| Nestled under brick arches that support the Victorian | | | | glass of white wine. We sat in a comfortable small |
| railroad, lies Vinopolis just yards away from the newly | | | | amphitheatre. He demonstrated how not to taste wine |
| constructed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in the | | | | by quickly glancing at the wine, taking a quick smell and |
| London area of Southwark. Latin aptly names | | | | drinking all of it at once. We noted that he spat out the |
| Vinopolis. The Romans once settled this area of | | | | wine each time he demonstrated how to taste it. He |
| London south of the Thames River. Vinopolis means | | | | then proceeded to demonstrate how to look, smell and |
| vine city. Now it has come to mean wine center. The | | | | taste a wine. He gave us plenty of time to follow his |
| center opened in 1999 in what use to be a warehouse. | | | | directions and asked us what we thought after each |
| The South-eastern Railroad Company built the original | | | | step. This session was very low keyed and |
| structure in 1866. | | | | entertaining. Throughout the rest of the tour, we |
| As you wander the rooms of Vinopolis, you see the | | | | noticed that many other people were swirling their |
| graceful arches and brick vaulted ceilings. Extensive | | | | wines and smelling the wines. |
| work transformed the long tunnels into a series of | | | | The tour continued self-paced through displays on |
| rooms that house the displays, artifacts, images and | | | | Burgundy, France and Germany. Visitors then |
| videos. Other rooms are available for special events. | | | | approach the first tasting table where they can |
| Tom Forrest, the Tour Development Manager, spoke | | | | choose wines from different countries to taste. The |
| with us about the history of Vinopolis and its vision. | | | | wine consultants are very knowledgeable and helpful. If |
| When asked if the mission of Vinopolis was to | | | | you do not know what to taste, they will ask several |
| educate the public about wine, Tom responded that | | | | questions to determine what you may like to try. We |
| the mission is to educate with a small "e." Education | | | | decided to pick a country and try a wine they |
| occurs through a very relaxed atmosphere. Tom | | | | suggested from that country. The tour then continued |
| stated that the public learns through enjoyment. As a | | | | through displays on Australia, New Zealand, United |
| result, Vinopolis employees do not use sophisticated | | | | States, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa. Visitors then |
| wine vocabulary. They are very knowledgeable about | | | | approach the second wine tasting table. |
| the wine they have to offer for tasting and answer all | | | | We took a slight detour between the Argentina and |
| your questions. | | | | South Africa displays to enter a series of rooms |
| A visitor to Vinopolis can choose among a series of | | | | devoted to Bombay Sapphire. Bombay Sapphire is a |
| tours. Each tour includes a walk through rooms that | | | | distilled London dry gin. A large round table holds |
| focus on wines from different parts of the world. In | | | | copper bowls filled with different spices. All the spices |
| these rooms one finds displays of artifacts, videos and | | | | were fresh enough for one to smell. A hallway lined |
| images. Each tour also comes with a number of | | | | with different gin glasses led to the tasting bar. Three |
| tickets to use for tasting wines. The Original Tour | | | | different Bombay Sapphire cocktails were available. |
| offers five regular wine tastings and a Bombay | | | | We tasted the Summer Sapphire which consisted of |
| Sapphire Cocktail. Other wine tours include a "How to | | | | 25 ml of Bombay Sapphire, 15 ml of vanilla syrup and |
| Taste Wine" session and additional wine, beer, whisky, | | | | some pineapple juice and the Bombay Berry cocktail |
| champagne, or absinthe tastings. A visitor can also use | | | | which consisted of 25 ml of Bombay Sapphire, 15 ml |
| an audio guide. At different locations along the tour, a | | | | of blackberry liqueur and topped with cranberry juice. |
| number signifies a number to type onto the playback | | | | Both of the cocktails were delicious. |
| device and you can hear a narrative about what is on | | | | The tour led us on to the Italy room, another tasting |
| display. The tour is self-paced. One can read as many | | | | table and then on to displays about the health benefits |
| of the display descriptions as they choose. | | | | of wine. A series of quotes from ancient times to |
| The tour began with displays that show that Georgia, | | | | present day make the case for the health benefits of |
| an area surrounded by Russia, the Black Sea, Turkey, | | | | wine. Our favorite is a quote from Dr. Thomas |
| Armenia, and Azerbaijan was the cradle of wine. | | | | Stuttaford, London 1999 who stated, "A glass or two |
| Archeological evidence points out that viniculture took | | | | of wine a day will not only lengthen life, but may also |
| place in Georgia about 6000 BC with more than 500 | | | | enhance intellectual power during the extra years |
| grape varietals. An antique kvevri, once used to | | | | provided." |
| ferment wines, is on display. These 300-500 decalitre | | | | The tour of Vinopolis was very educational and |
| jugs would have been buried in the ground up to near | | | | Vinopolis employees are very helpful and informative. |
| the top in order to control temperature. Next, one | | | | As we left Vinopolis, we met a couple that we talked |
| travels through displays of the importance of | | | | with earlier on the tour. They wished they had allotted |
| Bordeaux and Rhone areas of France. | | | | more time for the tour. If visiting London in the future, |
| We stopped for a twenty-minute session on how to | | | | consider making Vinopolis a destination and plan for |
| taste wine. Our presenter offered each participant a | | | | plenty of time. |