M-O-O-N, that spells “fun”
Werewolves, take note! The biggest and brightest moon of the year will be making an appearance for Cinco de Mayo.
The full moon has had a dangerous reputation for centuries. Women have “moon babies,” people lose their minds, and emergency rooms fill up with people suffering from strange and exotic injuries, or at least that's how the old wives' tales go. Tales of crazy behavior and the moon's phases are so inextricably intertwined that they spawned the word “lunatic,” which comes from the Latin word luna, meaning, of course, moon.
We don't think any of this is a bad thing. In fact, we think that this is a great time to go a little crazy! Come howl at the supermoon with us and we'll show you the best places to let your lunatic flag fly: Join us for the Cinco de Mayo weekend festivities!
Brooke B., Moonbat
Posted in Beer, Breweries, bus tours, Food and Vine, Happy Hour, holiday, Uncategorized, Walking Tours, Wine, Wine Train, Wineries |
Mother’s Little Helpers
Mother's Day is coming up on the 13th, and we're here to help! If you're looking for the perfect gift, look no further – our beer and wine tours will make your mother's day.
Dark beers were once known as"mother's milk," because hospitals in Ireland once gave stouts to expectant and nursing mothers to increase their milk supply. In fact, Guinness once ran an entire ad campaign on the premise that dark stouts are good for you, a claim that, happily, has been bolstered by modern science.
Red wine, which (like beer) is packed with flavonoids and resveratrol, will keep mom young and her heart happy, and white wine is associated with better lung function. And both types of wine will lower "bad" cholesterol levels. Around here, we like to call it "Mother's Little Helper."
So if you want to show your appreciation for your mom and help her heart, lungs, and cholesterol levels in the process, don't delay: book a wine or beer tour with us today!
Brooke B., So"mom"lier
Posted in Beer, Breweries, Health, holiday, Tours, Walking Tours, Wine, Wine Train, Wineries |
La Jolla Half Marathon – Beer Runner
The La Jolla Half Marathon is this Sunday, and in its honor we're going to tell you a secret. If you're a runner, you probably already know it. If you aren't a runner, this might change your mind.
Here it is. After a long run, there are a very few drinks recommended for recovery during training for a marathon. As hardcore runners and Hash House Harriers have known for generations, one of the shining stars of recovery drinks is… beer.
Thirsty after the run? La Jolla Brew House has just the ticket to quench your thirst!
That's right – after punishing your body after a long run, it turns out that tipping back a beer or two will not only help your body combat inflammation and soreness, it will also pump up your immune system and help your body fight off race-busting colds.
One study, from the Technical University of Munich, recommends up to a liter and a half a day during training – although it cautioned that non-alcoholic beer was probably better because of alcohol's dehydrating effect. Another group of scientists, these from Spain's Granada University, say that alcohol actually makes beer more efficient at rehydrating the body than water alone after exercise.
Lest you think that wine is getting short shrift here, we would like to point out that resveratrol, a component of red wines, can increase endurance by up to 100 percent – in other words, a liberal dose of red wine during training could double your long runs. After a run, to ease those worked muscles, try one of our walking wine tours or winery train tours, both have 1-2 miles of walking on them.
You can't argue with science, so drink up – preferably on our craft beer walking tours or craft beer train tours. Post-run recovery doesn't get much tastier than that!
Brooke B., Beer Runner
Posted in Beer, Breweries, Health, Local Business, Travel, Walking Tours, Wine, Wine Train, Wineries |
Cinco de Mayo Beer & Wine Tours
Happy Cinco de Mayo! May 5th is a holiday that owes a lot to beer.
First and foremost, it's the day that commemorates the long-shot defeat of well-equipped French forces by the far scrappier Mexican soldiers in 1862, and whether beer was involved at the time is anyone's guess. Cinco de Mayo, a minor holiday in Mexico, eventually became a day to celebrate anti-imperialism and multiculturalism in the United States.
But it really took off in the United States in the 1980s when beer companies got involved. That's when Anheuser-Busch created “Hispanic Marketing” departments and started sponsoring big Cinco de Mayo parties, and Grupo Modelo began exporting Corona, which quickly became a huge sensation in the U.S.
