white wine

Happy November! This is the time of year that the weather turns cool and the indoors start to look mighty cozy. By the way, did you know that turkey pairs with all wines, from delicate whites to rich reds to all types of roses? It's true!  It's just one of the great things about Thanksgiving. It's also a great time to try some new beers. Because there's so much caramelization in Thanksgiving meals, dark and chocolatey stouts are sublime, but the light hoppy brews are great as well. It's a veritable feast of beer and wine, and you can't go wrong with Thanksgiving! We're thankful for that, too.  Don't forget the champagne, either. Bubbly is great with everything, whether it's the meal, the post-meal game, or the post-game coma. As you can see, we love to count our blessings while…

We’ve already covered how to dip your toe in the unfamiliar waters of wine if you’re a beer lover. Now if you’re a wine-drinker trying to unravel the mysteries of beer, we can help you! We have consulted the greatest craft beer experts of our time, who by a lucky coincidence work here, at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours, for ways to navigate the seas of San Diego’s craft beer scene with ease. If you love deep, plummy reds like pinots, we think a darker beer with coffee notes will be right up your alley, like Alesmith’s Nautical Nut Brown Ale. (We love this beer!) A stout or a porter, like Rogue’s Chocolate Stout, will also make your palate sing. If you like your wines (reds or whites) really dry, you’ll probably love bitter ales like IPAs. One of…

  Let’s say you’re a beer lover trying to figure out what all the fuss is about wine. We recommend going by the beers you love, of course. The good news is, if you're a microbrew fan you're already well on the way to learning to appreciate the nearly-infinite varieties of wines!   If you love ales or lagers: Try dry white wines such as Napa Valley or Sonoma chardonnays, such as the Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay. The dryness and mouthfeel of the wine will provide a tasty and familiar way to quench your thirst on hot days. If you love bitters or IPAs, you're already learned to that astringency is your friend, so sip on a verdicchio.  Tannins should also be a treat for you, so try a bordeaux on for size. If you love stouts: You want more…

For those of you who follow soccer (or what the rest of the world calls football) today is an important day: it's the final day of the Euro Cup, the little sister of the World Cup.  Today, football fans all over the world will watch with bated breath as Italy and Spain square off for the European championship.  We would like to take this opportunity to toast both teams.  For Spain, we recommend a lovely Priorat from the northeast, but if dropping $50 on a bottle isn'tyour thing, we of course think a Rioja would be superb, or a garnacha blend from the Campo de Borja region. If Italy's your team, southern Italy boasts the dry and strong white Fiano variety, or go north for one of Umbria's nearly-black, aromatic Sagrantino wines.  Of course, if you want to be non-partisan and…

Happy Independence Day! This is the national day of the United States, and in case you haven't been paying attention, it usually involves fireworks, backyard barbecues, and – of course – beer. We at La Jolla Wine Tours and San Diego Beer and Wine Tours have a special place in our heart for beer. We think it's delectable, especially something from The Lost Abbey or AleSmith Brewing Company. Yet, this year, for something different, how about pairing wine with your 4th of July barbecue fare. But not just any wine. Instead of red and white, try orange and green wines on for size. Green wines, or vinhos verdes, are light, delicate, and fizzy whites – perfect for summer! The “green” refers to the youth of the wine. It's supposed to be consumed a year after bottling at most and as…