San Diego Beer and Wine Tours

  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…

Normally, we try to keep things lighthearted around here, but today we want to talk about something that's near and dear to our hearts: drinking and driving. Or rather, NOT drinking and driving. We don't advocate it; in fact, we abhor it.  There's no getting around it — driving under the influence can be costly. It can cost lives, dignity, self-respect, and if you're only deterred by cold, hard cash, if you're caught, it will break you financially.  Here's how the costs add up for the average first-time offender over legal drinking age, courtesy of the Auto Club. The minimum DUI fine is $390. County penalties are $1,245. Average cost for your vehicle, towing and storage is $350; a mandatory alcohol education class is $575; your booking and fingerprinting fee is $170; and your license re-issue is $125. You're already…

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….

We at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours would like to take a moment to address a serious issue, and one that is far more common than it should be: breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While everybody knows that cancer in general is a scourge and that breast cancer disproportionately affects women (yes, it affects men too!) what people don't know is how to detect the warning signs early or what they should do once they've discovered something irregular.  The National Breast Cancer Foundation is an excellent resource and guide, as is the national Department of Health and Human Resource's site.   There are also many other websites that provide information or collect donations to spread awareness and do research to prevent breast cancer.  Here are a few: Pink For October, Breast Cancer Awareness, and the Centers…

  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…

  Sure, the flowers are popping up and birds are singing and it's warming up, but the true sign of spring is nearly here: the San Diego Padres' home opener against the Dodgers at San Diego's Petco Park. While we love baseball in all its permutations, and will support the Padres in the face of any evidence to the contrary, we feel as though the true story about Petco Park is being ignored – the existence of “Craft Beers of the Padres.” Yes, you can stop by Petco Park and choose from an amazing array of beers from local microbreweries while you take in a game. No more watered-down stadium beers with inferior ingredients –San Diego local craft beer are the winning team for us.  We’d say that alone is worth a stint at Petco Park, whether or not you're…

Happy Mardi Gras! Today is Fat Tuesday, a tradition that hails at least back to medieval Europe, when revelers would slaughter a fatted calf and party the night away before the next day, Ash Wednesday, marked the beginning of Lent. That meant an enormous party as people consumed their best food, beer, and wine to steel themselves for the Lenten fasting season. In some cultures, this time of year is also known as Carnival or Carnaval, which comes from the Latin root "carne," meaning "meat" (there's that fatted calf again.) It also marks the end of winter as it turns the corner into springtime. In New Orleans, which arguably has the best-known festival, people dance in the streets all week long, wearing elaborate masks, beads, or (in some cases) nothing at all, while sipping Hand Grenades or Hurricanes and watching…

The holiday season is almost over, and 2012 is about to go out with a bang! At San Diego Beer and Wine Tours, we don’t really believe in the standard New Year’s resolutions.  What’s the point of a year filled with thirst and deprivation?  Plus, nobody ever sticks with them.  That’s why we have decided…

At San Diego Beer and Wine Tours we delight in the the "Dog Days" of summer because we know how to beat the heat.  In southern California it has been really, really, really hot– How do you stay cool in heat like this? If you're looking for ideas, as usual, we have plenty. Hamilton's Tavern.  Dark, comfortable, and cool in every sense of the world, Hamilton's has an enormous beer selection, good food, “Firkin Fridays,” where they open up a cask – and most importantly of all, Hamilton's has a hard-working AC. While you're there, explore the lovely community of South Park, which has plenty of low-key watering holes where you can sample fabulous local craft beers.  If you want a fresh sea breeze to cool your sweaty brow, we love the La Valencia Hotel's balcony bar overlooking La Jolla Cove. The…