History of Vinopolis: Wine Tasting and Venue Hire

Vinopolis Wine Tour and event spaces, located in the heart of london's Bankend, next to Borough Market and easily accessible from all major routes into London, from the City and the West End.

Vinopolis was founded by a man called Duncan Vaughan-Arbuckle. Duncan ran a successful wine merchant and after talking to his clients he realised that there was a real interest in wines, how they are made and how to enjoy them. Thus, in a nutshell, Vinopolis was born - as he set about creating a unique attraction dedicated to the pleasures of wine. This was no mean feat as it involved securing considerable financial backing and of course locating a suitably impressive and historical site to house his wine attraction. After much searching the site at Bank End was discovered beneath the arches of a Victorian railway viaduct.

The viaduct was built in 1866 by the South-eastern Railway Company to carry their extension from London Bridge over the river to Cannon Street on the north bank. It's true that wine and food has been central to the surrounding area for many hundreds of years as Roman remains have been found on the site and can be seen on the tour. The fantastic neighbouring Borough Market has also been open in one form or another since 1756.

It's important to remember when wandering around the arches of Vinopolis that everything you see today had to be built from scratch. All that stood on the site was a series of long tunnels. Twists and turns have been added; as have walls. Others have been removed and opened out. Everything was made to order and as a result we have the unique and spectacular venue you see today.

The Vinopolis tour opened its' doors to the public for the very first time on the 23rd July 1999. It started initially as a very long (4 hour) wine tour but over the years the business has evolved according to market changes and today it runs as a thriving wine tour and corporate events venue. The love of wine and the desire to offer everyone the opportunity to explore and learn about this fascinating world is what drives the business today. We are passionate about what we do and we hope you enjoy everything we can offer. Whilst wine remains central to us, we now also offer 7 distinct yet equally stunning events spaces merging Victorian splendour with 21st century facilities and capable of hosting up to 1250 guests.