand cru riesling from Alsace and a powerful 2012 cabernet franc-merlot from Justin Vineyards in California.
Given the quantity of wine served, and the inevitable fogginess that may result, each glass comes with a paper ring with the name of the wine written on it so that you can remember it the next day. We also tried blacked-out 'blind' tasting glasses, where we had to guess the grape and country from which each wine derived. Despite (or perhaps because of) being fortified by several glasses of liquid confidence, we got everything wrong.
After dinner, we had the chance to lounge in the hotel's lively cocktail bar, delving deeper into the extensive wine menu.
In the morning, room service brought us breakfast. We somehow found the space for eggs and bacon, as well as fruit and pastries.
With beautiful grounds, five-star hospitality, delicious food and a well-appointed spa, The Vineyard is unquestionably a great hotel. But the true star of the show is its world-class wine list.
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