I'm a beverage geek at heart. Some of my best food and food/travel moments have been when there is…read morea huge educational component to a tasting. However it wasn't until 2020 that I fully embraced my passion in wine - while I have wine tasted in a few places around the world, Paso Robles in particular stressed the importance of education in the wine tasting experience. Many of the tasting room staff and sommeliers have at least a wine certification (usually WSET or CMS) and proudly boast it. So I figured if I'm going to spend quite a bit of time and money on wine, I might as well be an educated consumer in the process. Since I don't work in the industry (I'm actually in healthcare) and I don't want to work in the restaurant biz as a sommelier the Court of Master Sommeliers cert route was a no-go. Plus the CMS route emphasizes self-study and I prefer classroom learning. For a hobbyist who may in the future want to dabble in the industry on the side, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust was the way to go. Being based in SD Wine Smarties with Lindsay was the most practical choice. She offers three levels of the WSET plus the diploma - first level being just a 1-day class followed by the test followed by the 2 and 3 being 4 and 8 1x/weekly classes, respectively, with an in-person as well as an online option. She offers her classes in San Diego as well as Temecula. Having dabbled in wine and tasted wine in parts of CA/Mexico/parts of Europe for at least 5 years my knowledge alone was enough to skip L1 plus for the cost of the class (~$300) I would rather spend on wine club allocations. So I decided to start at L2. If you are not sponsored by your employer the cost is around ~$700 for L2 and ~$1300 for L3 and if you are taking the online portion you'll also have to purchase your wines separately. While you could also skip L2 and go straight to L3 in theory many people have advised to at least take L2 to get used to the WSET testing style and to also get used to the "systematic approach to tasting", which is essential if you want to pass the L3 tasting portion of the exam (L2 is only a 50-question multiple choice exam). Plus Lindsay does have a discount for L3 students who have taken her previously for L2. Lindsay was an awesome instructor who has such passion for wine and has a lot of experience gaining that knowledge from all over the world. She does have a propensity to go slightly off topic to talk about her travels but as a fellow traveler myself I actually enjoyed those anecdotes. But in the end I highly recommend to study off the WSET course material - after all it is the WSET that tests you at the end of the day. Even while handling a full time job and other activities I studied on an average a few hours a week. There was a miscommunication at the end regarding my exam date that I had specifically mentioned a month before in an email starting the class. While the original date wasn't honored she did work with me to schedule an alternate date to take the exam. Turns out that I did pretty well - got a 94% on the L2, which qualifies as a "Pass with Distinction". The best part about taking Lindsay's WSET classes? Getting introduced to wines that I have never heard of or tasted before. I thought I knew a little more about wine than the average consumer but this was before I had ever known about a carménère or tasted a meursault. Because of this class I consider those wines some of my most favorite wines along with the usual Paso or Valle suspects. For this specifically I am super grateful. Looking forward to taking the L3 with Lindsay in 2022 and will update this review as such to detail the L3 experience.

I've studied with Lindsay and taken many of her classes over the last year or two, including WSET 2…read moreand 3. No matter where you are on your journey to learn about wine, Lindsay always makes you feel great about your level of understanding. Lindsay is so encouraging, and her classes are so enjoyable, that you almost don't realize that you've also learned a ton! She has the highest level of certification available (Master of Wine), and within that certification, received the Bollinger Medal, which is awarded to one person each year for excellence in tasting and outstanding achievement! Lindsay is incredibly gifted at understanding wine, and sharing that knowledge. I'm so glad she is in San Diego.

One of my favorite spots for a glass of wine. They always start you off with a complimentary taste…read moreof one of their wines, it's a nice touch. The zinfandel is usually my go-to or I'll get the full bodied red flight. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable here and the atmosphere is inviting. I haven't tried any food yet but they offer small bites.

We were excited to find this tasting room when walking around La Jolla!…read more We came in about half an hour before it closed on Friday and received great service. Everyone working there was super friendly and attentive. We were greeted with a tasting of the rosé which we both really enjoyed and then I tried the lighter bodied red tasting and my friend tried the white wine tasting. Overall my favorites were the rosé and Pinot noir. The Chardonnay my friend had was also really good. Also love the sustainability aspects of it all being poured directly from the barrels.