So while the fifth of May isn't Mexican Independence Day as some believe (that's September 16th), it has become a big, cerveza-filled celebration in parts of Mexico and much of the United States – especially the parts around the border – thanks to big beer companies and savvy marketing.
We're not complaining, though. Everybody wins when beer is involved! If you get the chance, forgo the big brands for newer, tasty Mexican microbrews like Guëra from Cervecería Tijuana or Minerva's Imperial Stout.
For local wines and microbrewery craft beer tours and parties this Cinco de Mayo weekend, San Diego Beer and Wine Tours has got you covered:
We'll pick you up and take you to the best fiestas in town. And we'll drop you back in Mexican Old Town, San Diego to party all night! We'll be running our safe, fun, and sustainable GREEN tours May 1-7, so check out our Winery Bus Tours, Beer Train Tours and Winery Train Tours for an over-the-top Cinco de Mayo Weekend Celebration!
And if getting a driver and party tour guide while you drink isn't enough, we're going to sweeten the deal: Buy cinco (5) Brewery or Winery Tour Tickets, and get a sixth one FREE* (*Good through May 7th, 2012, mention “Cinco5”)
Posted in Beer, Breweries, bus tours, Food and Vine, holiday, Local Business, San Diego Wine Country, Theme Tours, Tours, Wine, Wineries |
Earth Day – We Live it!
Since Earth Day debuted on April 22nd,1970, it's gone from fringe to mainstream as people all over the world began to realize that responsible stewardship of the earth is a matter of human survival. But it doesn't need to be difficult. You can celebrate Earth Day with fun and in style. All you need is great local beer and wine, delicious fresh farm-to-table food, and a low-emission way to travel.
It may sound too good to be true, but that's exactly what we've been doing since we started our Green Tours. San Diego Beer and Wine Tours emphasizes local food and drink, which cuts down on fuel emissions and travel time, and is committed to green living, which is why we offer Beer Train Tours and Wine Coaster Train Tours. Our unique tours showcasing San Diego's infamous craft beer scene and burgeoning wine world emphasize delicious foods and delightful drinks, all made close to home and experienced on a train (which gets about 150 miles to the gallon on a full passenger load!)
So come out and see us on Earth Day, or any other day you like. After all, we don't just talk about sustainability once a year – we live it!
Cheers! Brooke B.
http://truecostblog.com/2010/05/27/fuel-efficiency-modes-of-transportation-ranked-by-mpg/
Posted in Beer, Breweries, Local Business, Tours, Walking Tours, Wine, Wine Train, Wineries |
How to Save Money and Have Fun Too!
Now that you've done your taxes, you may be asking yourself: How can I save money and have fun too?
According to Travel + Leisure Magazine, San Diego is one of the “greenest” and most eco-conscious cities in the United States, and it's getting greener than ever: public transportation is on the rise. San Diego's transit system has also received top marks for its implementation and availability. With gas prices sky-high and rising every day, hopping on a bus or a train just seems like the natural choice.
Travel + Leisure also dubbed San Diego a “locavore's delight” because it has more farms per capita than any other region in the nation, which makes it easy to sample local delights. San Diego is also a leader in the “farm-to-table” movement, which only uses locally sourced foods to cut down on transportation costs and pollution.
That's why San Diego Beer and Wine Tours is offering Coaster tours to local breweries and urban wineries. It's not just good food, booze, and great company, it's also good for the environment, and you're helping local businesses by trying their delectably fresh and delicious food, wine, and beer.
So "hop" or "graft" onto one of our wine or beer train tours and pull ahead of the curve. It's the best of all possible worlds – you're sampling the best food in the country that's fresh off the farm on one of the highest-rated public transportation systems in the country. It's a win-win all around!
Sources:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Americas-Greenest-Cities-146046975.html
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Embraces-Farm-to-Table-143007105.html
Creative Commons photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlwwycoff/3954032906/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/widnr/6583774277/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karmadude/128272330/
Posted in Beer, Breweries, Food and Vine, Local Business, San Diego Wine Country, Tours, Travel, Wine, Wine Train, Wineries |
E-Z Taxes – Just Add Wine!
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.
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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 offering our annual tax time special of $10.40 off any tour* (includes Paso Robles Weekend!)
