Wine Train

It’s almost holiday season. Well, actually, since holiday season starts right after Halloween these days, we guess it IS holiday season! This the time of year that we tell all of you how thankful we are for all of you.  We couldn’t be in this business without you, our fellow beer, wine,nd food aficionados, and all the good things you bring into our lives. We’re also thankful we live in such an amazing corner of the world, where fine, locally-produced food and drink is available everywhere we turn! Since we know you appreciate good meals and drinks just as much as we do, we thought we’d share some tried-and-true suggestions with you to make your Thanksgiving Day as delightful as it can possibly be. First, to the food.  Do you have too much to drink hanging around the house? Is…

It’s the spookiest time of the year! Halloween is on its way.  Kids are donning costumes, scary movies are all over Netflix, and ghosts are wailing in the trees (or is it just the Santa Ana?). But we haven’t forgotten about that other celebration of All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day: Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.  That’s the Mexican celebration of the dead, where you can go to the graveyards and talk to your loved ones who have passed on. We are so close to Mexico here in southern California that we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Baja California’s vibrant beer and wine scene.  But you shouldn’t have to cross any international borders to sample them, if you don’t want to! First up, let’s talk about the craft beer scene, which in no…

Today is National Red Wine Day! And what a glorious day it is. It’s the day when we take a moment to sit back, take a sip, and really appreciate red wine. What, you say? That’s every day? Well, read on for tips on how to appreciate it more! First of all, wine is history in a glass. No matter what you drink, you’re sipping on the sun, the sky, the soil, the climate, and the temperament of the place your wine was born. It contains the minerals that nurtured it, the light that warmed it, the chill of the starry nights that helped the grapes grow. In short, it embodies the character of a place like nothing else you could eat or drink, and in the most delightful and delicious way possible. And while people have been fermenting beverages…

We know we're called San Diego Beer and Wine Tours, but we don't just deal with beer and wine. In fact, we never have. We understand that beer and wine without wonderful food pairings is like having peanut butter without the jelly, ice cream without the sprinkles, yin without yang – you get the picture. All of our tours, as a matter of fact, include food tastings to go with your beverages – the equivalent of a full meal. We don't just tour the finest wineries and breweries in San Diego. Our tours are filled with the best food this town has to offer, no matter what you're in the mood for! It's a great way to savor the best gourmet, farm-to-table fare while you sip without having to commit to the price of a full meal. Plus, you get to…

It's wedding season!  Actually, we know that you can get married any day of the year, but here in southern California, the summer is the season of love! June through August seem to be the magical months. That's when the skies are bluest and the beaches are the most beautiful — the winning combination for amore. We love weddings! But, marriage isn't all about the wedding: It starts with a proposal. (I’d cut this next line: And while there are very few bad places to ask the person of your dreams to spend your lives together, some are more unusual than others.) Here's our list of romantic places to propose to your soon-to-be life partner: 1.     Balboa Park. Get an eyeful of San Diego's history, culture, and lovely architecture. If you stop in the middle of the bridge,…

The second Sunday in August is a very special day. As of 2010, it’s been “Spirit of `45 Day.” It was passed unanimously by Congress, and the first Spirit of `45 Day fell on August 14th, the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II. Spirit of `45 Day was created first and foremost to commemorate the ordinary people who lived through the Second World War and the mettle shown by surviving members of the Greatest Generation as they rebuilt the United States after the end of the war.  Another, very important reason was to remind the world that the United States is committed to never allowing a world war to happen again.. We, too, would like to honor these ordinary heroes, the men and women of World War II, so in the Spirit of `45, we are offering…

The San Diego Beer and Wine Tours team is so grateful to all of the tour guests who have made these past four years possible. San Diego Beer & Wine Tours was born out of Founder, Shira’s, passion for great wine and gourmet food. What started as a walking tour company has blossomed into a…

We're not gonna lie – Earth Day is one of our favorite days of the year around here. Since our inception, we've been all about saving the planet.  Just check out some of the information on our carbon-footprint-reducing train tours and our emphasis on buying local! By the way, if you're a beer and wine nut, one of the best things you can do is buy locally.  It's not just that you'll get better beer and wine, even though you will, or feel more connected to the local environment while you sip, even though you are.  No, the best reasons to drink locally is twofold: first, you're supporting our vibrant Californian wine and beer culture and keeping local jobs coming, and second – and this is a biggie –  by directly supporting all the local brews, you're reducing the enormous,…

There's no such thing as a perfect child. Admit it – you were a brat growing up just like all the rest of us. Do you see those grey hairs on your mom? Those are your fault, every single last one of them. That time you came home three hours late without calling? The time you got under the sink and tried to eat Drano? How about the time you brought home that really inappropriate “friend” in high school? Oh, we know. We've all been there. At this point, the only appropriate question is, “How can I make this up to my mom?” The answer is simple: with wine. That's why we at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours have put together a wonderful Mother's Day gift to help you apologize for all those months as a kid you spent…

Today is April Fool's Day, also called “The Worst Day on the Internet.” In an age where just about anything can go viral, and gullibility is compounded by clickbait, it's best not to trust anything for the next 24 hours or so. We promise to not be part of this trend. We, instead, embrace an original rite of spring, the "renewal festival," which occurred in many cultures throughout the world and were characterized by lighthearted pranks and a temporary reversal of the accepted social order. (Yes, we know that the whole mockery mess supposedly began when France shifted from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian one somewhere in the 16th century, thereby switching the New Year to January 1st instead of April, but we prefer the friendlier origin story.) So, we are taking this opportunity to announce that we are…