Wine Tasting in Glasgow: 9 Places You Have to Try

There are plenty of things to do in Glasgow, no matter what your interests are. The city has something for everyone, from world-class Glasgow museums and art galleries to stunning architecture and lively things to do at night.

Glasgow is also a great place to shop, with everything from high-end designer stores to independent boutiques and markets. And if you're looking for something to eat, you'll be spoilt for choice, with everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to cozy pubs and cafes, and even the option for afternoon tea.

When you're looking for something to pair with your food, look no further than all the wine tasting options there are in Glasgow. From walking tours to brewery tours, there is no shortage of wonderful experiences that you can have in Glasgow related to wine tastings. From a visit to a local cocktail bar to a pint of craft beer, it's obvious that finding something good to drink won't be a challenge here. Don't let the fact that Scotland isn't exactly known for its wine culture deter you; there are plenty of great wine-related opportunities here.

For those visiting Glasgow, it can be a burden to do all the sightseeing and explore the countryside with destinations, like Trossachs National Park, just outside the city. That doesn't even take into account the time you'll need for dining and wine tasting. Make things easy on yourself and drop your bags off with Bounce so that you have one less thing to worry about as you navigate this interesting city and its surroundings.

Best Wine Tasting Locations in Glasgow

Regardless of how you have arrived in Glasgow, many of the best experiences are within walking distance from one another. Once you have checked into your hotel and made it to the City Center, you'll quickly get your bearings. If you are wine tasting in the city, walking tours can help you see the city and enjoy food and drink, but you might also want to head outside the city for a winery experience day trip.

If you have friends in your group that like craft beer, there are usually options for other drinks to try at these locations if you don't drink wine, especially those related to Scottish whisky. This makes all the various walking tours and wine tastings very friendly to many different kinds of people. If you are not a fan of day trip tours, you will be able to enjoy many kinds of local tours that take place right in the City Center.

Glasgow Wine School

The Glasgow Wine School can be a really fun way to learn more about your favorite wines while also trying them out. You will be directed to a different City Center location after you buy your ticket to enjoy the guidance of an experienced sommelier as you try different wines and local cuisine. These really affordable experiences offer you lots of information about how to taste wines and evaluate them and how to pair them with the right foods to enjoy them even more.

Wine school can be a great way to enjoy a wine tasting experience without leaving the city and without having to guess about which wines you want to try. Having more knowledge about the wines you love can also help you make better future purchases that will be more to your taste.

Location

Various throughout the city.

Glasgow Dining Tours

If you love food as much as wine, you will want to pick one of the Glasgow dining tours that are offered in the Glasgow area. You can dine on local fare of various kinds that are paired with different wines. You will be treated to various courses of your meal as you travel around the city, and each spot can offer you access to different wine experiences along with the food that you have arrived to enjoy. This is a great choice for people who love to try new foods and also new wines, and these tours are often very affordable. For a wine tasting experience that gives you access to excellent dining, you need to pick one of these tours.

Location

Various throughout the city.

Marchtown

This cool little wine shop offers wine tastings and has many coveted and unique wines on its shelves. You can sometimes also catch a tasting event that pairs local food with your wine tasting here. The owner is often in the store managing the tastings and can be a wealth of information about the wines that you are trying. Marchtown is a casual location that can be enjoyed during the afternoon and evening hours.

If you love adventurous wine tastings, you will want to put this trendy location at the top of your list. This wine shop is also within walking distance of lots of exciting things to do and see in the city, so it is easy to add to your plans for the day.

Location

741 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow

Vino Valentino

This fun restaurant is a great place to try wine flights, wine tastings, and great food. You will be able to try everything from a basic sauvignon blanc to unique Italian wines here as you enjoy lunch or dinner. The focus here is on the Italian region, so don't expect anything crazy or local.

Vino Valentino is cozy and comfortable, and you will love that the helpful staff knows so much about the restaurant's wine list. Other than the price of your meal and wine, admission is free, so you can spend more on what you consume.

