Ever noticed how after a certain age everyone pretends to care about the wine they're drinking?

Out with the three bottles of white lightening and in with discussing vintages and being wanky with the sommelier.

Face it: we Londoners know how to get sloshed. No one I know hasn't woken up in a fog of shame on a Tuesday morning, wondering how that quick one after work ended up a four am session at SophistiCats because, well, that was the only place open.

So, okay, we all want to mask our affection for alcohol with a serious interest in good wine. But, how do you learn about it without spending a fortune? Pay a visit to Islington's new wine store, The Sampler, where they have a novel new approach: patrons can purchase a card - not unlike an Oyster card - entitling them to sample a selection of wines.