The Sampler

Terrific shop with a great range of wine. Best part are the Enomatic wine dispensers — load up a card and try a bunch of wines.
They also have good whiskeys that you would otherwise probably have to goto a specialist shop to find.

I’m always on the lookout for a good wine bar, and after a day at the museum last weekend, we decided to give The Sampler a try. On ground level it doesn’t look like it has much space, as most of the floor is used as shelf space, with a few wine dispensers that can serve you wine by the glass. There is a corner with a few high chairs where one can mingle, but it was less than ideal for our group of 4 when there were already 2 other people there. We went downstairs to the basement level, where it was cold and dim like a wine cellar, but there was plenty of space to sit down at a table. It’s not luxurious by any means, and the table was a bit rickety, and it quite literally feels like sitting in a wine cellar. There are two cute alcoves that could seat a couple and they had been reserved. Those would be perfect for a romantic date. The basement was empty when we arrived, but we were quickly joined by a few other groups. I went to the first floor to use the bathroom and found that they have what is equivalent to a large meeting room, which they advertised and said could be used for wine tastings.
As for the food, there is a simple selection of bread with olive oil and vinegar, saucisson, goose rillettes, and a cheese board. We got the bread and saucisson and were quite pleased. To drink we had a bottle of Marlborough white wine and were quite happy with it, so much that we got two. The pricing policy is that they add a £7.50 corkage fee to drink in, but they have some reasonably priced bottles in the £10−15 range, so it was fine between the four of us. There are a lot of bottles on the shelves, but for a white they put a good selection in the fridge and you have to hope that your bottle is there. The staff came to clean up downstairs, but didn’t come to check on us or take orders, so the operations were more like a wine shop with some facilities to drink in. They do have an incredible amount of space given the prime location, though, and I’m surprised it’s not a more upscale operation. Most places that have the wine dispensers, like Vagabond, charge an absolute fortune, but here it is quite possible to come out feeling like you have gotten good value.

The clue is in the name — the sampler — this is essentially a place where you get to try lots of different types of wine out. They have an incredible variety and what I like is that you can either buy by the glass or by the bottle. So, if you want that excellent glass of champagne but don’t want to blow the budget on a whole budget, then hey presto this is your place.
Their selection of wine ranges in price and you can get a decent bottle of prosecco for around the £10 mark. I think this is a rarity in such an expensive area.
This branch is particularly good, as you can pay £7.50 corkage and drink any bottle of wine downstairs in their cosy little room, complete with alcoves. It’s like the ideal place for date night.

Cool concept of wine bar in wine shop with the use of the prepaid card. Large selections of wine and also sells light food. Worth checking out for some wine rather than a usual bar.

Had to find a nice bottle of wine to give as a gift, and had a great experience here. After wandering around aimlessly for about 20 seconds (probably looking lost), one of the staff approached and asked if they could help. I knew what I wanted… but didn’t know what I wanted. I knew I needed a bottle of French red wine, and I knew my price point, but beyond that anything would have worked.
Luckily, the staff member who helped me knew about every single bottle of wine in the shop (or at least of the ones I was looking at, which was a pretty big selection). She took the time to explain how each one would taste, whether I wanted something a bit more edgy or full-​bodied. I still wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted, but I chose one that I hope will be much appreciated, and I’m looking forward to my next trip to The Sampler!
Also, there’s a wine bar downstairs and plenty of wines you can try using their automated dispensing machines… sample away!

Dear Unilocal,this place should not be the first listing when you search for craft beer. They only sell wine. Waste of time to come here

This is a great wine shop with some great wines, well outside the size of my pocket. However, despite the Grand Crus on display the place is not stuffy and the staff were really friendly. Other Unilocalers have explained the USP of the place-​the sampling machines. A great idea and the wines are very interesting. For instance, they have a 1951 Rioja Gran reserva ! There is also a 1958 vintage. Just being able to try a mouthful of such wine is great. I went for a really nice red from the Cote Rotie. Personally, I thought the wine a touch too cold, but it was nice being able to wander round looking at the other wines whilst sipping wine-​weird but good. There is a wine bar downstairs which I must try. I still have £4.85 on my sampling card-​perfect incentive to return. I would add that the glass sizes are small, medium and large. I had the large glass which was actually quite small, so don’t expect a full glass of vino should you opt for that.

The Sampler is a wonderful place and I spend far too much time there! You top up a card, rather like an oyster card, which you can then use in the various enomatic machines around the shop to get tasters of many different wines. It’s a great way to try wines you wouldn’t normally and also, in conjunction with a wine rating app, ideal for building up an overview of your favourite types of wine. Of course, the wine machines aren’t all that’s in the shop, it is a wine merchant so you are able to pick up a bottle of something you tasted from the machine and loved or ask one of the lovely wonderful staff to recommend you something. There are seats downstairs and light bites such as a cheese platter or bread and balsamic are offered. After writing all that, I’m pining to be there again… what time is acceptable to start on the wine?!

They had me at «grower champagnes» — in response to my question about what their specialty is. Premise is simple — if you are in the mood for a hassle-​free glass of wine, buy one. If, on the other hand, you are in the mood for a tasting adventure, you can buy a card and load it with money sufficient to cover your tastings of 80+ wines they have on offer. On tasting, they have reasonably priced wines up to the «icons», which can be considered to be splurges. The staff are knowledgeable, especially their manager Arthur. The food, which you will need after your tastings, is lovely and reasonably priced for cheese, saucisson, etc. Needless to say my hands were not empty when I left.

