If you are one of us enthusiasts setting at least one resolution for the upcoming year, you are aware that you won’t probably stick to it for long unless you get a year membership in a gym, subscribe to Psychologies to find how to improve your relationships or visit Vinopolis and attend one of their “HOW TO TASTE WINE” guided tours to avoid next social faux pas when saying that you prefer white wines because all the reds are like drinking a tea from wood.
Vinopolis is a vast premise located near to the London bridge where you can immerse yourself into a wine bottle or – less radically – you can learn a bit about the history of wine, wine varieties, principles and methods of wine making, taste some wines, and be guided through the simple procedure how to taste wine. All this in an amusing way in this “museum” of wine and spirits in London.
The basic ticket with coupons for 5 wines and a cocktail
You can purchase the tickets online or on the spot. There are variety of tickets available. The basic one includes tasting of 5 wines plus a cocktail at a Saphire cocktail bar inside the Vinopolis. The prices start at £19.50 out of peak. You can also buy extra coupons for “higher quality” wines.
Fancy a wine with a chocolate or wine with cheese? Then you can attend some of their special wine events, where you learn how to pair wine and other skills. The drawback is that the events take place usually once a month so you need to book them in advance. We preferred a simple wine tasting tour.
Shortly after you enter you can watch a number of movies about the history of wine and adore the ancient wine jugs exhibited there. You might be surprised when realising that already people in Mesopotamia were drinking wine and that Georgia is one of the oldest wine countries. Perhaps a good idea for your next vacations – tracing the history of wine in Georgia.
Every 30 minutes there is a guided session with a wine expert explaining step by step the art of sniffing, smelling, tasting, whirling and also playing with wine in your mouth. You see, it isn’t so boring or soulless to really analyse the white, rose or red grape liquid in your mouth. This session teaches you enough so you are ready to explore the world of wine.
Now to tasting itself. Start with a glass of bubbly at the Champagne bar then move to the first room where a new world wines are lined up waiting for you to decide which one gets the privilege being your first experiment at the Vinopolis. In the following rooms are more classical French, Italian and Spanish wines. The choice is very extensive so consult the wine with the assistants serving the wines as they know their stuff. Some of them will be really helpful the other might be less friendly and knowledgeable. Though, feel with them, perhaps they are just having a bad day, so move to the next one.
If you prefer your wine with a nibble you can buy a tapas plate with olives, meats and cheeses in the tasting rooms or if yo are really hungry you can finish your wine tour with a lunch or a dinner at one of the restaurants inside the Vinopolis.
Finally, if you liked some of the wines so much you can buy them in the shop placed just at the end of you tour though a labyrinth of Vinopolis.
At the Vinopolis you can also explore the mouth burning Absinthe, rum, whiskies and also a beer from their own brewery.
An IMPORTANT advice by at the end: Don’t try the Thai wine they offer in their unusual wine section. It is really so bad. I had to drink two cocktails instead of one to fix my palate.
Opening hours:
Monday – Wednesday: Closed
Thursday – Saturday: 12pm – 10pm
Sunday: 12pm – 6pm,
Last entry 2.5 hours before closing on all days
The Bombay Sapphire Blue Room and selected tasting tables will close 30 minutes prior to the rest of the tour.
For those of you who have a solid base knowledge about wine and want to extend it you can attend one of the special classes called Tom’s wine school hosted by the wine expert Tom Forrest once a month.
