Invite your family and friends to enjoy an unforgettable fiesta atop the Rockpile AVA. Your group of 20, hosted by Clay Mauritson, will tour the historic Rockpile Ridge Vineyard, taste critically-acclaimed wines and enjoy authentic, slow-cooked Carnitas. Your day begins with a welcome reception, tour and tasting at Mauritson Winery before you head up the ridge to the sweeping vistas of the Rockpile AVA. Learn more about the history of the Maurtison family and this unique appellation during your tour and tasting at Rockpile Ridge Vineyard.

While you enjoy acclaimed wines amidst the vines, Mauritson Cellar Master Adrian Reyes will be simmering pork in the cazo, a traditional Michoacán copper pot, and sharing his family recipe for Carnitas. Michoacán is famous across Mexico for its Carnitas, and people there have been preparing the dish in their traditional way for generations.

The Michoacán technique for cooking Carnitas is surprisingly simple – all you need is fresh pork, lard, salt, water and a copper cazo (thick-bottomed pot), said to better conduct heat for even cooking, ultimately giving the Carnitas a more intense flavor. The complexity of the dish comes from the chefs’ mastery of heat and the order in which pig parts are cooked. Learn all the family secrets and get ready to enjoy your Carnitas fiesta luncheon, complete with all the fixings and hand-made tortillas.

When you descend, with your own copper cazo in hand, you’ll be ready to host fiestas for years to come!

Dates to be mutually agreed upon. Transportation to Rockpile Ridge Vineyard not included.