It's E-Z! Just mention 1040 to get your discount.
Cheers!
Shira Bliss
*Choose your Tasty Adventure:
Beer & Wine Train Tours; Walking Tours; Bus Tours; Dinner Parties
Posted in Beer, Breweries, holiday, Local Business, San Diego Wine Country, Tours, Uncategorized, Walking Tours, Wine, Wine Train, Wineries |
The Most Handsome of Fare
“Mr. and Mrs. Bliss, please follow me.”
With that, we were welcomed into a palace.
Paul Anthony, my partner in love and business, and I had a delightful Valentine’s dinner this year at the Addison Grand Del Mar. I've traveled all over the world and eaten many fine meals, but this was hands down the best meal I've ever had!
The first thing I noticed and loved was the quiet of the place. The Addison is large and spacious, with fireplaces in each room, an open floor plan, and a huge, exquisite wine cellar. Despite the size of the place, we were seated in a luxurious private booth and treated as if we were the only people there.
The wine director, Jesse Rodriguez, was brilliant, helping us choose our aperitif drinks and directing us through the menu. Because we felt very safe, in the capable hands of Jesse, we chose the added option to have each of our menu courses paired with wine, already planned ahead by their experts.
To begin with Chef William Bradley (of whom we became extremely fond of as the night went on) made us a gorgeous amuse bouche to delight our palate: a refreshing sweet champagne consommé with raspberries and actual gold slivers in it.
Before the first course we had beautiful canapés paired with a lovely glass of La Guita, Manzanilla, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain NV and Txomin Etxaniz, Hondarrabi Zuri, Pais Basco, Spain 2010
The first course consisted of fresh calamari with a red pepper confiture and wild arugula. For a first course we also enjoyed a buttery hamachi with champagne, cucumber and caviar. The hamachi was incredibly fresh and melted in my mouth.
The hamachi was paired with Weingut Ecker, Grüner Veltliner, "von Stokstal," Wagram, Austria 2010. The naturally high acid and full-bodied texture of the Veltliner made a perfect exotic pairing.
That course was followed by a creamy butter-baked St. Pierre with a citrus, vermouth and basil sauce served at the table. We also had a separate course of wild-caught king salmon on a bed of green apples, radish and dashi.
The creamy St. Pierre was perfected complimented with the crisp freshness of a glass of Domaine Leroy, Chardonnay, Burgundy, France 2006.
The king salmon was paired with Betts & Scholl, Marsanne / Rousanne, Hermitage Blanc, Northern Rhône, France 2004. This wonderful Hermitage presented rich aromas on the nose and earthy minerals on the palate. We felt this was a very good pairing indeed.
Still excited, we anticipated our next course with glee. We weren’t disappointed. We were presented with canard roti and bavette “en eschallotte.” The canard was the most tender juicy duck I've ever tasted. I especially loved how Chef William paired the succulent bird with sweet date morsels. Along with the canard and dates the dish had caramelized endive and ginger. What a delight.
The canard was paired with a glass of Salchetto, Colli Senesi, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy 2010. This fresh, vinous red was bursting with sweet red fruit which made it a great pairing with the duck.
As a separate course we were served BAVETTE “EN ESCHALLOTTE” a delightful shoulder of beef paired with cremini mushroom gratin, potato croquettes and port wine. The beef was cooked rare to perfection, and the little potato croquettes were light and fun and absolutely delicious!
The beef course was paired with Mamete Prevostini, Nebbiolo, “Botonero,” Lombardy, Italy 2009. This wine showed great freshness and a smooth mouth-feel for such a young nebbiolo. Paul and I both thought this pairing was wonderful.
Each course was served with a separate bread service. The warm brioche straight out of the oven were so enticing that Paul Anthony and I had two each.
After an artisan cheese course that included a wonderful goat cheese and a bleu cheese that had just the right amount of sharpness and sweetness, we cleansed our palate with lychee sorbet and passion fruit zabaglione.
The cheese course was paired with a beautifully light, dry Riesling: Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff, Riesling, "Estate," Nahe, Germany 2010.
Then it was time for dessert. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate cake but this cake was fit for royalty. Alongside this decadent slice of heaven was a crispy meringue just like my mum made for me in Ireland while I was growing up in the early 80s! And to top the meringue and cake was a raspberry, caramel sauce.
