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.

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!

We bought my parents cooking classes for their 50th anniversary and couldn't be happier with this…read moredecision! What a unique and memorable experience this was! Teri was incredibly accommodating with the scheduling and menu options. We learned new tricks, and also things we had been doing wrong forever! What an eye opener when you think you know how to cook. Teri is warm, intelligent and funny - and provided a great experience that we will forever cherish. Highly recommend.

We attended a 60th birthday party wine tour. Eddie was our host/driver! He was pleasant, helpful…read moreand welcomed us to have a great time. The van was fully decorated, and champagne served and music on. Our first stop Maurice Carie, Tasted wines, enjoyed a great live band, charcuterie, and a fabulous pastry,baked Brie. Eddie showed us the Barrel Room and shared some information about the barrels. Our next step was Lorimar winery, we enjoyed wine, live music, the outdoor patio was packed with people having a great time. The air was chilly, but they had heaters for comfort. They served a buffet meal which was quite delicious and generous! Our server at Lorimar made herself available for anything we needed. Eddie, our driver even fetched our sweaters when we needed them. This was event first class, fun, and no hassle. We all had a great time! The only challenge, which is typical at public events, long bathroom line for the women at Lorimar. This place was rockin' and with music and dancing!

Did this tour yesterday and when I tell you a time was HAD! Ray and his team were EVERYTHING!…read moreThe bus was decorated super cute. He had welcome champagne. Ray was Awesome. He made sure that we were taken care of at every stop. He took pictures and just made us feel special. I can't say enough about this tour. A must do and I will definitely be booking it again. Thank you Ray! You guys Rock!

Oh man hands down best liquor store I've ever been in Great…read moreservice very friendly I've never seen so many exotic / special edition bottles great place 10/10 Will be going 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.

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.

I couldn't be happier supporting such a cozy and community oriented business…read more My partner visited the evening before with his buddy for happy hour. He brought me back and they immediately remembered him and addressed him by his name. The menu was amazing. We curated our own tasting experience, had wine pairings and tried some of their cocktails too! Vidal - our server was instrumental to our elevated dining experience. We met the head chef Anthony and one of the owners Lisa. Everything was exceptional in taste. I can't wait to bring a friend or two to try more menu items. We signed up for the wine membership too, bc it just made sense.

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.

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!

To the owner who wrote me back in regards to my review I did read the website and check my sources…read morebefore reserving to go on your tour. On your website it indicates, 6 PERSON MINIMUM! Tour runs after we get a total of 6 signups. However what I was referring to was the email I received which stated " You're reservation for Public Taste of Baja Tour on Saturday, July 1, 2023 for 2 tickets has been cancelled. If you have any questions feel free to call 619-535-9994 or email bookings@bajawinerytours.com." Before assuming your customers are not reading the information on your business site, make sure you take the time to ask questions to understand exactly what they are referring to. The condescending annotation in your reply is another reason why I would never go on this tour. Edit: you could have said what you updated your message with in the beginning rather than making it seem as if your customers did not read the information that was given on your site. All explanations would have been cleared up then, however you wanted to come and try to reiterate the message as if their was a lack of clarity.