Back in the old days when wine bars offered a choice between Bordeaux and Burgundy and possibly a dusty bottle of Chianti or two, there was a company called Les Caves de Pyrenes doing their best to change it all. Their head buyer/spirit animal Eric Narioo was traversing the forgotten regions of France buying wines made by the same people who tended the vines and more often than not the wines were made with minimal intervention. They tasted thrillingly different. Redolent of earth and herbs, occasionally cloudy and always exciting, Eric and Les Caves de Pyrenes fired the starting shot that introduced natural wine and the increasingly informal wine bar culture of the new wave. Eric opened his own bistro and wine bar, Terroirs, just round the corner from Charing Cross station. It has a gloriously French food menu, so expect earthy boudin noir, lots of cheese and charcuterie and an enormous wine list that runs from everyday vin de soif up to the modern classics of the natural wine world.

Since opening Terroirs, the Les Caves stable has grown to include Soif in Battersea, Brawn on Columbia Road (now separated from the mother ship but still excellent) and ToastED in East Dulwich. All will furnish you with superb wine. Terroirs, 5 William IV Street, WC2N 4DW Michael Sager and Charlotte Wilde took over a site on the Old Street roundabout, opening a few bottles and toasting a few cheese sandwiches. Their pop up soon morphed into Sager + Wilde on Hackney Road and suddenly there was a wine bar as cool as anything the cocktail world could concoct. A wine-by-the-glass list that was as equally happy covering forgotten classics as it was with European avant garde was matched by a cellar packed full of older vintages and the kind of bottles that are catnip to those with a wine habit. Sager + Wilde soon grew again to include their larger site on Paradise Row in Bethnal Green where the food menu is larger and more serious. Sager + Wilde, Arch 250 Paradise Row, E2 9LE and 193 Hackney Rd E2 8JL

It was surely only a matter of time before the big boys of the restaurant world took notice. Restaurant giants D&D opened New Street Wine Shop as part of their sprawling Old Bengal Warehouse site. It’s an almost unmanageably huge selection of wines that covers nearly the entire globe, from the posher ends of Bordeaux and Burgundy through funky small growers in Australia. Despite being right in the heart of the city, it’s incredibly reasonably priced. New Street Wine Shop, 16 New Street, EC2M 4TR Deliveroo now from The City Noble Rot (Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew) first shook up the London wine scene by creating a wine magazine that people actually wanted to both read and be seen reading. They built on their reputation for being on the pulse of international wine fashion by nabbing the chef from The Sportsman in Whitstable (also about as cool as restaurants get at the moment) to refurb one of the old guards of the London wine bar scene. Expect a who’s who of London glitterati and wine trade to be mingling over bottles of recherché grape varieties from the Jura and Northern Italy and bleedingly cool grower Champagne.

They then descend downstairs to tuck into slip sole with oxidised Burgundy sauce.cheap dry wine red Noble Rot, 51 Lamb's Conduit St, WC1N 3NBgood red wine online india Smaller and more informal than Noble Rot, the Remedy has established Great Portland Street as a food and drink destination (something we didn’t think was possible). best wine bar long islandAn ever-changing menu of food and wine, brilliant staff and a bafflingly good selection of vermouths have ensured that we’ve found ourselves in this part of London often. The Remedy, 124 Cleveland Street, W1T 6PQ Think of the winemakers club as the record shop that always had the coolest white labels. It’s not the swishest of venues, indeed it can be occasionally a bit chilly and dark, but if you’re looking to stay in the know, John Baum and the rest of the team are usually several steps ahead of anyone else.

As an aside, Winemakers Club also has some of the best value old Bordeaux in London. The Winemakers Club, 41a Farringdon Street, EC4A 4AN Sometimes we don’t want to go all the way into central London for a glass of wine, and thankfully there is a small but growing number of excellent wine bars just a little bit further out. Alex at 161 Kirkdale, formerly of Toast in East Dulwich, struck out on his own deeply philanthropic mission to bring excellent natural wine to the formerly ignored folk of Sydenham Hill and Forest Hill. They hold regular tastings and also have really good cake. Hop on the Central line going west and stay on until it doesn’t go any further and you will find Vindinista. Yep, old school west London has finally joined the fun. Paola Tich of Park and Bridge wine shop opened Vindinista as a fun place to drink in Acton. With a wine list that’s as good as anywhere else in town, and picking up obscure Greek and Hungarian beauties along with a decent selection of natural and orange wines, it’s a place we really love.

Vindinista, 74 Churchfield Road, W3 6DH When the fog rolls in (and in the Inner Sunset, you know it’s gonna), escape to InnerFog, a cozy bar with an extensive wines-by-the-glass list that focuses heavily on small-production wines from California (no surprise there), but which has some tasty options from Italy and France, as well. There are also small plates, like flat breads and a cheese platter, and an extensive beer selection. They have 10 beers on tap and over 20 more in bottles, and their happy hour deal is one to make note of; Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm, with select glasses of wine sold at $6 and four rotating beers for just $3.50. The Hidden Vine is one of the best date wine bars on this list, which is saying a lot, since all wine bars are date wine bars due to the very nature of the fact that they’re wine bars. This spot, located in a “hidden” alley in the Financial District, has a “monthly focus,” on a specific region, showcasing a variety of wines.

