Wine list of the week: The Braywood
Douglas Blyde finds a by-the-glass selection where "everyday meets the exceptional" and an "acutely sweaty Turkish Sauvignon Blanc" at The Braywood in Maidenhead. The post Wine list of the week: The Braywood appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Douglas Blyde finds a by-the-glass selection where "everyday meets the exceptional" and an "acutely sweaty Turkish Sauvignon Blanc" at The Braywood in Maidenhead.
The Braywood is what happens when a country pub wins the lottery, hires an interior designer with a black belt in taste, and swaps its pint-pulling past for something far more sophisticated. If you prefer a “real pub,” there’s The White Hart down the road, which advertises itself as such on its sign. Michelin notes the former Royal Oak was given a lavish conversion by the team behind The Woodspeen – though Harden’s put it better: “rises from the rubble”.
The result? A sleek, contemporary venue where Dover sole and chateaubriand for two are the order of the day. According to Muddy Stilettos, Sam Brennan is “the man behind the wheel of this gastronomical ship.” Over on TripAdvisor, Gloriar puffs: “Would give it six stars if I could!”
And yet, for all its curation, the list does have its sprawl. Three standard Chablis, three white Sancerres, and a full ten Albariños, though to its credit, some hail from Portugal, South Africa, and New Zealand. Then there are ten Californian Chardonnays - a celebration of variety, excess, or a reminiscence for Amadi, who was once wine director at the USA-led The Vineyard, Stockcross. But when it comes to Italy, Maroni finds his focus.
The great estates are well represented – Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and the 2015 Masseto (£2,200). Barolo monarchs are firmly in residence, with Giacomo Conterno’s 2003 Cascina Francia (£750) and Roberto Voerzio’s 1997 Brunate (£790). Further afield, there’s Château Musar 1998 (£271), while Didier Dagueneau’s 2018 Pur Sang (£363) is a reminder of a winemaker who saw Sauvignon Blanc as something far grander than a bistro pour.
The considered half-bottle list is worth a lingering look, where Burgundy and Bordeaux feature, as does Sassicaia 2008 (£500), a three-glass glimpse into one of Italy’s most sought-after wines.
Meanwhile, cocktails include the surprisingly convincing, banana-bittered non-alcoholic Old Fashioned, and gin from sister restaurant The Clockspire.
Then came a properly substantial tranche of turbot, well seasoned, with supple clams, homemade strozzapreti, and crisped leek, bathed in a white vermouth sauce which could only have been improved by stirring in a spoonful of caviar. Served alongside, smoked buttered pink fir potatoes, which were so good they almost outshone the fish. The wine, another from Santa Caterina – Silente delle Marne 2020 – was fearless, golden, deep, the product of three altitudes, made by a winemaker who spent time in Puligny-Montrachet, and it showed. It amplified everything, especially those potatoes. The match of the meal.
To finish, a chocolate slice with coffee caramel, mascarpone, and a seeded snap, sheer indulgence created by pastry chef, Chiara Russo, paired with Brolo delle Giare Recioto 2017. There was also a taste of the ferment from the operator’s own Linden Estate in Boxford, set to make sparkling wine, though the late-harvest Ortega before us was an appetising, honeysuckle scented blend of three years, with only 3,000 halves available. Maroni noted that guests can visit by arrangement. It could also serve as a perfect aperitif wine.
The Braywood is what happens when a country pub wins the lottery, hires an interior designer with a black belt in taste, and swaps its pint-pulling past for something far more sophisticated. If you prefer a “real pub,” there’s The White Hart down the road, which advertises itself as such on its sign. Michelin notes the former Royal Oak was given a lavish conversion by the team behind The Woodspeen – though Harden’s put it better: “rises from the rubble”.
The result? A sleek, contemporary venue where Dover sole and chateaubriand for two are the order of the day. According to Muddy Stilettos, Sam Brennan is “the man behind the wheel of this gastronomical ship.” Over on TripAdvisor, Gloriar puffs: “Would give it six stars if I could!”
Design
Some buildings evolve. Others vanish with the efficiency of a condemned tower block - nothing left but dust, a planning dispute, and a few indignant letters to the local paper. The Royal Oak fell somewhere in between. “A historic pub and former Michelin-starred restaurant has been reduced to a pile of rubble after demolition took place without the permission of the Royal Borough,” reported the Maidenhead Advertiser, with the scandalised tone usually reserved for a missing Vermeer. Yet, not everything was lost. The centrepiece of the old scheme remains, albeit so dramatically reworked that it might as well have entered witness protection. Under architect, Chris Bagot, the past was swept aside in favour of a gleaming contemporary restaurant, with plate glass walls as polished as a Zalto bowl, terrazzo flooring, a marble wine altar, and lush fatsias softening the edges of all that modernity. Come summer, two terraces open onto roosts for birds, bat boxes, and even a hedgehog highway - because in Berkshire, even the local wildlife is afforded good design.Drinks
Topping out at 600 bins, The Braywood’s list is the largest in a collection which also includes The Sparsholt and The Boxford, both equally well-heeled, but neither quite so lavishly stocked. It is overseen by Jacopo Maroni, a protégé of Edoardo Amadi, director of wines at The Woodspeen. Under his guidance, the selection is both expansive and deliberate, if occasionally generous to a fault. By the glass, the everyday meets the exceptional. A crisp Soave (£6) sits alongside a Turkish Sauvignon Blanc (£9). Bollinger Rosé (£31) brings a touch of Aÿ glamour, while Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux 2016 (£14 per 125ml) delivers serious Bordeaux in a manageable pour. For something decadent, but not dangerous, Château Guiraud 2015 (£17 per 70ml) is a premier cru Sauternes thick with golden promise. By the bottle, English sparkling takes its place at the table. Hundred Hills sits alongside Champagne’s greats, with Preamble No.2 2019 and Signature Rosé 2018 (both £116), and Hillside No.3 Limited Edition 2019 (£127) making a confident case for homegrown fizz. Bordeaux is led by titans, Latour 2009 (£2,450), Haut-Brion (£1,975), and Lafite (£2,350) - while second wines like Echo de Lynch Bages (£120) offer a more affordable route into the region’s aristocracy. Burgundy is a clear labour of love, with Domaine Leflaive’s Chevalier-Montrachet (£3,350) and Armand Rousseau’s Charmes-Chambertin (£2,300) taking centre stage, while Dujac’s 2011 Gevrey-Chambertin (£332) makes an appearance, given Maroni is a fan, and clearly hopes you are too.