This lovely desert was paired with San Francisco Chronicle 2011 Wine Competition Award Winner Tom Eddy, Zinfandel, “Late Harvest,” Sierra Foothills, 2008.
We finished our noble dinner with an extra treat as Jesse brought us a gorgeous Sherry: Alvear, Pedro Ximenez, “Solera,” Montilla-Moriles, Spain 1927. This Sherry is a tasting sensation not to be missed by any wine lover who appreciates the beautiful richness of a well aged dessert wine.
We’re not going to tell you how much the bill was, but let’s just say it was close to a couple of car payments!
On our way out one of the lovely staff took our photo next to the roaring fire. They even had the menus and wine list in the car for us. And the treats kept coming…as we left they presented us with housemade shortbread wrapped with a ribbon. I enjoyed mine with my coffee the next morning. Now, the question is, how am I ever going to top that meal!
Posted in Company News, Food and Vine, holiday, Local Business, Recipes, Valentine, Wine, Wineries |
Don’t be an April Fool!
Expensive wines aren't always good wines. Who hasn't had the experience of being seduced by snappy packaging into paying way too much for a bottle of wine that is, quite frankly, mediocre? The same goes for beer. Even here, in the heart of craft beer country, there are great beers… and then there are duds.
This April First, don't be “fooled” by bad beer and wine in a beautiful glass! How do you learn to tell the difference between what's pleasing to the palate and what's just barely palatable? Often, learning which brands are delicious and which to pass on is a matter of trial and error or personal taste, but sometimes people don't know the signs of a corked wine, especially when it's being served to them in a restaurant. Here's a tip – if your wine smells like a lit match, a horse blanket, wet newspaper, or a basement, pour it out or send it back, and get a clean wine glass!
Craft beer is subject to issues of its own. While mass-produced beer is pasteurized, which stabilizes the product and makes it taste homogeneous, craft beer is often “alive,” which means it is still in the process of fermentation and therefore prone to infection (yes, that's what it's called.) If your beer tastes overwhelmingly of corn, butter, sulfur, or just plain skunkiness, toss it out. However, sourness and bitterness is usually intended by the brewer.
Want to know more? Join one of our walking or train tours and learn about wine and beer from our experts. If you don't feel like walking, we’ll pick you up and drive you to sample the superb wines of San Diego Wine Country.
No fooling!
Brooke B., SDBW Resident Writer
Sources: Huffington Post Beer Advocate Rate Beer
Posted in Beer, Breweries, Food and Vine, Health, San Diego Wine Country, Theme Tours, Tours, Travel, Walking Tours, Wine, Wine Train, Winemaking, Wineries |
Urban Wineries: Great wine, small package
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 want to talk about urban wineries (also known as boutique wineries) and the difference between those and the vineyard wineries.
I don’t own a vineyard. However, if I did, I would be toiling over the vines and nurturing them (or stressing the vines just right) and doing everything I know to produce the best quality grapes for that particular varietal. I would be, however, subject to Mother Nature, the sun and precipitation, et cetera. Now, if I don’t get the greatest results from literally the fruits of my labor, I am not going to toss those grapes aside nor am I going to sell them at a cut rate and pay for new grapes, no: I am going to use those grapes for my wine, although yes, I may blend them, and if I am good I will still have a great wine, though I may have an uphill battle if it is a particularly hard vintage.
Urban wineries offer a lot in a small package. They don’t have the acreage, the vines, the views, but they do offer some advantages. The size of the winery typically means that the operations and the winemaker are right there on hand, perhaps even pouring the tastings. More importantly, however, the wine maker has the choice of a whole region or even the state or country or even countries to choose from for the grapes. This means that they can pick and choose from a larger pool of grape, and be more discerning in finding that value grape where budget meets quality.
Urban Winery on Cedros – Carruth Cellars
I am a member of a few wine clubs, and the majority of my memberships are with urban wineries. Check out our Wine Train Tour to the urban wineries of San Diego!
Cheers!
Paul Anthony
Posted in Local Business, San Diego Wine Country, Uncategorized, Wine, Wine Train, Winemaking, Wineries |