We had such a great time at this wine tasting! The selection was fantastic--each pour was…read morethoughtfully chosen and perfectly complemented by the charcuterie board. The meats and cheeses were fresh, flavorful, and paired beautifully with the wines. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, and Betty was beyond amazing and informative. It felt like a fun, elevated experience without being pretentious. Definitely booking her for other events!

My wife and I are complete novices when it comes in wine. We know what we like, but we have not…read moreexplored much beyond the occasional bottle here and there. I contacted Betty to arrange a special wine tasting lunch for my wife's birthday. We included a couple that similarly are wine novices. Our goal was a nice visit to Temecula wine country and a beginner's level experience. We want someone to educate us and not talk down to us. Betty and her husband delivered! We had a fantastic experience under her guidance and learn some basics of wine tasting and pairing. Betty was genuine with her knowledge sharing and we never felt talked down to. The facility for the event was a very nice local Vinyard and we even got to meet the owner. It was picturesque and comfortable. We came away with a few bottles of wine and a desire to learn more with future events. Thanks, Betty!

If you love sandwiches like I love sandwiches, you've got to try Smallgoods!…read more Located in La Jolla, there's plenty of street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. Overall, a really walkable area! Walking in, it's clear that their sandwiches are a crowd favorite from all the awards on the walls. Dubbed as "La Jolla's Most Popular," I went with their California Turkey & Cheese. It features a long list of things: California Swiss + SoCal Turkey + Granny Smith Apple + Cucumber + Micro & Mixed Greens + Local Mustard + Smoked Padron Jam + Mayo. I absolutely adore when sandwiches have a splash of fruit or jam in them. It's so underrated! I brought it to the water to enjoy and it made for the perfect beach sandwich. Light, flavorful, and filling- I was the envy of every seagull with this beaut haha. I will be returning to try their long menu of what sounds like incredible combos all around!

I got to try Smallgoods last week, and it was fantastic…read more Parking was scarce, but we parked down the street and walked over. We were greeted by a friendly staff member. It was our first stop on a mystery picnic experience. We had our to go order waiting for us, it was a fantastic Charcuterie board. It had cheeses, meats, fruits, and it was delicious. The ingredients were high quality. It is small and cozy inside, and outside they have a few tables with umbrellas and a rocking bench.

Went for a birthday celebration. Teri was so knowledgeable and helpful and we had a great time not…read morejust making a pasta dish and desert but chatting and enjoying the experience! Food was great and our group learned a lot about things we thought we were doing correctly for so long (knife skills, tips, tricks). I would highly recommend those with very basic cooking skills or even people that cook quite a bit to get *at least* one class with Teri. I will likely be back for another in the near future!

I don't have enough good things to say about Chef Teri! I contacted her to inquire about doing a…read moreteam event with my direct reports, and she came to my house to do a cooking lesson with 7 of us. Everyone had the best time, and the food was incredible. Chef Teri was super responsive from my first email, and she made the booking process easy. I had my team peruse sample menus on the Eatsies site, and we landed on grilled flatbreads with homemade ricotta and strawberry napoleon. The grilled flatbreads can be done with figs, but they weren't in season, so Chef Teri instead showed us how to make the delicious Piatti's garlic dip. Chef arrived with everything we needed (all ingredients as well as equipment). She started off the class by showing us some basic knife skills, and she shared good stories, tips, and tricks throughout the entire lesson. She was great about ensuring each of us got to try out every step so that we would really learn how to make each recipe. The combo of the grilled flatbread with the homemade ricotta (SO good!) and the garlic dip (almost like a chimichurri) was scrumptious! The strawberry napoleon was fun to assemble, beautiful, and delicious. That vanilla lemon whipped cream was *chef's kiss! We all got to enjoy the fruits of our labor right then, and we had some leftovers to send home with people. I think each of us have already made at least one of the recipes again already. The garlic dip is also an excellent marinade on any kind of meat. The entire experience was just perfect. Teri is incredibly fun and engaging, she makes recipes and techniques easy to understand and execute on, and the final product was so good. We will absolutely do more with Chef Teri in the future, and I would recommend Eatsies to everyone!

