With so many wine bars in the area, you may be wondering what separates a good wine bar from a great one!  The obvious answer is a great wine selection, but that is only part of the picture, here are five elements of a good wine bar.

1. Wine Selection – A great wine selection isn’t necessarily long, but it does include a great mix of varietals with highly ranked wines in a variety of price points.
2. Glasses – Serving the right wine in the right glass makes a big difference on the flavor of your wine.
3. Knowledgeable Staff – A wine bar should be staffed with servers (or even a sommelier) who is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and actually drinks wine!  Their role is to educate their guests and to serve them the best wine based upon their palette.
4. Atmosphere – A wine bar should be comfortable and encourage conversation and relaxation. Music should be loud enough to hear, but not too loud that you can’t have a conversation.
5. Selection of Pour Sizes and Food Pairings – A good wine bar should be geared toward tasting and exploring. Having a variety of pour sizes lets guests experiment and try a variety of wines.  Good food pairings are a must, whether it is nuts and olives, chocolate or bread, small plates or charcuterie, a good food pairing improves the experience and the flavor of the wine.

While they may not have all of these elements, here's a short list of some of my favorite Culver City wine bars:

Ugo
Sara the Wine Bar
Share Wine Lounge & Small Plate Bistro
Aria V Wine Bar 
The Bar at Culver Hotel