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This is a weekend trip for adults (21 and up) only. We will start early Saturday morning in the San Bernardino Mountains for a day of 4-wheeling. The trails will be challenging - ranging from Forest Service rating of "more difficult". Bring a picnic lunch and a folding chair for a relaxing lunch in the cool forest. Then plan on camping Saturday night with a roaring fire while you grill a steak* (or what ever you prefer) and we perform our own campfire taste test of the excellent wines from one of California's fine wine regions. On Sunday morning be ready early for a short Black Diamond trail (optional) before we break camp and head home.

This year we will explore Rhone style red wine blends from Australia, France, Spain and California. What does this mean to the taster? Big jammy cuvee blends! You will experience tastes of blueberries, black plum and alluring floral aromas that are followed by black and blue fruit flavors. Our wine choices are delicious blends of Syrah, Grenache and Mouvedre and recognized as some of the best on the market in the moderate price range.

We will also explore a white wine comparison of a fine French Chardonnay vs a fine California Chardonnay. Same grape, different regions, different climates, different tastes. Our wine master will lead us through the process of tasting each wine, providing background on the winery itself and words that may describe what you taste. We expose you to a highly rated wine, you determine if you like it, we help you analyze why.

The Saturday trails will be 3.0 to 3.5 (on a 5 scale). Sunday's trail will be a bit more difficult - likely a 4.0. A 3.5 rating is defined as - Roads in difficult terrain; expect to drag front, rear, or middle occasionally. Excellent stock truck or utility vehicle required, with considerable driving skill needed.

You need a street legal, insured 4WD with a low range transfer case. You must have at least one tow hook (or tow point) on the front and one on the rear. You need a CB radio (hand held will work) and no side steps. Recommended items include a tow strap (no metal hooks on the ends), a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, and a HI-lift jack. All vehicles can expect some "pin striping" from the trail side bushes. Due to the difficulty level of the trails, there is always a risk of vehicle damage.

The price includes one or 2 people per vehicle , a full day of 4-wheeling, wine tasting Saturday night plus camping Friday (optional) and Saturday night. There is a separate charge for each extra passenger (beyond the driver and the 1st passenger). Contact us for details if you expect to bring additional passengers. If you prefer not to camp, an option is to make a hotel reservation for Friday and Saturday night in one of the area hotels. Then if you arrive late Friday night there is no bother of setting up camp in the dark. In the morning it will be a leisurely drive to our departure point. You should make hotel reservations soon in that case. We will send you a link to the hotels with your confirmation notice.

There is no alcohol allowed on the trail not even with lunch. Bring a cooler full of water and soda. We will have ample time in the evening to perform our own campfire taste test of some fine wines. Yea, We know they don't have a lot of vineyards in the Big Bear area! But they have great 4-wheeling trails. And since we can't visit the vineyards anyway (and still drive) it makes sense (kind of) to bring the wine to where we wheel.

* meals are not included in the fee.