Wineries

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…

The temperature's a-changing and fall's on its way. We have talked at length before about our love for southern California in the autumn, haven't we? Well, we'll talk about it again. It's one of the most beautiful times of year – drought notwithstanding – because while we don't get the spectacular rainbow-hued leaves and chilly weather you might find elsewhere, we have our own unmistakable signs that the seasons are changing. One such sign is the marine layer. It lingers a little longer this time of year, making the mornings just a little cooler and more overcast. When the sun finally peeps through the coastal clouds, it's not so warm. In fact, the conditions are perfect for a day at the beach so that you can watch the rays sparkle on the waves. Further inland, the mountains and foothills are…

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…

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…

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…

  Statue of Dionysius, the Roman god of wine and the harvest. Also the most fun god. True story. Caesar: Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue shriller than all the music Cry "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear. Soothsayer: Beware the ides of March. Caesar: What man is that? Brutus: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.  March 15th supposed to be a day that bad things are bound to happen.  The phrase "beware the ides of March" comes, like so many other things in the English language, from Shakespeare.  There's actual history behind the saying. As you may have guessed, March 15th is the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated, setting the stage for the Roman Republic to become the Roman Empire.  But the middle of March wasn't…

Above photo courtesy of my dear friend and neighbor, please respect the ownership of this photo and do not distribute, thank you-Shira Bliss Top o’ the Irish to ya! There aren’t many things we love more than beer, food, and wine, but if there was anything that went with them it would be dogs. “Hardly a bar in Ireland didn’t have a dog,” says our own Shira Bliss, ” and I’d love to see more of that in the US.” Shira’s our resident Ireland expert – after all, she was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Saint Patrick’s Day! You can’t get much more Irish than that. San Diego is one of the most dog-friendly cities in the world, so in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day we’ve compiled a list of places you and the pooch can go tip…

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…