Hedonism Wines, in London’s Mayfair district, can surely claim to stock the widest variety of alcohol of any shop in its genre. A playground for adults, it boasts rows and rows of everything you could imagine. Customers can walk away with a flamboyant Riedel decanter, a Californian Cabernet and a Japanese whisky in one fell swoop.
The Sauternes shrine at Hedonism Wines
The shop’s interior is exquisite. Of note is a rack of fine clarets in the basement; the buffed bottles like black keys on a Steinway and just as enticing to touch. On the ground floor, a luminescent shrine to Château D’Yquem resembles honeycomb flooded with light.
One of Hedonism’s interactive features is a wine sampling area. Their system works by putting money onto a tasting card and then using the credit to buy micro-samples from the dispensing machine. Prices range from £2 to £20 depending, as you would expect, on what you go for. It’s a natty way to try an array of wines without a vast financial commitment. What’s more, customers can sit at an adjacent refectory table dedicated to socialising-while-you-taste – with the possibility of drinking away an afternoon in Hedonism’s fascinating surroundings.
Hedonism Wines can be found at 3-7 Davies Street, London, W1K 3LD
by C Ley