Location

6 Chancellor St, Glasgow

Pop Wines

Pop Wines is a great place to visit if you want to grab a bottle of wine to take to your hotel room to enjoy or bring with you on a picnic. You can have a limited tasting here as well on certain days, but you will definitely want to plan to leave with a bottle of wine (or two) to try. This is a great choice if you want access to expert guidance about the kinds of wines you are trying or buying, and the cute little location is definitely charming. While not a true tasting experience, you will still have a lot of fun here learning about wines and leaving with a few quality bottles to enjoy later. Consider this place your go-to spot for any wine souvenirs you plan to take home.

Location

305 Crow Rd, Glasgow

Vroni's Wine Bar

This champagne and wine bar gets its name from a ski resort in the Alps and specializes in international wines. Open for both romantic dinners and delicious lunches, you can chat with your server about the best wines on the menu, and you can elect to try wines from a specific region or of a specific variety. The wine list here is quite extensive, and the staff knows a lot about the wines they offer. You can try all kinds of unique wines you have never had.

This is a great restaurant to head to for dinner in particular, and you do not need to feel pressured to have a romantic dinner here if you're traveling with friends. The service is excellent, and you will just need to call for a reservation if you plan to visit on the weekend. This is one of the nicest wine bars in the city, and you should have this quality dining location on your list for a meal and a glass or two while you're in the city.

Location

47 W Nile St, Glasgow

Majestic Wine Glasgow Bearsden

If you want to head for a really comprehensive wine experience, the tasting counter at Majestic Wine is the right place to visit. You will need to take a little trip outside the Glasgow City Center to get here, but this peaceful and welcoming tasting room offers you access to many tasty wine varieties. Although the shop focuses on wine, spirits, and beer by the case, it's still a worthy wine tasting destination. Try a flight or by the glass to decide what you want to buy from their extensive inventory.

Majestic Wine doesn't offer much in the way of selection for local wines, but they do have the finest wines from the top countries like France, Italy, Spain, and even South Africa and New Zealand. This is your one-stop shop to tour the world of wine without leaving the comfort of Glasgow (well, Bearsden).

Location

3, Parkhouse Estates, 190-196 Milngavie Rd, Bearsden

Hooligan

This is one of the most popular wine bars in the city, and you will want to consider heading here for lunch or dinner during your stay. You will find so many interesting wines on offer here, and you can choose to try a full bottle of wine or do a wine flight.

The atmosphere here is cozy with wooden furniture and wood shelves lined with wine, and the building itself is an old tenement apartment. You'll feel like you're sipping your favorite vintage in a posh library rather than a typical wine bar. They will also allow you to head to the bar and just stand alongside it to try tastes of different wine varieties.

One of the best things about this spot is its location. Sandwiched between the City Center and the trendy Glasgow West End, Hooligan can be your gateway to Glasgow nightlife. That's unless you want to stay here all night!

Location

1 Lynedoch St, UPSTAIRS, Glasgow

Wine Walking Tours

Many wine walking tours are offered in Glasgow, and you might want to participate in at least one of these. You will be able to enjoy many different sights and historical locations, like the Glasgow Cathedral, Glasgow Green, and George Square, as you walk through the city and try wines at various tasting rooms. Brewery tours are handled similarly in Glasgow for those who don't love wine. These tasting opportunities combine the best of both worlds when it comes to the struggle between wine tasting and sightseeing.

Although not technically wine tasting, since Glasgow is well-known for its pub culture, the city also offers tons of drink tours in the form of pub crawls. You can certainly order a glass of wine to sample at any of the pubs, but to get the true Glasgow experience, you're better off sipping a pint or a glass of whisky.

Location

Various throughout the city.

Conclusion

Glasgow is a vibrant and welcoming city with plenty to offer visitors. Whether you're interested in culture, shopping, nightlife, or food and wine, you'll find plenty of things to keep you entertained during your stay. In fact, our guide to 3 days in Glasgow is a great way to start planning your visit. Just make sure you leave enough time to work through all the wine tastings on this list.

You don't need to venture far from the Glasgow City Centre to experience the low-key wine culture of the city. You won't get to visit the impressive vineyards as they have in France or Italy, but you'll get a whole lot of friendliness and charm. The upside to this is that Glasgow's wine bars and wine stores can offer you a taste of the world rather than a single winery.

And, while you're in town, take advantage of the convenient and affordable Bounce luggage lockers in Glasgow. Traveling light when you've had a few drinks is always a good thing!