wine recommendations in San Diego

[Kipling]

Hi,
We are planning on taking a few bottles of white wine on board Veendam at the end of this month. Know nothing about Californian wines so can anyone recommend some moderately priced whites? And where to get them in San Diego?
Also it is a Saturday, and Halloween----is that a problem so far as shops being open?
Cheers

[CowPrincess]

We purchased wine at RiteAid (a drug store :) ) and were impressed with the selection and price. We got a couple of bottles of Beringer Founder's Estate reds, and were VERY pleased with them. If I recall correctly, wine could not be purchased before 10 a.m. There's also a drugstore in Horton Plaza that sells wine, but we didn't care for the selection. We stayed at the Westgate (????) hotel, right downtown, near the dock, and the RiteAid was within easy walking distance.... maybe 4 blocks or so.

We've found Beringer to be pretty reliable at any price point, in red and white.

[Tokyo Carolyn]

We cruised out of San Diego last year and bought some great wines at Tango Wines, in the Little Italy neighborhood, on India Street. www.tangowine.com
We stayed at the Holiday Inn across from the cruise port, and didn't have any trouble strolling from the wine shop back to the hotel (but a short taxi ride, too). The manager made some great recommendations in a reasonable price range.

[Ichiban Nekko]

Hi,
We are planning on taking a few bottles of white wine on board Veendam at the end of this month. Know nothing about Californian wines so can anyone recommend some moderately priced whites? And where to get them in San Diego?
Also it is a Saturday, and Halloween----is that a problem so far as shops being open?
Cheers

We went to Ralph's (a large supermarket) at Horton Plaza and found a varied selection (from 'plonk in a box' to 'beyond our wallet';)). Our memory is that they had wines not only from CA, but other states in the USA, Australia/NZ, Europe & South America. We were at the Rite-Aid for other purchases and -- just our personal opinion here -- didn't feel the selection was anywhere near as extensive. Like Australia, the wine industry in the USA (not just California) is huge.

If we have time in December, we will check out Tango; otherwise, we will return to Ralph's before boarding the Zaandam.

Here is a link with a map for Ralph's: http://services.ralphs.com/MapQuest/storedetails.aspx?recordId=70300123

Hallowe'en should not present a problem with stores being open.

We also stayed at the Holiday Inn on the Bay. We walked our bags across the street to the ship and look forward to repeating the process in less than two months.

In any event, have a wonderful cruise!:D

[casavaha]

These two shops are within walking distance of the pier.

The Wine Bank, 363 Fifth Ave. 619 234-7487 www.sdwinebank.com

Costplus World Market 372 4th Ave. www.worldmarket.com

Both these shops have a fantastic selection of wines. I could be here all day talking

about California Wines. Better you spend some time at these shops.

Also, if you run out, Walmart in Puerta Vallarta has a very good selection of

Chile and Argentina wines.

Greg

[LMB01]

We were in San Diego last year on Halloween. No problems purchasing wine. The partying did not really get started until after dark. We stayed in the Gaslamp district. I can't remember the name of the wine store in the area - it is well know and carries a large variety of wine.

[CRUZBUDS]

normal alcohol hours in California are between 6:00 and 2:00 am - Sometimes the ABC (Dept of Alcohol Beverage Control) imposes shorter hours on business that have had issues.

Call to confirm, but most will be should be 6 to 2.

I tried the buy a bottle for a Christmas gift one morning around 7:00 AM on my way to work. It was a major chain supermarket that happend to be near San Diego State. They weren't vigilant enough on I.D.s so they couldn't sell before 8:00AM.

[CRUZBUDS]

The Gaslamp in San Diego would be a blast on Halloween!

We'll be in Kauai - which will also be nice :D

[Kipling]

Thanks for so many helpful replies. I expected no less on such an important topic!
Cheers
Kipling

[New Jersey Pat]

We did very well at the Wine Bank. Walked up there from the cruise terminal. My husband told them the kind of wine we drink and gave them our price range. Within 20 minutes we had 18 bottles (it was a 36 day cruise) and grabbed a taxi back to the ship. We were very pleased with the selection.

[SuperTrooper00]

One of my favorite white wines out here is a Riesling. It is made by Firestone Winery (yes, from Andrew Firestone fame). It is delicious and can be found at many grocery stores and Drugstores. Enjoy!