Food & Wine USA - (10)October 2020

OCTOBER 2020 85

In California, the blending of Mexican and American cultures is most notably experienced through food. Because our workforce

during harvest swells with Latino workers, there is a joy that comes from embracing traditional Mexican cooking. On busy days, we

eat tacos or quesadillas with fresh cheese and homemade tortillas; when things slow down, we eat a whole pig or its parts. A bottle

of POV, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon from Robert Sinskey, slides in for a home run with a piping hot

forkful of pork pulled from the pan. We work all year long in the vineyards and winery, so cooking a meal near the end of the season

is the perfect way to celebrate a finished harvest while looking forward to next year’s. (See p. 89 for the recipe.)

Crisped in a pan to finish, this slow-cooked

pork shoulder mimics carnitas cooked solely

in fat. Bone-in meat has much more flavor, but

boneless works well and cooks in less time.

WINEMAKER’S CARNITAS TACOS California, United States