Sonoma Wine and Mexican Street Food a Perfect Pairing at Upcoming Event

11 west county wineries will be pairing their wines with Mexican street food at the Summer Solstice Tasting at Mitote Food Park in Roseland.


When pairing wine with fish tacos, what works better — a minerally sauvignon blanc or a crisp rosé? Is a buttery chardonnay right for a carnitas tlayuda?

Whether such burning questions have crossed your mind (or not), 11 west county wineries will guide tasters toward some definitive personal preferences at the Summer Solstice Tasting at Mitote Food Park in Roseland from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 23.

Organizer Barb Gustafson of Taste West County, a collection of boutique wineries in the Russian River Valley, came up with a plan to pair Mexican street food with local wine after meeting Octavio Diaz, the owner and founder of the permanent food truck park.

After a subsequent trip to Mitote, she found the ideal pairing for seafood dishes like ceviche was with a great local muscat. Gustafson said everything she and her husband ordered sparked a new possible pairing combination.

Chicken, vegetables and rice with red mole from the Maria Machetes food truck at the Mitote Food Park in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Chicken, vegetables and rice with red mole from the Maria Machetes food truck at the Mitote Food Park in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
A bottle of Emeritus Vineyards Hallberg Blanc pinot noir in Sebastopol, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
A bottle of Emeritus Vineyards Hallberg Blanc pinot noir in Sebastopol, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
The Empanadas at Mami’s Panuchos in the Mitote Food Truck Lot along Sebastopol Ave in Roseland October 18, 2022. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
The Empanadas at Mami’s Panuchos in the Mitote Food Truck Lot along Sebastopol Ave in Roseland October 18, 2022. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

Wineries participating in the special tasting event include DRNK, Dutton-Goldfield, Emeritus Vineyards, Furthermore Wines, Halleck Vineyard, Joseph Jewell, Marimar Estate, Martin Ray Winery, Paul Mathew Vineyards, Pellegrini-Olivet Lane, Purple Pachyderm and Red Car Wine.

A curated selection of wines and dishes will be offered at the tasting, including ceviche, quesabirria, tacos, molotes, sopes and more.

Tickets for the event are $60 per person, available at eventbrite.com or tastewestcounty.com. Mitote is at 665 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, mitotefoodpark.com.