An informal crowd of laid-back locals and wine connoisseurs gather at this high-tech wine bar that's both educational and intoxicating.

Using Italian-imported Enomatic wine-dispensing machines, anyone can sip a variety of wines without committing to a whole glass or a bottle. To begin, patrons put money on a card (it's like a credit card and the minimum is $10) and then insert it into one of the machines. There are four of these stations, which are hooked up to bottles of wine from Italy, France, Spain, South Africa and California. The prices range from 67 cents to $23 per pour. After reading the info cards placed in front of the bottles—or taking a chance—the imbiber presses a button and the machine dispenses one ounce of wine. The card can be re-used until the credit is depleted. With so much variety, there is a wine to suit every palate. To accompany the tipple, there is a menu of appetizers, panini and dolce. —Margo Fortuny