Vinopolis, City of Wine

1 Bank End, SE1 (0870 4444777)


London Bridge tube/rail. Open 10am-5pm daily (last entry 4.30pm). Admission £11.50; £4.50 5s-18s; £10.50 OAPs; £1 discount if booked in advance. Credit AmEx, JCB, MC, £TC, V.

Website: http://www.vinopolis.co.uk





The motto of this oenophile's attraction, which opened in July 1999, is åExplore, taste, enjoy'. They got the first two right. You pick up a headset and, later, a wine glass and embark on a tour of the history of wine across the world. Huge blow-up photos of vineyards and luxury chateaux set the scene, but the commentary, from the likes of famous wine experts Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson et al, is made up of soundbites so short that you don't feel like you're learning much. Still, on the plus side, included in the (not inconsiderable) entry fee are vouchers to taste five wines, provided by informative servers (try, if you dare, a Romanian or a Georgian). The much-publicised trip through a vineyard on a Vespa, is, frankly, a bit of a waste of time. Still, it's all a good excuse to drink during the day. There are further attempts to push booze in your face in the form of a Majestic wine warehouse at the end of the tour, in addition to a rather good shop selling all manner of vinous accoutrements (corkscrews, wine racks, books, etc), and gourmet food.