If you don’t like the wine from that part of the world, however, no worries; there are over 180 different wines available, and 40 of them are poured by the glass -- a few are even offered by the flight. The food menu is good, and kind of what you’d expect -- flat breads, cheese, and charcuterie. However, this spot gets bonus points for offering sliders and extra special bonus points for the feature that makes it such a sick date spot: the bocce ball court. Bocce ball dates are winning dates. If no one told you about InoVino, you might miss this tiny 30-seat wine bar on Carl St in Cole Valley, but that would be a shame -- especially if you’re a fan of Italian wine. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the wine list; just tell one of the helpful staff what you like and how much you want to spend, and they’ll bring out something you’re sure to love. There are almost 30 wines available by the 3oz and 6oz pour, as well as a 12oz carafe. It’s easy to eat an entire meal here, or you can just stop in for their aperitivo hour, weekdays from 4 to 6pm (and 3 to 6pm on Saturday), when their pizzette, wines, and cocktails are just $6.50, and a Peroni only sets you back $3.50.

If you like champagne or sherry, an evening at Tofino Wines on Geary should be a priority. You can also take home over 700 bottles from small, family-run estates in California, France, Italy, and Spain. Unlike many wine bars, Tofino is actually housed in a big (2,500sqft, to be exact) open, and airy space, which is a pleasant change from their often cellar-like atmosphere. Grab a seat at the bar or by the window, and enjoy one of 30 wines by the glass -- or a craft beer on tap. It doesn’t get more SF than Yield. The owners are all about sustainable and organic wines, as well as supporting family owned and operated wineries. The good news is that the wine they feature also tastes great, and oftentimes it’s wine you won’t stumble across anywhere else. The food is also exceptional -- and not “for a wine bar.” Yes, there are flatbread pizzas (it’s apparently the law that if you serve hot food at a wine bar in SF, flatbread must be on the menu), but our favorite is the warm artichoke, kale, and parmesan dip served with fried leeks and fresh bread.

On a sunny evening (and in Dogpatch, there are plenty), you can grab a seat outside. On Tuesdays, bring your brain because Trivia night starts at 7:30pm. Thanks to its prime location on Chestnut St., California Wine Merchant is definitely one of the most action-packed wine bars in SF. The focus is on California wines, which is fine by us, and the relaxed vibe makes this a perfect place to sit in the window on an afternoon and sip a glass -- or wait till the sun goes down and the place gets a little rowdy (for a wine bar, anyway). There are about 45 wines by the glass available -- and the list is constantly changing -- as well as hundreds of wines available to take home. California Wine Merchant keeps the focus on the wine, but they also keep four beers available, and if you’re hungry, you can snack on a cheese plate, a bowl of pistachios, or chocolate truffles. It’s a wine bar. It’s a wine pub! Jamber is different from your typical wine bar: to start, all of the wines are from California, and even more unusually, all of their wines are on tap.

That means all of the wine is youthful and fun -- and meant to be guzzled while fresh. There are also over 10 beers on tap, plus they have a really, really good food menu that’s a total departure from any other wine bar. Good luck choosing between the fried pickle spears, poutine, nacho grilled cheese, mac 'n' cheese pizza, or parmesan and rosemary mashed tater tots. Happy hour runs every day 3:30pm to 7:30pm, during which you can get a wine sampler for $18 and a beer sampler for $10. Life is pretty good sometimes. The Press Club is by far the loungiest wine bar on this list, which is why it’s also one of our faves. You’re guaranteed to get a comfy seat (the space is huge), while a staff member (they all seem knowledgeable) leads you through the wine list. In fact, you’ll probably (definitely) need some help since there are 50 wines by the glass, 18 wine flights, and over 230 bottles. There are also almost 30 beers by the glass and a couple of beer flights. Head there on Saturday or Sunday for happy hour, and you can get 50 percent off of bottles $70 or more.

The food menu is similar to other wine bars, but our go-to snacks are truffled popcorn and the deviled eggs with caramelized bacon. They pair perfectly with just about everything. Hotel Biron is not the most accurately named spot on our list: it’s not a hotel at all, and is instead a romantic wine bar tucked away in a charming alley (because really, all alleys should be charming and reserved solely for wine bars). The exposed brick, low lighting, and tiny rooms make this place pretty much the perfect spot for a third date (so pack a toothbrush). The wine menu is accessible and organized by region, and at least half of the bottles are available by the glass. There are also a good number of beers (including a $3 Tecate if that’s your thing on romantic dates). The menu is all about cheese, charcuterie, and chocolate, but if you insist on a proper meal, head to Zuni before or after. Go to the Barrel Room for the wine and the food; stay for the secret speakeasy underneath the main floor.