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and wholesome, and the wines—oh my, the wines! Shelley is not only the nicest person in the business but also possesses one of the finest palates out there. With A-16, her first restaurant, she not only taught San Francisco about the delicious foods and wines of Campania and the South of Italy, but she also created a great center for the passionate and eager wine novices to learn about Italian wines. Emily, one of Shelley’s brightest apprentices, is probably the third generation of these young Somms but she absolutely knows her stuff, and when I go to this bustling Trattoria I rarely book a reservation because I love to sit with her at the bar. I normally pick the food and let my fabulous young Somm decide what I will be drinking with it. I am often delighted and surprised but never disappointed.

—Eugenio Jardim

Nectar Wine Lounge Catering to the Marina’s young and beautiful, this hip place to sip pours about 50 globally diverse wines by the glass (plus 800 choices by the bottle) along with creative small plates; pairings are optional. Soothing shades of browns lend a relaxing ambience to the lounge’s industrial-slick decor that includes lots of polished woods and hexagonal highlights. 3330 Steiner St. (at Chestnut St.). 415/345-1377.www.nectarwinelounge.com.

Press Club This “urban wine tasting bar” near the Four Seasons Hotel is a mix of Northern California–sourced wine cellar and slick, modern lounge—it’s that rare wine bar that might please both Alice Waters and Hugh Hefner. Sample from the space’s eight separate bars, and chat up reps from the six Northern California wineries featured (the list of wineries rotates). If you like what you taste, they’ll sell you a case and even ship it home for you. Swipe the Press Club card you’re given at the door to register each purchase, and then as you leave pay off your card—that’s where the VIP Press treatment ends. Small bites for nibbling include Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, popcorn with truffle butter, meatloaf sliders, and mini-cupcakes. 20 Yerba Buena Lane. 415/744-5000.www.pressclubsf.com.

The Press Club.

Terroir The full name—Terroir Natural Wine Merchant—only tells you a little about what you’ll find inside this SoMa area wine-shop-slash-bar. The shop sells a handpicked selection of natural wines (dry farmed, organic, chemical free, and wild yeast fermented), which you can taste at a tiny zinc bar in the back. Owners Luc Ertoran, Guilhaume Gerard, and Dagan Ministero pour by the glass, half-bottle, or bottle and will guide you through your selections, telling you as much or as little as you want to know. Seats at this bar are prime real estate for getting a backdoor education on the art and science of biodynamic winemaking. Or, take your glass and perhaps a simple charcuterie plate up to the library loft space and kick back. Tip: If you want some filling and authentic French fare, Chez Spencer’s mobile kitchen (known as Spencer to Go) pulls up across the street on Thursday nights. 1116 Folsom St. (btw. Seventh and Langton sts.). 415/558-9946.www.terroirsf.com.

GAY & LESBIAN BARS & CLUBS

Check the free weeklies such as the San Francisco Bay Guardian and San Francisco Weekly for listings of events and happenings around town. The Bay Area Reporter is a gay paper with comprehensive listings, including a weekly community calendar. All these papers are free and distributed weekly on Wednesday or Thursday, and can be found stacked at the corners of 18th and Castro streets and Ninth and Harrison streets, as well as in bars, bookshops, and other stores around town. See “LGBT Travelers,” in chapter 12, for further details on gay-themed guidebooks. Also check out the rather homely but very informative site titled “Queer Things to Do in the San Francisco Bay Area” at www.sfqueer.com, or www.gaywired.com for more gay happenings.

The Café When this place first opened, it was the only predominantly lesbian dance club on Saturday nights in the city. Once the guys found out how much fun the girls were having, they joined the party. Today, it’s a hugely popular mixed gay and