male announcer: Folks, today in "Crossing South," we visit a hip place for food and spirits in del Valle.

As well as a quintessential boutique winemaker, and it's all coming to you now.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Jorge Meraz: So, in a past episode we visited Ojá, which is the vision of Chef Javier Caro.

Today, we visit his other place right across the highway.

A place where people of all sorts go for food, for spirits.

And for one of the most recognizable photo ops in del Valle.

The place is called La Justina del Valle.

Jorge: Okay, so we drove across the highway and it turns out, right across, you have La Justina.

Javier Caro: How's that?

Jorge: We did a La Justina show on Revolution Avenue many years ago.

Javier: Like 9-8 years ago.

Jorge: Yeah, is that your place too?

Javier: That's where the dream started.

So, that started 10 years ago, we just had our anniversary last Saturday.

Jorge: People would tell me, you know, "Hey, go to La Justina."

I'm like, "I already went."

We did a show, look at it."

"No, no, no, no, not that one, Valle."

I'm like, "So, are they different?"

They're like, "You have to check it out."

That's why we're here, my friend.

That's why we're here.

Javier: Thank you, I appreciate it, welcome to La Justina.

Hope you like this place.

Jorge: Explain to me why you need a second place, especially so close to Ojá, La Justina Valle.

What's the deal?

Javier: Well, because it's not the same place.

I believe Ojá has its own charm.

You know, it's all about more of the feel of the dirt and then the feel of whole ancestrals and you know that kind of Indiana Jones feel that--what we felt over there.

But La Justina, it's this kind of restaurant it's a little bit more on a fun side, you know.

Before you go in the morning to see all these amazing vineyards, amazing wine tastings, amazing caves, all that.

And then I just want a place where you can come and have fun at night, you know.

Just have a great food.

I did--it's a--La Justina is a gastro pub, you know.

So, I focus a lot on mixology, I focus a lot on good spirits.

And then I focus a lot on good food too.

So, that's cucumber, tequila, citrus, and a lot of smoke with good vibes.

Jorge: Oh, I can taste the good vibes.

I can taste the good vibes.

This is a good drink.

So, you recommend someone in del Valle, like they've done the wine tastings in the morning, they've done the amazing array, including yours of fine restaurants in del Valle.

You want a place for a nightcap to end the night, to have like some nice mixology, and listen to some music and stuff.

Justina place here, you know.

Javier: I think Justina is a great spot to come enjoy a good scenery of all these wine, all these vineyards.

I think we have an amazing well kept vineyard.

That's cool about it, you know.

People come and say, "Wow, I see a place where you sell not only wine, but you sell mixology.

But actually your vineyards are very well kept.

Well, it's all about having everything well done, you know, because I know that you like it, I know people really come for it.

So, at the end of it I believe you have to make stuff the right way, you know, always.

Javier: So, it's a whiskey sour, ala strawberry, right?

Oh wow, this is so flavorful.

So, it's Afro whiskey made on a sour way.

Jorge: A little more on the bitter, sour side, right?

What is the foamy on top?

Javier: That foam it's actually that egg whites.

Jorge: Egg whites, wow.

I could make an omelet with this.

Javier: Of course you could.

Jorge: We were talking to some guys from Europe, you know, winemakers and so on, people in the wine industry.

And I was asking them like--they were from France, from Spain, from all these different places.

And I'm like, "Tell me the truth, what do you think del Valle?

And he's--they're like, "Okay, your wines are young for sure.

There's no way your wines are gonna compete with our stuff, but the combination of the scenery you have, you know, Tuscany style scenery, the wines are good enough where, when you combine them with the food pairings that you guys have, the type of produce, freshness of seafood, like, all the ingredients you have, you have a world class experience that we can only dream of having.

You guys have something we don't have," so, just know that.

Your wines alone are young, yeah, but the wine pairing experience with the environment you're in, you have a world class experience.

Javier: And Jorge, to be honest, I believe have so much chef friends here that have restaurants and vineyards.

And everyone has something special, you know, there's so much amazing quality on food.

And chefs that create so many beautiful tastes, you know, with raw stuff.

And it's just as simple as--I'm not saying it's very simple to make a dish, but I'm--but it's so good the flavor of our protein of what we have around us that it makes it easier for us, chefs, to really create something special for you guys.

So, please come by and taste a lot of my friends's restaurants, you'll love it.

Jorge: Yeah folks, you start with delicious Mexican cuisine, you add family traditions, pour in some cooking stuff from other states, mixing a generation full of culinary school grads, put them all together into a region with top notch produce.

