Inaugural OC Meets Napa & Baja! at Mission San Juan Capistrano

The inaugural OC Meets Napa & Baja! food and wine tasting event will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at Mission San Juan Capistrano. This is an addition to AltaMed’s premier fundraiser, East LA MeetsNapa, which will be celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. OC Meets Napa & Baja! will feature wines from wineries in Baja and Napa’s own Mexican American Vintner Association (MAVA). The event will also include food from top Latin OC restaurants, live music, an exclusive wine auction, and a few entertaining surprises.

The event is currently sold out, but here’s a sneak peek at some the items they will be serving:

Chef Daniel Godínez, of Anapalco’s Café, will be serving up Malbec Oyster with a Sea Salt Lime Raspado. The oyster was beautifully presented atop ice with sea stones. The oyster is sweet and creamy. The sea salt lime raspado adds a salty and acidic balance to the oyster. Rating: 4.3/5

• Pair this with 2013 Mario Bazán Sauvignon Blanc. Tasting notes: Tropical aromatics; crisp nectarine and melon on the palate.

Chef Daniel will also serve a Beet Panna Cotta. The panna cotta is a beautiful deep purple. It is slightly sweet and creamy with flan-like texture. The addition of marshmallow crème and coconut are expertly paired with sweet, creamy, and nutty flavors. Rating: 4.3/5

Chef Rogelio Martinez, of Casa Oaxaca Restaurant, will serve a Rose Petal Sorbet Palate Cleanser. The sorbet was beautifully presented in rose petals like an offering to the gods. The sorbet had a sweet rose aroma. It had a sweet, light rose flavor that works well to cleanse the palate. The pecans adds a crisp texture like the crunch you would get from a cone. Rating: 4.5/5

Chef Rogelio will also serve Flor de Calabasa Tempura. It is a fried squash blossom atop huitlacoche sauce. The squash blossom is light and elegant. The huitlacoche sauce resembles a rich, dark truffle sauce with a chile kick. Rating: 4.8/5

Chef Leo Razo, of Villa Roma, will serve Filet Mignon and Langoustines in a Red Wine Demi Glace. The filet mignon was a little dry. It needed more demi glace or fat (like wrapped in bacon) to keep it juicy. Fresh corn or asparagus would have been a better accompaniment than mashed potatoes. The langoustines on the interior were cooked perfectly with a good snap to them. Rating: 3.3/5

The lucky ticket holders this year will have a grand time with fantastic food and brilliant wine. You can enjoy the creative foods by trying these Orange County Restaurants: Anepalco’s, Casa Oaxaca Restaurant, and Villa Roma.

For more information:

OC Meets Napa &Baja!