things to do in san diego

The dog days of summer are upon us. Hammock Day, July 22, 2015, is a way to celebrate the warmest days of the year by embracing the sunshine, grabbing a drink, and – you guessed it – basking in a hammock. San Diego Beer and Wine Tours invites you to enjoy the rest of your dog days by partaking in one of their various excursions which allows you to sit back and enjoy the best brews and wines of San Diego, car-free! Their all-inclusive tours offer a VIP experience for you and your party to indulge in a “vine to glass” or “hop to table” experience with local food and wine or beer appreciated at the production facilities. The best part being that there is no need to drink and drive. Their guided tours provide transportation between the vineyards, winery,…

San Diego is famous for many things – the sun, the surf, the craft beer (of course), and in the past few years, Comic-Con has made headlines all over the word.  The convention started out in 1970 as a tiny group of comic book aficionados, and since then it’s not only become a model for conventions worldwide, but also blossomed into a huge annual event that brings hundreds of thousands of people to San Diego. Comic-Con is great, not only because it’s a lot of fun even if you don’t attend the main event there’s still a ton of fun stuff going on all over downtown.  And luckily, you’re not the only person who’s noticed that Comic-Con and beer are a perfect combination. It looks like beer events with a proudly nerdy flavor are here to stay. So how’s your…

Spotlight on… Café La Rue! We've been talking about some of our favorite places to get eats as well as drinks lately.  Right now, it's Café La Rue's turn!   Café La Rue is a relatively new place in an old haunt – the bar and bistro reopened last year at La Jolla's historic La Valencia Hotel, which is known as "The Pink Lady," after closing down for a makeover and taking over the space of an iconic bar called The Whaling Bar – traces of which still live on in its décor and some of its drinks. Café La Rue has also updated its menu, favoring simple foods but with a European flair: their dishes include smoked cheddar bratwurst – made with IPA beer cheese – and pork belly confit poutine.  Delicious!  Even their french fries are simple yet superb: they're…

It's almost springtime already! You know how we know? It's not the blue skies or the buds popping out on the trees. No, the real sign that spring is almost here is the annual Farmer's Insurance Open Golf Tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course. Even if you don't play, the PGA Tour tournament is sure to be a great time. Golf is only the tip of the iceberg during that week – the crowds will also be treated to delightful food and drink, the opportunity to celebrity-watch, and be surrounded by gleaming, vintage cars. It's also for a good cause, as the tournament works closely with local charities that provide help for schools and childrens' centers!  They're also looking for volunteers, which is a great way to take in all the sights while giving back to the community.  That's…

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….

Was it a banner year for you? We hope so. It sure was for us, as we continue to have the pleasure of serving you up our fantastic beer, wine and food tours. Happy Holidays from San Diego Beer and Wine Tours! This is it – the final countdown to the end of 2013. This is the time of year when the best thing in the world is being around the people you love the most.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Saturnalia, or the Solstice, it's always made better by sipping at a hot buttered rum, warm spiced wine or cider, or perhaps an old-fashioned eggnog. Speaking of eggnog, did you know that eggnog was once the cause of a riot around this time of year? It happened in 1826, when some enterprising West Point cadets smuggled a large quantity of…

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…

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…

Sometimes, we hear complaints that southern California doesn't have seasons. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have four seasons here just like nearly anywhere else; all it takes to fully enjoy them is developing an appreciation for the subtle. Which is, of course, a great way to learn to fully enjoy wine, as well.  That's our way of telling you that fall is on its way! In San Diego, you don't see many trees changing color, and frost doesn't begin to pinch at your nose until at least December, but you can tell when autumn gets here. The air is clearer, but with a tinge of smoke from chimneys and faraway forest fires, the sky is a perfect shade of chilly blue, and the grape stomps begin.  Did you know that there are more than 60 wineries in…

Well, maybe not Wolverine. As difficult as it might be to believe, it wasn’t so many years ago that Comic-Con was just a tiny gathering of like-minded people. Now, much like San Diego’s craft beer scene, it has transformed itself from a handful of geeks who do their best work alone in a basement into an economic and cultural leviathan. We in San Diego are proud to lead the way in both beer and comics, two of the things that make life worth living! Luckily for all of us, you don’t have to choose one or the other. You can have both – and sometimes two separate things combine to make a new and wonderful experience. For example, Gigantic Brewing Company out of Portland, Oregon proudly displays labels designed by comic book artists, as does Elysian Brewing’s 12 Beers of…