If you’re a wine lover this place is perfect. The system is quite simple. You top up a card with the amount that you prefer. Then you just have to browse and use it to take sips from the various machines in the shop. There are 3 different options and prices for each bottle of wine if you want from just a sip to half glass. It’s highly recommended if you like wine but don’t really know what to take. You may ask help to the staff which is friendly. I only drank there but I saw some cheese so I presume they can also provide something to eat as well. The same card can be used in both branches.

Absolutely amazing concept! Dozens of wines in automated vending dispensers from all over the world. Put cash on a Sampler card, choose you wine, insert your card, and dispense a taste in the size of your choice that is at the correct temperature. Cheese and sausage plates available too.

The sampler has two locations in London. The original one is in Islington and then this one i South Kensington, just a stone throw away from the tube. I actually prefer this branch as it is slightly mote spacious and I also felt that the staff has been more knowledgeable. The set-​up is that they sell over 1500 wines. It is a wide range of wines from cheap (below £10 per bottle) and up to high-​end wines. They are not really aiming for the big brands but rather more unique or interesting wines which makes it a really great place to find new interesting things.
At all times they have 80 wines ready to sample. These are in tasting machines. To use the machines one need to a card that can be charged with money (at least £10) and then one can insert the card in the, machine and press a button to sample the wines. There are three different sizes of tasters so it is great if you want to sample a lot of wines without getting hammered. There are always a few really expensive wines as well so a great way to sample some things that you may never dream of buying to see what (if anything) you are missing out on.
They also serve some nibbles like charcuteries and cheeses and there are seats to sit down and enjoy a full glass as well. They further also hod, some tasting events with specific focus so a lot of interesting things going on here.
The selection of wine is also very interesting and I have found a lot of my favorites and new favorites here so especially for champagne but also for US reds wines they do have a very good selections. Prices are also reasonable so this is my top wine shop in London. There are of course many other good ones and for more of a look at wines and shops in London do also check out

It was my first wine tasting experience and I will be definitely going back there again.
I liked the fact the there were three sampling options available for each (of the many) wines so if you really liked one you could pour yourself more than a sample and also buy the bottle to take home.
The range of wines included all continents and variety of ingredients. We were also served a plate with three kinds of cheese, a chorizo style slices sausage and tiny gherkins which went well with the wine. For those who’d prefer more cheese there is good news as there is a cheese tasting place just round the corner from the Sampler.

We did a private wine tasting here as a work event, and it was very successful. The woman who led the tasting was knowledgeable but not at all pretentious. I’m not a huge wine fan but really enjoyed all the ones we sampled, and the competitive element (guessing which wines we were trying) added to the fun. I’d go back!

Great little wine shop near the South Kensington tube station. They often host wine tasting events that are quite nice in addition to being a very well run store. I attended the spring wine tasting, and found it to be informative and fun. As other reviewers have noted, throughout the store there are wine ‘fountains’ where you can try the different wines for offer. You can choose between a sip, tasting or glass and the price will vary with the quality of the wine. I love stopping in here after a grocery shop and finding a wine to pair with what I am planning to cook, there is also a great cheese/​charcuterie store around the corner to buy some some nibbles to go with your wine.

Nice place where you can «sample» your wines. They have something like 40 wines in special distributers where you can get sample size portions of various wines. Especially good if you want to try some of the legends there.
The wine selection is ok and staff is friendly.

After a couple of years operating only from Islington, the Sampler opened in South Ken about 12 months ago. In general, the shop operates in a very similar way albeit with a few bells/​whistles which make this store a little better than the original.
Like the Islington original, the main draw is the Sampler’s ‘try before you buy’ wine cabinets. These keep open bottles of wine in the cabinets fresh by using a layer of nitrogen to protect wine from the effects of oxygen and allow you to purchase small tasting samples of the wine in the cabinets. The price of each tasting sample is proportionate to the price of the bottle. As a result, a cheap wine is cheap to sample. Whereas a sample of a more pricey wine can be expensive in itself (the most expensive sample was £79 for a sip of Lafite 1982). To use the wine cabinets, you purchase a credit card from the till (in £10 denominations), grab a glass and get to it. There are 10 wine cabinets (5 red, 4 white, 1 icon) in the shop, each holding 8 bottles. Consequently, if you are feeling brave, you can get through 80 different wines in a single visit.
The icon cabinet is filled with 8 bottles of wine from famous vineyards from around the world. For example, this week features Montrose 1966 and 2001 from France next to a 1950 Rioja from Spain and a bottle of Opus One 1989 from the US. Everything in this cabinet is expensive but it is fun to try, if only to see what all the fuss is about. Its contents change every two weeks.
So, what are the bells/​whistles? Well, upstairs is an on-​site tasting room. This can be hired for a private tasting or our can come along to one of the tastings which are regularly organised by the Sampler. Typically, these feature a wine maker from a famous vineyard walking you through a tasting of their current vintages, often with a few older vintages provided alongside for comparison. Invariably, these events are good fun.
If that was not enough, if you walk downstairs you can find a wine bar. The format is pretty simple, £6 for a plate of cheese or a plate of charcuterie together with your your choice from the wine sold upstairs (£7.50 corkage). I haven’t tried this yet but will report back when I have.
Overall, I think that the Sampler is a great way of trying out new/​interesting bottles without parting with a lot of cash. It is certainly a good place to go if you want to by a *special* bottle because (by tasting a few beforehand) you can be pretty sure that you will like what you get. A solid 4 stars.