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Are you in the RED or in the BLACK? Every year, at about this time, I hear a sizeable, collaborative groan from the general populous regarding Tax Time. Doing your taxes doesn’t have to get you down – Just add Wine.  You may not create the best return, but you’ll have fun! And if a refund isn’t in your future…don’t worry, be happy: Throughout the month of April, we’re touring San Diego’s best urban wineries and vineyards. There’s no better way to get relief from tax season than to spend an afternoon with us. It’s EZ!  Just call or click to book online (see below to choose your tour). Cheers!    

Happy Father's Day! Today's the day that we stop to thank our fathers for doing their part to bring us into the world – and raise us! Did you know that Father's Day isn't a very old holiday? In 1972, then-president Richard Nixon signed a proclamation that made the day a federal holiday. So Father's Day is probably younger than your dad, which means he labored away, unappreciated, for years before there was finally a day delegated just for him.  We'd love to make up for that, so we found this list of Dad-themed craft brews he can try out. Better yet, we've also put together a special beer tour just for him. (You can come too, of course!  In fact, we'd love to see you there.)  We love our moms, but we don't think dads get as much thanks as they…

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…

It was Thursday November 29, 2012, and Paul Anthony and I were very excited about the evening’s plans. We had signed up for Michael David "Zins of Sin" 6-Course Dinner at Proprietor's Reserve. In fact, we were so looking forward to eating and drinking at one of our favorite San Diego places that we arrived a whole half hour early to the event!  That was a very slow half hour as we waited with anticipatory breath and salivatory glands for an evening we predicted would be full of delightful decadence.  Erin and Michael did not disappoint. Erin impressed our refined palates with dishes she had prepared with perfect precision and a brilliant mind for impeccable wine pairing. We even got to purchase these beautiful wines at a great price. (Being a member of Proprietors Reserve Wine Club has some huge…

`Tis the season for giving. While we think that nothing is better than the gift of a winery train tour, chauffeured tour, or a beer tasting tour through beautiful San Diego, we also like to give back. In fact, it's one of the things we're most proud of! Did you know that a portion of all of our money made goes to San Diego's underprivileged children and teens, and another portion goes to people struggling with health or financial challenges? So every time you buy a tour, you're not just having a great time, you're also helping out people who need it.   If you prefer to donate directly, here are some of our favorite charities:   Summit4StemCell, tour guide Marti's organization of choice, is part of the Parkinson's Association of San Diego and supports non-embryonic stem cell research in…

San Diego Beer and Wine Tours invites you to join us November 14-18, 2012, for the week-long wine and culinary celebration: San Diego Wine and Food on the Bay's 9th Annual Classic! It's San Diego's premiere event for foodies and oenophiles, and that means we'll be there. Join San Diego Beer and Wine Tours for a great time with star sommeliers, wine makers, beer mavens, and some of the biggest names in the culinary arts. Be sure to stop by and sample the superb local wines by winemaker Tony Tiso of La Serenissima Vineyards, Warner Springs, San Diego (love your wines Tony!) and Bernard Guillas Executive Chef of La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club (mmm…Bernard you keep us coming back for more).   There will also be a taste-off for the "Chef-of-the-Fest" competition and some of San Diego's famous food trucks.  It'll be five days of…

We're now less than a week away from one of the most hotly-anticipated events of the beer world.  San Diego Beer Week is a way for San Diegans to celebrate the amazing beer culture surrounding us, and for people all over the world who are visiting spectacular San Diego.  Celebrate BEER WEEK with us at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours with the Ultimate Beer & Food Walking Tour. Beer Week starts November 2nd, and runs through the 11th. Yeah, we know, that's nearly a week and a half, but who's counting?  Its official kickoff event is the San Diego Brewer's Guild Festival on Saturday, November 3rd, when Mayor Jerry Sanders will help tap the first keg.  The rest of the long week is studded with all kinds of beer-related events, pairing classes, brewery showcases, and Q&A with some of the…

October in San Diego is a magical time. While we don't really have classic autumn weather, the marine layer creeps in and the scorching heat abates just enough for the weather to be as perfect as it ever gets in our lovely city: not too hot, not too cold. This makes late October the perfect time to dress up and go party. Luckily for all of us, all the best Halloween parties are in late October. But perhaps you were busy or just moved here. If you don't you'll do this Halloween and you're looking for a good scare, we can help. In fact, we'd love to have you come along on our Spook-tacular Halloween Wine Tour or Trick or Treat Winery Train Tour or Halloween Beer Train. We'll have a spooky (and very tasty) good time. Costumes aren't just tolerated, they're encouraged….

O'zapft is! Greetings, fellow beer lovers! As you're probably already well aware, Oktoberfest kicked off in Bavaria over the weekend. October is one of the best months for cerevisaphiles and those who love them for many reasons. First, you get all the wonderful fall ales and pumpkin-brewed specials. Second, the cooler weather just makes beer taste better – we don't know why, but it does. Instead of watching the leaves turn around here, we just watch the new brews appear. The most important reason why October is one of the best months for beer lovers is Oktoberfest, and all the good things that come with it! Since we're not in Munich, we can't attend the biggest fair in the world – but we can fake it by drinking our favorite traditional Oktoberfest brew. You probably already know about the Oktoberfests…

San Diego Beer and Wine Tours is pleased and proud to announce that we'll be part of the 18th Annual San Diego Festival of Beer on September 21st!  If you've never been to the San Diego Festival of Beer, you're in for a treat.  It's in the heart of San Diego's historic downtown area, conveniently located next to the Santa Fe Depot so you can just step off the train or trolley and walk over.  There are always great bands, fun people, and – of course – the best selection of the tastiest beers in the craft beer capital of the world.  The festival begins at 6pm and goes to 11, featuring the best from more than sixty local and not-so-local breweries, macro, micro, and nano, from Green Flash and Stone in San Diego, to Phoenix's Old World and Sea Dog…