You might like to glug it on a Friday night after a hard week at work, but learn to appreciate its nuances, and you might just find that drinking wine becomes a more mindful and sensuous experience. Begin by pouring a glass of your chosen bottle. Sip it and swish it in your mouth, letting the flavours manifest fully. All your senses are heightened as you seek the presence of the engulfing aroma and the right flavours. Sound good? If you’re thirsty for more, head to these top spots for wine tasting in London that you simply must try.
1. Wine Unearthed
If you’re craving a relaxed wine tasting in London with fantastic tipples and a sumptuous lunch, Wine Unearthed will more than scratch that itch. They’ve been organising award-winning experience days since the early 2000s. You can taste 15 wines and enjoy a three-course food and wine-matching lunch.
The courses are an inspired gift for wine lovers – both beginners and wine connoisseurs alike. The well-informed sommeliers will widen your horizons with their in-depth knowledge of aroma, flavour, origin and grape variety. They’ll provide a guidebook and notebook for anyone who wishes to take away more than a broad smile and the satisfaction of a pleasurable experience. Think making notes would dampen the fun? A wine-tasting tour with Wine Unearthed will have you scribbling furiously!
You can also enjoy the experience from the comfort of your own home, on one of their hour-long online tours. You’ll receive wine bottles sent to your doorstep and a notebook for jotting down what you want to remember. Why not gather your pals and make an occasion of it?
You’ll find Wine Unearthed at Browns Covent Garden, 82-84 St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4AG. Nearest station is Leicester Square.
2. Renegade Urban Winery
When you visit Renegade Urban Winery, expect a relaxed space with outdoor tables, casual indoor seating and a whiff of barrels resting in the taproom. Here you’ll have one of the most intimate experiences of wine tasting in London. Check their online calendar for events and dates.
Renegade carefully handpick the Herefordshire grapes that go into their wines. They also offer excellent varieties from other parts of Britain and the globe. They have bottles from East Sussex, Wales and Wiltshire, and boast an international collection from France, Sweden and the USA. The accompanying deli food they serve is also very good.
At night, the winery becomes a wine bar. Atmospherically located beneath the railway arches by Bethnal Green station, this is a cosy place with live music and affordable prices. Looking for a drink other than the grape juice? Renegade also sell beer, cocktails and alcohol-free options, so everyone’s happy here.
You’ll find Renegade Urban Winery at Arch 12, Gales Gardens, London, E2 0EJ. Nearest station is Bethnal Green.
3. London Cru Winery
Planning a wine tasting in London with your colleagues? Or just intrigued to try wines that are made in the capital? Then London Cru Winery might just be the right place to quench that thirst. Owned by Cliff Roberson, London’s first urban winery impresses from first sight. Housed in a beautiful Victorian-style warehouse, the high-grade machinery really shines bright here.
The winery uses grapes from many parts of the UK to create its intriguing collection of award-winning wines. You can find some of its vintages being served in the most prestigious restaurants in London.
The place is tucked away in an alley in Central London, but it’s well worth seeking out. Whether you’re a novice or a wine pro, you’re sure to enjoy the tours. The sommeliers have excellent knowledge and ensure that no one gets bored with too much information. Here, you’re bound to like learning more about the liquid that you’ve been loving for years!
You’ll find London Cru Winery at 21-27 Seagrave Road, London, SW6 1RP. Nearest station is West Brompton.
4. The Winemakers Club
If you like the exceptional taste of organic and biodynamic wines, make a beeline for The Winemakers Club. They run a wine bar and shop from their bare, brick-walled outlet. You’ll feel welcomed from the moment you step inside, even before you’ve got your hands on the menu. You’ll struggle to choose from their exquisite selection of international wines.
When it comes to a tasting here, you have two options. Join their ‘public tasting’ events if you’re visiting solo or with any number of friends fewer than ten; if you’re a larger group, ask about a private tasting event – a great idea for a special celebration with family or mates. Either way, you’ll get to taste six of the finest bottles from their collection. They display the information about the drinks on a projector while you sip your tipple. The cheese and charcuterie boards that accompany the drinks will keep the party going!
Finding yourself at a loose end? You can also just walk in for a relaxed evening in their candle-lit wine-bar environment. Sounds pretty good to us.
You’ll find The Winemakers Club at 41a Farringdon Street, London, EC4A 4AN. Nearest station is Farringdon.
5. The Wine Tasting Shop
If you’re looking for a selection of biodynamic, organic wines that doesn’t seem to end, then visit this shop with its row upon row of bottles on the walls and have your heart’s fill! The Wine Tasting Shop welcome you to try any of the whopping 400 bottles on display. Think of a label and you’re bound to find it here.
This modern outlet allows you to try any wine before buying a bottle. They serve divine cheese, delicious charcuterie and outstanding bread while you enjoy glass after glass of their splendid liquid refreshments.
Their wine-tasting events draw visitors eager to sample the labels housed on their sprawling shelves. You can pop along to one of their weekly sessions or you can organise a private event in-house or at a venue of your choice for a reasonable price. For a fan of the vine, why not buy a pair of tickets to one of these events? It would make a thoughtful gift for someone who’d enjoy wine tasting in London.
You’ll find The Wine Tasting Shop at 18 Hildreth Street, Balham, London, SW12 9RQ. Nearest station is Balham.
6. The Wine Library
Aptly named, The Wine Library has a collection of more than 300 wines from all over the world, to drink in or take home. Appropriately enough, it’s housed in a 19th-century wine cellar. There are tipples that you can have by the glass or you can taste a bottle before buying. Alternatively, put your trust in owner Peter’s judgement and go with his pick of the month – always a great way to discover something new. The wine bar is small but comfortable – a perfect place to sit alone in peace savouring a glass, or to relax in the company of a small group of friends.
The Wine Library is an independent seller that hosts private sessions for wine tasting in London, either in-house or at your own venue. Book a Blind Tasting for a fun, informal session, or a ‘Tutored Tasting’ for people genuinely keen to learn more. Either option makes a unique experience for groups of up to 35 friends or clients.
You’ll find The Wine Library at 43 Trinity Square, London, EC3N 4DJ. Nearest station is Tower Hill.
7. Diogenes The Dog
Call it a café slash wine bar slash shop or an intimate place where you can relax with a drink in hand and friends on the side – either way, Diogenes The Dog is a wine phenomenon! It has a gorgeous décor of wood and greens, a range of vintages from around the world, and a group of sommeliers who really know their stuff and are keen to share it. What’s more, this award-winning place is dog-friendly!
You will find Diogenes’s name on many lists of the best wine-serving places in the country. So if you want a taste of their very well-regarded action, book your choice of three private wine tasting events for groups of 6 to 30 people, from a 90-minute event with five wines to sample, to the two-hour extravaganza with ten wines and nibbles too.
You’ll find Diogenes The Dog at 96 Rodney Rd, London, SE17 1BG. Nearest station is Elephant and Castle.
Whether it’s just for fun, or with a serious intent to learn more, a wine tasting in London is a pleasurable way to slow down and savour the nectar of the vine. So why not try these seven wine tasting spots in town and enjoy a glass or two?!