Romantic Danube River Cruise, April 6-13, 2026, with Linda & Mike McWilliams of San Pasqual Winery

San Pasqual Winery
Linda and Mike McWilliams

Linda and Mike McWilliams are the owners and proprietors of San Pasqual Winery located in La Mesa, California, with tasting rooms in La Mesa and San Diego’s famed Seaport Village.

Originally from the Chicago area, we attended the University of the Pacific and then completed graduate school at San Diego State University. Upon graduation, we embarked on our professional careers, Linda serving as a school speech pathologist and Mike employed as an industrial psychologist. Our venture into the wine industry began in 2009 when we purchased San Pasqual Winery – San Diego’s first urban winery – as a “retirement” project.

After going back to school to earn her Certificate in Winemaking from UC Davis, Linda became our full-time winemaker. In addition to managing winemaking operations, Linda served two terms as president of the San Diego County Vintners Association. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Wine Institute and is the founding director of the San Diego/Riverside County Viticulture Apprenticeship Program. When not assisting Linda in the cellar, Mike focusses on business and marketing activities for the winery.

San Pasqual wines are hand-crafted in small lots using grapes sourced from local vineyards and renowned viticulture regions throughout California. We currently produce about 2500 cases a year that are sold directly from our tasting rooms and through our “Friends of San Pasqual” wine club. This direct-to-customer approach reflects our philosophy of enjoying the people who enjoy our wine.

The wines are consistent award winners in local, state, and international competitions. Our Riesling, Albariño, and Cabernet Franc were recently awarded gold or double gold medals from the San Francisco Chronicle. Other award-winning varietals on our current wine list include Chardonnay, Rosé of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Teroldego, Tempranillo, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We also produce several passionfruit-based wines, including our hottest seller that’s fermented with Habanero chili peppers.

We invite you to join us aboard AmaVerde, a wonderful river ship, for a cruise down the Blue Danube, from Vilshofen Bavaria to Budapest Hungary. Aboard AmaVerde, we will conduct two tasting lectures and one paired dinner aboard the ship, using our own San Diego County wines and selected European wines from Austria, Germany and Hungary.

You can also enjoy:

3 NIGHTS IN PRAGUE There’s also a highly recommended 3-night pre-cruise tour of delightful Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, a beautiful city never destroyed during WWII.

2 NIGHTS IN BUDAPEST A 2-night post-cruise land tour to better explore amazing Budapest, to better experience some wonderful sights and attractions not included in the cruise program.

Join us! We look forward to seeing you in Prague.

Mike & Linda McWilliams Owners & Winemakers