And yet, for all its curation, the list does have its sprawl. Three standard Chablis, three white Sancerres, and a full ten Albariños, though to its credit, some hail from Portugal, South Africa, and New Zealand. Then there are ten Californian Chardonnays - a celebration of variety, excess, or a reminiscence for Amadi, who was once wine director at the USA-led The Vineyard, Stockcross. But when it comes to Italy, Maroni finds his focus.
The great estates are well represented – Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and the 2015 Masseto (£2,200). Barolo monarchs are firmly in residence, with Giacomo Conterno’s 2003 Cascina Francia (£750) and Roberto Voerzio’s 1997 Brunate (£790). Further afield, there’s Château Musar 1998 (£271), while Didier Dagueneau’s 2018 Pur Sang (£363) is a reminder of a winemaker who saw Sauvignon Blanc as something far grander than a bistro pour.
The considered half-bottle list is worth a lingering look, where Burgundy and Bordeaux feature, as does Sassicaia 2008 (£500), a three-glass glimpse into one of Italy’s most sought-after wines.
Meanwhile, cocktails include the surprisingly convincing, banana-bittered non-alcoholic Old Fashioned, and gin from sister restaurant The Clockspire.
Dishes
Sam Brennan works with the restaurant collection’s own single finca olive oil, turning out à la carte dishes which feel rooted, generous, and reassuringly unfussy - a contrast to the minimalist interiors, where one half-expects a lecture on foraging and a procession of tasting plates arranged on pebbles. Lunch began with a wonderfully, acutely sweaty Turkish Sauvignon Blanc, drawn theatrically from a marble ice well, a centrepiece somewhere between a font and a folly. Beyond the label’s moon phases, Sevilen 900 Füme Blanc – imported direct by Maroni – hails from Güneym, a region known not only for its wine but also a waterfall. It was poured alongside a pretty starter of Jerusalem artichoke, Castelfranco, cashews, sliced pink lady apple, and balsamic, crowned with an enthusiastic scattering of black truffle. A concern, initially – without enough richness elsewhere to carry it, truffle can sit inert, like a squandered inheritance. But here, the effect was pleasingly savoury, almost suede-like, requiring a moment to adjust before revealing its charms. The wine added its own persuasive argument, lively and conversational. The artichoke, in fact, turned out to be more compelling than the partridge, which came with a hint of raspberry vinegar, warm beetroot, and chicory, along with hazelnuts for texture. The bird itself was polite, though its more interesting bits had been relegated to stock, which felt a shame. The pairing, however, was thoughtful – a warm-year (2017), Nebbiolo-esque Grignolino from Tre Bicchieri, Tenuta Santa Caterina, Monferrato. One of only 30 magnums, from Maroni’s home region of Valtellina, it did its best to bolster the dish’s character.
Then came a properly substantial tranche of turbot, well seasoned, with supple clams, homemade strozzapreti, and crisped leek, bathed in a white vermouth sauce which could only have been improved by stirring in a spoonful of caviar. Served alongside, smoked buttered pink fir potatoes, which were so good they almost outshone the fish. The wine, another from Santa Caterina – Silente delle Marne 2020 – was fearless, golden, deep, the product of three altitudes, made by a winemaker who spent time in Puligny-Montrachet, and it showed. It amplified everything, especially those potatoes. The match of the meal.
To finish, a chocolate slice with coffee caramel, mascarpone, and a seeded snap, sheer indulgence created by pastry chef, Chiara Russo, paired with Brolo delle Giare Recioto 2017. There was also a taste of the ferment from the operator’s own Linden Estate in Boxford, set to make sparkling wine, though the late-harvest Ortega before us was an appetising, honeysuckle scented blend of three years, with only 3,000 halves available. Maroni noted that guests can visit by arrangement. It could also serve as a perfect aperitif wine.
Last sip
Once a celebrated pub under the tenure of chef of The Crown at Burchett’s Green, Dominic Chapman, the setting is now altogether more refined under Westbury Street Holdings (WSH) – a group which doesn’t so much run restaurants as acquire them and leave them gleaming in their wake. Their reach extends from the banquettes of Searcys to the caffeinated queues of Benugo, via BaxterStorey, which quietly sustains the ambitions of corporate Britain. Even the nation’s prep schools aren’t spared, with Holroyd Howe ensuring little Tarquin’s first encounter with a mille-feuille happens somewhere between Latin and lacrosse. Now, it’s grander, sleeker, its country-pub past still susurrant beneath the surface – reassuring but irrelevant. It has been reupholstered for a new generation of power lunches, with locals returning in numbers and praising the results. A magnum of Camino de Santa Cruz, comprehensively signed by the team at the nearby Fat Duck, sits as testament to its welcome among the old guard. One suspects former owner, Michael Parkinson, would have admired its ambition. His son, Nick, certainly does - he’s already been back five times. Because WSH doesn’t deal in half measures or half-finished projects. As Parkinson himself put it: “I finish every book I start.”Best for
- Italy and homegrown wines
- Sleek design
- Traditional cooking
