Holiday

We've said this before, again and again, but San Diego's best and most underrated season really is autumn. It's when the leaves on the trees change color, the low sun makes the water in the harbor look extra sparkly, and all the harvest activities are happening! One of our absolute favorite autumn events is Oktoberfest. This Bavarian beer festival was first held to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in 1810, and quickly became a tradition. But you don't have to make a pilgrimage to Bavaria to enjoy Oktoberfest. San Diego, with its glorious craft beer scene, has taken the traditional Oktoberfest and given it a unique regional flair. Best of all, you can find them all over the county, from La Mesa in the east to Encinitas in the northwest, each chock-full of all the best…

  Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and Remembrance – September 11th – is a somber occasion, and one that we wish to treat with respect. It is, of course, the anniversary of the attacks on the United States in 2001, in which nearly three thousand people lost their lives. San Diego Beer and Wine Tours wishes to extend the deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and to those who continue to be affected by the events of 9/11. We hope to do our part to foster a love and hopefully, someday, peace for all of humanity by encouraging common understanding. We feel that can be achieved, in part, through learning about and appreciating different food and drink. For the month of September we will be offering $5 off all tours to commemorate the lives lost…

It's nearly autumn in southern California. The sky turns a particular shade of dusty blue and the heat waves everybody thinks should come in June always arrive in September. It's also a very exciting time of year in the wine industry, because it's harvest time!   We absolutely love harvest time in San Diego anyway, and the fact that we now have a month dedicated to wine makes it that much sweeter. There are special events and grape stomps all over the place! This year's harvest has come a bit early due to warm weather and a huge crop that promises to make 2013 a banner year for California wine. For all your stomping needs across San Diego County: The Julian Grape Stomp Festa takes place on the 7th of September, from 11am to 7pm. Thousands of people show up every year to…

Hey baby, it's nearly the Fourth of July.  We love this time of year! The days are at their longest and warmest and everybody is in a party mood for Independence Day.  We prefer the annual San Diego rite of passage of heading out to the beach, where you can barbecue next to the surf, but really, there's fun to be had just about anywhere! We know that you're probably going to have a cookout, so we won't waste our time recommending food.  You know what to do. What we have done, however, is once again sampled some of San Diego's finest in order to help you best pair your favorite local brews with your meals! We'll start off with an oldie, but a goodie – a classic in the vibrant world of San Diego's beer scene: Karl Strauss's Red…

Graduation is what's on everybody's mind this time of year, whether it's from middle school or a Ph.D. program. These rites of passages are among the most important to a student, for obvious reasons. It's when their new life begins! If you are a new graduate or love a new graduate, we know ways to help ease the transition from student at university to student of life – sampling the most delicious wine and beer that San Diego has to offer. We help you celebrate on our train tour, roam La Jolla on a beer or wine walking tour, or visit breweries and wineries all over the county in our chauffeured van.   And, by the way. We absolutely love to teach people about the different, wonderful beers and wines San Diego has to offer and introduce them to new…

Somebody get this guy a glass of wine!   We at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours love and respect our dads – and yours!  We think that if beer is the mother of civilization, then wine is the father of culture. Its history can be traced at least to 4100 BCE, but wine probably existed far earlier. It has always been around, kind of like your dad.  Speaking of dads, did you know that the Founding Fathers of the United States were oenophiles? Thomas Jefferson had cellar after cellar of wine, and John Adams personally toured Bordeaux.  So, as you can see, fathers and wine (and beer!) all have mutual histories. We want to help you honor your father! That's why we're offering $5 off each ticket on our Fathers Celebration Tours during the month of June. We'll see…

  Memorial Day, once known as Decoration Day, is a federal holiday with somber roots. It's a day that was specifically created after the Civil War to honor the memory of the men and women in uniform who died fighting wars. Over time, it has evolved into a day to acknowledge all those who are departed, not just those in uniform, and to spend time with loved ones. We at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours honor our women and men in uniform and hold them in the highest esteem. That's why we are offering a special military discount and $5 off  all tours throughout the month of May. And you better believe that we'll be drinking a toast to you! Brooke B., Hero Worshiper 

  It's May Day! Today is also a great day in southern California, because it's when the weather turns the corner from April Showers to May Gray. After that we have June Gloom and then our requisite six months of summer – so as you can see it's the perfect time for a feast! This traditional spring holiday is a festival day in many cultures, often related to the ancient Celtic feast day of Beltane.  In many pagan cultures, this was officially the first day of summer, and lest we be accused of getting off-topic, we would like to direct you to Sir James Frazer's epic historical book, The Golden Bough: Thomas Pennant, who travelled in Perthshire in the year 1769, tells us that “on the first of May, the herdsmen of every village hold their Bel-tien, a rural sacrifice….

It's Cinco de Mayo. Did you know that in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo isn't widely celebrated? It's true.  However, that shouldn't stop you from enjoying the day by experimenting with Mexican libations! If you're feeling like making a day trip, you can visit the legendary BCB Tasting Room near downtown Tijuana where they have hundreds of beers on tap, or range a little farther afield and head off to Mexico's wine country. The Guadalupe Valley is renowned for its wines, which don't get a lot of airtime in the United States because of steep tariffs. If leaving the country isn't your thing, it's possible to find excellent Baja California beers and wines in the United States, although not as easily for the aforementioned tariffs, but since Mexico's getting into the craft beer brewing business just as enthusiastically as the United…

From left to right: son Ben, daughter RaeAnne, daughter Jade, grandson Coleton, Shira’s mother Malka, daughter Shayna, daughter Leeyah Mother’s Day is a very special time around here. Our very own Shira Bliss is an extraordinary mum, raising five beautiful children of her own, so she understands what mothers go through very well. That’s why we go out of our way to make our Mother’s Day tours very special ones for hardworking moms and their grateful kids. Jean “Shep” Shepherd, the humorist best known for penning and narrating “A Christmas Story,” once famously proclaimed that “beer is the mother of us all.” We agree that beer is a wonderful invention, and one that’s even been credited with helping create civilization. So, what better way to treat your mother on Mother’s Day than to introduce her to the delights of the mother…