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Temperatures have dropped, the wind is blowing gustily, and San Diego has even seen a few chilly and rainy days. That means it's truly fall, the holidays are on their way, and it's time to start planning for the annual autumn feast, Thanksgiving.   While everybody knows the story of the beleaguered pilgrims seeking a more free way of life, the story of Thanksgiving would be remiss if we did not mention beer's role in it.  Beer, with its natural antimicrobial properties, was a dietary staple on ships in those days; as it was boiled, it was purer than most of the water that was available at the time, and because of its alcohol content it was not prone to going bad on long voyages. In fact, part of the reason the Mayflower established a colony at Plymouth Rock and…

We at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours have been giving a lot of love to beer lately. Not that there's anything wrong with that – after all, our fair city is the craft beer capital of the country, and possibly the world, with microbreweries and nanobreweries springing up everywhere like toadstools after a rain. But we want to remember where we came from and give wine the love it deserves, as well. After all, we started out as La Jolla Wine Tours!  Luckily, San Diego isn't just a place you can find all the craft beer you can handle. Thanks to its Mediterranean microclimates and mild winters, it's also a wonderful place to find wines.  “But, SDB&WT,” we hear you say, “where do I begin my journey to becoming a wine aficionado?” Luckily, California has your answer, courtesy of…

For those of you who follow soccer (or what the rest of the world calls football) today is an important day: it's the final day of the Euro Cup, the little sister of the World Cup.  Today, football fans all over the world will watch with bated breath as Italy and Spain square off for the European championship.  We would like to take this opportunity to toast both teams.  For Spain, we recommend a lovely Priorat from the northeast, but if dropping $50 on a bottle isn'tyour thing, we of course think a Rioja would be superb, or a garnacha blend from the Campo de Borja region. If Italy's your team, southern Italy boasts the dry and strong white Fiano variety, or go north for one of Umbria's nearly-black, aromatic Sagrantino wines.  Of course, if you want to be non-partisan and…

What do freaks, geeks, zombies, vampires, and scantily clad superheroes all have in common? They're all very thirsty people. We know this well. If you're one of them, you know it, too. On July 12th through the 15th, 2012, these strange and startling characters will be descending on San Diego for ComiCon. ComiCon is an annual convention that was originally for comic book collectors and fans. (Hence the name.) Since the 1990s, however, it has swelled into a four-day extravaganza that fills San Diego with superfans dressed as their favorite characters, zombie flash mobs, Hollywood producers looking for ideas and actors looking for parties, and a few dazed-looking tourists. You may want to don your bat wings and get away from the spectacle for a while and enjoy different fruits of San Diego – like the best of our food and…

Congratulations, Grads! You've pulled your last all-nighter and aced your last final. You're getting ready to don your cap and gown and go for a night out on the town to celebrate your achievement. But is something missing? Something indefinable? Could it be… you miss learning? Exactly. You're a graduate now, and educated people don't go around mindlessly drinking. Oh, no. They learn about what they're imbibing, and study their drinks thoughtfully. Lucky for you, Graduate, La Jolla Wine Tours and San Diego Beer and Wine Tours are here to help. We'll help you be a lifelong learner by teaching you best way to pair wines, beers, and food, and give you some history lessons besides. Come have some fun with us! You've earned it – and we promise there won't be a test later.  In vino doctrina! Brooke B., Professor

June takes its name from Juno, the most important goddess in the Roman pantheon. Juno was called Hera by ancient Greeks and Uni or Cupra by the Etruscans, who once populated what is now Tuscany. She helped rule heaven alongside her husband, Jupiter. Juno, whose name means “vital force,” is the goddess of marriage, women, and new beginnings. The first day of every month also belongs to Juno. New beginnings are also on our mind right now. La Jolla Wine Tours is growing to include San Diego Beer and Wine Tours as we expand and bring you the best wine AND beer throughout San Diego County! We’ll even have a online booking system on our website to show off to you soon. Follow us on Twitter to keep abreast of all the new happenings. Incidentally, one of Juno’s many aspects…

One of our favorite days of the year is here – it's National Wine Day in the United States, and we'll definitely be celebrating! How are you going to celebrate? If you need ideas, we've got plenty. You could learn about local wineries on one of our walking tours, you could sit back and enjoy a coastal train tour, or a take a guided tour with us through San Diego's Wine Country.  Don't know your blends from your varietals? If you want to more fully appreciate National Wine Day, why not throw yourself a tasting party? We'll lend our expertise and put together a great dinner to go with your drinks so you can pair like a champion.  Happy Wine Day, with love from everyone at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours! Brooke B., Wine Lover

 The long Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer here in San Diego, and this is the first weekend of the year that beaches are well and truly packed with slowly reddening bodies roasting in the late-May sun. Speaking of barbecues, potlucks are an unofficial Memorial Day tradition along with – you guessed it – beer!  Here are our beer suggestions for your celebration: In hot weather, light beer reigns supreme; it's best for keeping you cool on sunny days. We recommend the wonderfully named Witch's Wit from The Lost Abbey, which includes grapefruit, orange, and coriander.  And let's not forget hops. Stone IPA is one of San Diego's iconic IPAs, and it's perfect for a backyard picnic. Taking it down a notch, hefeweizen is a nice accompaniment to the coleslaw and ambrosia that somebody inevitably brings to…

  Werewolves, take note! The biggest and brightest moon of the year will be making an appearance for Cinco de Mayo. The full moon has had a dangerous reputation for centuries. Women have “moon babies,” people lose their minds, and emergency rooms fill up with people suffering from strange and exotic injuries, or at least that's how the old wives' tales go. Tales of crazy behavior and the moon's phases are so inextricably intertwined that they spawned the word “lunatic,” which comes from the Latin word luna, meaning, of course, moon. We don't think any of this is a bad thing. In fact, we think that this is a great time to go a little crazy! Come howl at the supermoon with us and we'll show you the best places to let your lunatic flag fly: Join us for the Cinco de…

Tired of wine? Neither are we. But here’s a different way to enjoy Easter dinner: pairing it with craft beers. Since San Diego is a beer aficionado’s dream, we didn’t need to look too far to find local brews to sample with your food. Here are a few suggestions: Eggs or egg based dishes – Weissbier or wheat beer works well with eggs’ characteristic flavors. Try pairing with Wahoo Wheat Beer from Ballast Point or Windansea Wheat Hefeweizen from Karl Strauss. Ham – darker ales or lagers pair well with the smoky sweetness of Easter ham by offsetting the saltiness and amplifying other flavors. Try San Diego Dark Session Ale from Alesmith Brewing Company or Ugly, an American-style black ale from Alpine Beer Company. Lamb – Trappist ales or Abbey ales work well with the more delicate and lean flavor…