Holiday

It’s almost Valentine’s Day! It’s the most wonderful day in the world if you’re happily in love! If you’re looking for something to do  with your sweeties any day in February, we have an idea for you. Here’s our idea: Love yourselves! Life is wonderful, especially with fine wine or beer paired with wonderful food and like-minded people. One of the best ways we know of to pamper yourself and make yourself happy is by indulging in the tastiest of food and drink. And we have the perfect time to do it – on one of our Valentine’s tours. Whether you’re coupled up or a singleton, we don’t mind. We love bringing people along for our Romantic Tours to show you the best of what San Diego has to offer. Everybody loves a lover, so love yourself! We love you. <3

This man just found out he's not drinking craft beer for Superbowl Sunday. Superbowl Sunday is approaching with the speed of an overcaffeinated runningback and we are ready! How about you? Not ready, you say? Well, with this quick and easy primer, you will be as well.  We're assuming for the purpose of this discussion that you are serving the normal Superbowl Sunday munchies: chips, dips, guacamole, et cetera.  And you don't want to bust out the big beer, and who can blame you?  Try these more nuanced brews on for size. First of all, the best thing to drink with salty, cheesy snacks is a good thirst-quenching beer with a bold and hoppy flavor, like an IPA. San Diego is famous for its IPAs!  Apparently, it's our water.  Or else it's just San Diego's inherent awesomeness. Whatever the reason,…

As we’ve said before, we don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions. However, we do believe in constantly working toward lifelong goals and making ourselves and everyone around us happier. This is nothing new.  The New Year’s celebration is as old as humanity itself, although many cultures wait until spring to throw their parties. The Romans were the ones who fused Christmas with the New Year, which was in and of itself an offshoot of Saturnalia.   We’re particular fans of that holiday, because Saturn, as the god of agricultural bounty, and his consort Ops, the goddess of resources and wealth, were both celebrated with toasts and consumption of a lot of beer and of wine (which in those times was occasionally mixed with seawater; we don’t recommend it!) Both were also associated with the notorious Bacchus, also known as…

We can't believe it, but 2013 is nearly over and another year is about to begin! This was a great year. They all are, but 2013 was particularly fun. We met great people, we tasted wonderful food and local wines, and the beer – well, let's just say that the craft beer in San Diego gets better and more plentiful by the year.  New Year's traditions around the world involve spiked punch and champagne, but we really think that the only real way to celebrate the arrival of 2014 is with a California wine or a San Diego brew. After all, what you do on New Year's will set the tone for the next twelve months! Do you have guests in from out of town? Are you a group looking for a wine or beer pairing luncheon or dinner party….

Was it a banner year for you? We hope so. It sure was for us, as we continue to have the pleasure of serving you up our fantastic beer, wine and food tours. Happy Holidays from San Diego Beer and Wine Tours! This is it – the final countdown to the end of 2013. This is the time of year when the best thing in the world is being around the people you love the most.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Saturnalia, or the Solstice, it's always made better by sipping at a hot buttered rum, warm spiced wine or cider, or perhaps an old-fashioned eggnog. Speaking of eggnog, did you know that eggnog was once the cause of a riot around this time of year? It happened in 1826, when some enterprising West Point cadets smuggled a large quantity of…

It's officially time for the holidays!  Unfortunately, that means that the day after sitting around with our favorite people and counting our blessings, we're trampling each other in the name of Black Friday sales. We at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours have the antidote to crass consumerism. We firmly believe that the gift of knowledge is the best gift of all. That's why we're offering $10 off our Chauffeured Winery Tour and $5 off our Wine (and Beer) Train Tour*, so you can bring your loved ones out to learn all about wine, beer, and food pairings.  It's a welcome change from kneeing each other in the face over limited-edition plastic dolls. And it's the gift that keeps on giving! We'd rather spend low-key, fun days eating and drinking and making great memories with the people we love, wouldn't…

Thanksgiving is either a day of relaxing and epic feasting, or a nightmare of cooking and making hasty last-minute decisions for a group of ravenous friends and family members. It all depends what side of the cutting board you're on. While we can't help you with the cooking, we can suggest a few wines and beers to pair with your meal to make everything go a little easier for you. We consulted with Stephen Ansley, our resident wine specialist, and did some "independent research" during San Diego Beer Week to find the best brews to sip with your deep-fried turducken! The traditional Thanksgiving meal is especially wonderful, because turkey can be paired with just about everything. If you want a pinot noir, try Cycles Gladiator or an Au Bon Climat from Santa Barbara. The tartness of the pinot cuts through…

Happy November! This is the time of year that the weather turns cool and the indoors start to look mighty cozy. By the way, did you know that turkey pairs with all wines, from delicate whites to rich reds to all types of roses? It's true!  It's just one of the great things about Thanksgiving. It's also a great time to try some new beers. Because there's so much caramelization in Thanksgiving meals, dark and chocolatey stouts are sublime, but the light hoppy brews are great as well. It's a veritable feast of beer and wine, and you can't go wrong with Thanksgiving! We're thankful for that, too.  Don't forget the champagne, either. Bubbly is great with everything, whether it's the meal, the post-meal game, or the post-game coma. As you can see, we love to count our blessings while…

Halloween is almost here, and another special day is just around the corner: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. In Mexico (and in other countries around the world!) it's a time that families remember their loved ones who have gone with altars and music. But it's not a sad holiday, at all – it's festive and happy, although it's perhaps just a little spooky. Anthropologists have traced the origin of the holiday to a festival for the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. It included marigolds and whatever things, including food and drink, the deceased person loved the best. If you see flower altars this October 31st and November 1st and 2nd, you'll see photographs, flowers, and sugar skulls and bread to help feed those loved ones in the afterlife. Luckily, like us, the Aztecs also believed…

Holy cow, it's nearly the end of September again. How did this happen? (We know, we know, the same way as always.) While San Diego's summer is filled with interesting and fun things to do, truth be told, our biggest open secret is that autumn is hands down our favorite season around here. “But San Diego Beer and Wine Tours,” we hear you say, “there are no seasons in San Diego!” Ah, that's where you're wrong. There are four distinct seasons here, made all the more beautiful by their subtlety, and this is the best one of them all. It's not just because of the warm winds that sweep up from Mexico, or the way the angled sunlight makes ocean waves extra glittery, but also the wealth of opportunities to go out and have fun! One such event is San…