San Francisco has been the epicenter of wine bars since the concept surfaced in the mid-1990s. Now a new generation of wine lovers (and one veteran) is taking the idea into both more personal and broad-based enterprises.

Whether it's the brash enthusiasm of Terroir's Guilhaume Gerard promoting Old World wines with a modern production sensibility or CAV's Pamela Busch casually showing her depth of knowledge and long experience, there's true passion here.

Old-school wine bars offered safe bets and predictable selections designed to please customers. This new wave of wine bars eliminates the safety net, featuring lists that not only please but also introduce new and different wines to customers.

There's a universal desire to demystify the wine experience and educate anyone interested in learning more. The options are varied, from the sleek, upscale new Press Club, which opened in September and focuses on Northern California wines, to the modest charm of Yield, which deals in accessible organic, biodynamic wines.

There is a range of prices as well, but most of the glasses at these wine bars start at $7, going up to $15. Some offer smaller tastes and some also offer flights (a series of related tastes). Differing in orientation and presentation, these new wine bars display singular personalities.

Here are five noteworthy – and very-different-from-each-other – wine bars in San Francisco:

Press Club

20 Yerba Buena Lane

WHO'S WHO: Andrew Chun and Jan Wiginton are the co-founders.

THE VIBE: A sophisticated, upscale urban lounge with bars and luxurious couch seating. The 9,000- square-foot, below-ground space rests in the heart of downtown, between Union Square and Market Street across from Yerba Buena Gardens.

THE WINES: Eight premium California wineries offer wines to taste and purchase. The wineries are Chateau Montelena Winery, Mount Eden Vineyards, Fritz Winery, Landmark Vineyards, Hanna Winery and Vineyards, Miner Family Vineyards, Pahlmeyer and Saintsbury.

EATS: The food is designed to specifically complement the wines, with light appetizers, cheeses and charcuterie selected to pair with wine flights.

Chun says: "We wanted to bring the wine country down to San Francisco. People were coming to San Francisco and wanting to go to Napa and Sonoma, when actually they're just here to visit the city. We thought the only credible way to do this was to have the wineries here staffing their own tables.

"What's different about us is that up in Napa, you couldn't taste eight wineries in one visit. Here you can actually compare cabernets from six or seven different wineries and create your own flight as well.

"We think of it as the best of both worlds. We have the variety of several wineries coming here pouring and the ability to compare different winemaking regions or different winemaking styles. And we have all the educational components of the wineries themselves.

"Then we also have lounges, a food-and-wine pairing, to make it fun. We want people to come here and have a good time.

THE EXPERIENCE: "I want people to come here and learn about wine," Chun says. "Wherever you're at in the wine progression – if you're a connoisseur, we have some borderline cult brands, Pahlmeyer and Chateau Montelena – wines you couldn't taste anywhere else. If you're a novice, it's fun. You can learn the differences of making white vs. red wines. Learn what makes Napa wine unique, what makes California wine unique. What the difference is between a $20 bottle of wine and a $100 bottle of wine."

THE BOTTOM LINE: "Wine is made to be enjoyed. That's why the wine country is so much fun. This is different than just going to a bar. It doesn't take a lot to open up a bottle and pour it into someone's glass. What makes it special or unique is the stories behind it and people's ability to relate to those stories through what's in the glass."

MORE INFORMATION: (415) 744-5000 or www.pressclubsf.com

CAV Wine Bar and Kitchen 1666 Market St.

Call The Bee's Marcus Crowder, (916) 321-1120.