Best day ever! Highly recommend this tour! My family visiting from the South requested that we do…read morea wine tour. We had such a great time.

they communicated with me from the time I booked the tour. They delivered a great tour. Very…read moreattentive. would book with them again!

They have a pretty interesting selection of whiskeys, and the owner was very helpful in picking out…read moresomething fun. Unfortunately, I discovered that the bottle I picked had a bad cork after I got home. Dicks made it right and in a very hassle-free way! I was able to return the bottle and exchange it for something else. The only reason for 4/5 instead of 5/5 is that their prices aren't the best. The prices are not crazy bad, like some other places in the area, but they aren't really competitive either.

You can't do better for service and knowledge than Dick's Liquor! I hope they will always be here…read more The help is stellar - Nathan and Tommy are a delight to work with and they were more than happy to navigate a difficult delivery - at the Holidays no less! Thank you!

Such a fun time! Booked the private party bus/wine tour for my friend's 21st birthday and we had so…read moremuch fun! Our groups ages ranged from 21-62 and everyone loved it. It was nice to visit wineries near us without having to worry about multiple Ubers or designated drivers. Would absolutely book again!

Steve was great at coordinating our wine tasting day for a party of 16. He chose three wineries and…read morethey were great selections. The only part I would do next time for such a large group is request longer than 4 1/2 hours booking because it was really hard to get all of our tastings done at each winery. Louie was an excellent driver and made sure he checked us in, seated us and told us how much time we had left. He was a safe driver and dealt with our music and singing on the way back to our rental.

Quality food with attentive and helpful services…read more The wait staff took care of us, a party of 14 people, without feeling the pressure of ordering extra. A nice group lunch! Will come back with family for dinner.

A longtime favorite for the downstairs wine store and tasting program, and for business lunches and…read moredinners. Warm, comfortable atmosphere. A variety of starters and entrées to choose from. On our most recent visit, with another couple, we had a few hiccups with the service. The wine and bussing service were excellent. But we had to flag down the waiter to bring a missing salad after a lengthy delay. We started with an escargot appetizer ($18) with tarragon and basil compound butter, which didn't match the traditional garlic butter recipe in most restaurants. The snails weren't terrific, either. The Strawberry Caprese was a hit, and it was also $18. For entrées, the pan-seared scallops ($43) were the favorite. Followed by the chicken with seasonal vegetables ($36), then the duck (two ways, $39), confit and roasted, with the roasted being a bit dry, and a decent Madeira sauce. A couple at the next table praised the peppercorn steak, an 8-ounce ribeye, for $48.

We recently visited Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe, and Baja Winery Tours provided all…read moretransportation and wine tours for our trip. There were 7 of us on the trip, and everyone had a fantastic time in no small part due to the effort that Joaquin, Marleny, and our drivers (Abel, Edgar, and Carlos) put into making our experience very special. Working with Joaquin to plan the trip was seamless and straightforward. He provided extremely useful information, and when our trip approached he and Marleny finalized the itinerary and provided us with concise yet very important information on how to cross the border and meet our driver. I had never crossed the border on foot, but it was pretty seamless. It's about a 1.5 - 2 hour drive from the border to Ensenada, and I didn't feel comfortable doing that drive on my own, so having Baja Winery Tours provide transportation was essential and eliminated the stress of getting around. Baja Winery Tours set up all the reservations at wineries and restaurants in Valle de Guadalupe. The wineries we visited were on point, and the food was absolutely spectacular. I was glad that we were able to have everything arranged, and be high quality, without having to do a ton of research. On our last full day, our dinner ran a little long and then we hit a bit of traffic getting back to the hotel. Our driver handled these issues with grace and full understanding. I would highly recommend having Baja Winery Tours provide all the logistics and travel if you're planning on visiting the area. Everyone there worked really hard to make sure we have a blast, and I look forward to coming back soon.

My friends and I had the best time ever on a private excursion with Baja Winery Tours, everything…read morewas incredibly professional from start to finish. The pricing was super reasonable for the amount of travel time and top-tier service we received, and we felt completely safe the entire time in Baja. The wineries were beautiful, the food was amazing, and the whole day was seamless thanks to our driver Daniel -- if you book, definitely request him! I 1000% recommend Baja Winery Tours we're already planning our next one!