London Uncorked

By Alice Feiring/London

When it comes to drinking, London is not all gin and ale. For proof, there's Vinopolis, a multimedia wine museum on the south side of the city. It's a place bustling with energy from lectures on food-and-wine pairings and interactive exhibits on world wines from Hungarian sweet Tokay to Beaujolais and beyond. And you'll learn all sorts of fun facts--for example, that there are more than 400 wineries in Britain and that China, known for plum and rice wines, is now producing grape-based ones. And, of course, you'll have a chance to sample some of them. The local Wickham Winery's white from Schonburger and Wurzer grapes was simple but pleasantly fruity. The Chinese Hudong winery made a very credible Riesling. These obscure varietals alone are worth the price of admission.

For snacks, bypass the on-premises restaurants and duck outside. Just up the twisty lane is a local outpost of Neal's Yard Dairy, the stunning cheese shops specializing in small producers in Britain. Adjacent to Neal's is Monmouth Coffee. And for great wine-and-food pairings, head back over the river to ritzy Knightsbridge.

Fifth Floor, the posh restaurant in Harvey Nichols (the like-Harrods-but-hipper store), serves sophisticated Milanoesque cuisine. Thanks to Fifth's seriously geeky sommeliers, its wine scene pulses with options. Try one of the new wine flights--a selection of four wines organized around a theme.

Across the street, the wine list at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel's Foliage is packed with beautiful champagnes and Bordeaux, but what caught my eye were hard-to-find regional French wines. I chose the Coulee de Serrant 1989, a legendary Loire white made from Chenin Blanc grapes from the town of Savennieres. With aromas and tastes of lychee and dried apples, it worked with everything from the herb-crusted lamb to the tender spring artichokes.