vineyard

Do you remember back in the late 80’s, the popular, yet difficult to find character, Waldo, in the red-and-white striped shirt? My children loved trying to find Waldo in the book: Where is Waldo, by British illustrator Martin Handford. Waldo, was an inspiration for me when creating my San Diego winery tour company. Let me…

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…

Let’s talk about the top best things to do in San Diego. Utter the words San Diego to a person from out of the area and immediately images of palm trees, beaches and pristine weather fill the imagination. To so many, San Diego means visiting some of the most beautiful beaches in California, but this city has so much more to offer for a holiday getaway or staycation. Great activities abound. You’ve heard of a beach vacation yes, but how about a “beer vacation”? To describe San Diego as a Mecca for craft and micro brews is an understatement. A more accurate description would be: The Land of Fantastic Beer. San Diego’s beer history dates back to 1989, when Karl Strauss opened the area’s first brewpub in over 50 years, and it was only a matter of time until other…

It’s a great day to make soup. Here’s a tasty recipe that’s easy and full of delicious minerals! Yellow Lentil Soup Boil lentils in 3x the water. Turn off stove and let sit 2 hrs. Drain and rinse. Make broth by simmering veggies of choice with water, kombu (dried seaweed), dried mushrooms, garlic, onions, bayleaf, dried herbs such as thyme. Cook the lentils with the broth. Add sweet potato chunks last half hour of cooking. When done add salt, pepper and little curry powder and WeOlive olive oil. Cook for another 10 mins. Serve with warm crusty rye bread and butter and an IPA (my current fav is Lagunitas Hop Stoopid). Join us on a beer and food walking tour and taste some great local IPAs. -Shira Bliss, Lentil Lover

By Paul Anthony Vild, Co-founder San Diego Beer & Wine Tours I don’t want to take anything away from vineyards. It is nice to get out there and experience the romance of being right next to the vines, meeting the winemaker and seeing the operations, and of course the tastings. In this article, though, I…