San Diego Winery Tour

Happy Spring! The vernal equinox is the first day of spring. That’s when the day and night are roughly equal in length. Now nighttime is just going to keep getting shorter, until we’re at summer’s glorious peak! Not that springtime in San Diego is anything to sneeze at, unless you’re allergic to pollen, of course. In fact, it’s one of the most gloriously beautiful times of the year here, with rare flowers popping out of the desert and cherry blossoms adorning Balboa Park. It’s also a great time of year to sit outside and sip some light springtime wines. We recommend light-bodied wines. Here are a few to try: Prosecco is a light and sparkly wine, and at its best it’s fruity without being oversweet.  It’s also quite wallet-friendly, running about $10 a bottle. Perfect for sipping with or without…

It's almost that wild and wonderful day, Fat Tuesday, where you're expected – no, commanded – to wear feathery hats, colorful clothes, and beads. It's also the last hurrah before the start of Lent, which is a time of fasting and repentance for those who observe the Catholic faith.  The origins of Mardi Gras as it's known today are traced back to medieval Europe, where farmers would slaughter and eat a fatted calf and drink enormous quantities of red wine.  In fact, Carnival or Carnaval, as the week leading up to Mardi Gras is called in some regions, comes from "carna vale": farewell to the flesh.   However, the story of these traditions go back even further than that, to ancient Roman or possibly pre-Roman pastoral times, to Lupercalia, the festival of Lupercus, the god of shepherds, and Lupa, the…

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

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….

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…

Halloween is coming, so don your masks and grab your bags and get ready for some old-fashioned trick-or-treating!  If you want a real treat, though, join us on one of our many craft beer or winery events, such as one of our guided walking tours through San Diego. There are many good reasons to learn about craft beer and local wine, not just because San Diego offers such an exciting array of both, but also because the more we learn about beer and wine, the more we appreciate them!   This month is particularly interesting, especially in light of the great pumpkin beer debates, because the history of Halloween in the United States is also wrapped up in its long tradition of pumpkin beer. You see, when the first pilgrims settled in the vast sweeps of what was now called…

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…

This week is San Diego Restaurant Week!  It's a magical time of year when all participating restaurants offer deep discounts on a special (and extremely delicious) price-fixe menu. We at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours absolutely adore San Diego Restaurant Week, because we think that San Diego's food scene is upcoming, underrated, and filled to the brim with deliciousness. We also love Restaurant Week because we think great wine and beer, which San Diego has in abundance, is well and good, but it lacks a dimension if you don't pair it with tasty food. That's why we feature food and wine and food and beer tours, and why we're such happy champions of Restaurant Week. We think that developing your own palate, whether it's for food, wine, or craft beer, is an essential part of a happy life. Eat,…

We generally don’t delve into politics, but we have to take this time to tip our hats to our great state, because it has done something wonderful and once again declared September California Wine Month. You know how we feel about that – that every month should be California Wine Month – but we’re delighted to have more of an opportunity to showcase our wines and the people who love them. We sincerely feel that developing a taste and an understanding of wines leads to a greater appreciation for subtleties in other areas of your life. We are especially happy about the opportunity to talk about the great Wine Country in San Diego. Restaurants throughout the county are getting in on the action too, heading wine tastings and pairing dinners; you can also explore wineries or take a guided tour….

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…