This is the result.

Jorge: So, what style is this?

Javier: We always try to--exactly.

We always try to make something kind of interesting hobby wise.

And I think we gotta put a little flavor always on my restaurants, and this is one of them, man.

Remember something, you always look good.

Jorge: You look good today--.

Javier: Gonna check that out, remember?

Jorge: Looking good.

Javier: Of course.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Javier: It's always about looking good, man.

Jorge: You're making your clients feel good, right?

Javier: They do, they always look good here.

Jorge: Hey, you're worth it.

Javier: Thank you so much.

They're worth it.

They're worth it.

So, the you look good thing is that, when my brother was building and painting everything in La Justina Revolution, the guy that put the mirrors on the restrooms, he didn't show up the opening day.

So, my brother grabbed a canvas, put on the floor, and he just wrote, "You look good," put it on top, and he's like, "That's my new."

Jorge: Somebody shows up in the bathroom, "Wait, wait, I look good.

I don't need to do anything, I look good."

Javier: And then that's been 10 years all over the walls and now it's in the vineyards and yeah.

Jorge: This place is normally a place to wind down, maybe somebody already ate.

But still they may wanna munch on something, right?

Javier: Yeah, yeah, remember I was talking about the bluefin tuna we have local here.

That it's amazing, it's flown to Japan, everything.

Well, we got this bluefin tuna.

We got some avocado in the sauce, we got some cucumber.

Well, you'll first go with this.

Jorge: Pay attention, folks, this is how the chef himself is literally mounting.

Javier: You put some of this amazing otoro bluefin tuna that is amazing.

Then we go a little bit with the cucumber right here, yeah.

Jorge: You see, I knew I was doing it, right?

I always like to honor the chef--.

Javier: Then we do some chili sauce on the pipettes.

Jorge: So, that's like a pipette?

Javier: Some soy sauce.

It's more like a ponzu that we do.

We do some olive oil that's local from the olive trees around us.

Jorge: You put your base--your avocado guacamole base, right?

Spread it, spread it nice and good.

Otoro bluefin tuna, it's the belly of the bluefin tuna?

Javier: Yep, little cucumber on top.

Then we'll throw a little bit of this chili on the pipette.

Jorge: All right, the spiciness.

Javier: Little bit of this ponzo sauce that we do here.

Jorge: A little bit of the tangy.

Javier: Then we'll do this olive oil local.

Jorge: Little viscosity there.

Javier: Del Valle, let's try it, hey.

Jorge: Cheers.

Javier: That's a good tuna, right?

Jorge: Such a good tuna.

Taste like a butter.

It's like butter, right?

Javier: Local, beautiful and-- stuff.

Jorge: Good to have my friend.

Javier: Thank you.

Jorge: "Crossing South" folks, don't go anywhere, more coming your way.

We are spending our time here with Javier Caro, the man, the myth, the legend.

And keep looking good, all right?

Jorge: That sign, friends, there, is one of the most popular photo ops with them youngins.

Influencers, college kids, young professionals, and just people having fun, they just love this place.

Javier: We got you some little exotic drinks, right?

We got you a gin right here, clarificado.

And then here, we got a smoked fashion.

It's an old fashioned our way.

This is cherrywood.

Jorge: Cherrywood.

Javier: Cherrywood, little bitter, a little of the brown sugar, whiskey, and there we go.

And this is whiskey sour.

Jorge: Dude you're hitting like the type of drinks that I like, literally.

I don't know if it's a coincidence or not.

Did you research me or something?

Oh, I'm just kidding.

Javier: Then just a little last but not least, tongue tacos.

Jorge: More tongue, okay.

Javier: So, tongue tacos.

I know it sounds kind of weird, but believe me, it's like this juicy, flavorish, meaty taste.

Trust me, you'll like it.

Jorge: Oh, it's fantastic.

It's like getting ice cream with chocolate sprinkles.

I mean, only good things.

It's like peanut butter and chocolate for me.

Javier: Pretty interesting way to describe it.

Jorge: We're doing good, we're doing good, we're doing good.

Javier: It's a little more stronger.

It's gonna be pretty interesting to switch from that to this.

Jorge: Wow, yeah, it's a smoky flavor, very woodsy, and yeah.

Javier: The cherrywood blends that beautiful smoke, right?

Jorge: For sure, for sure it does, it does.

I mean, I'm still enjoying it right now and it's seconds after the drink.

Javier: And now we got the whiskey sour.

Jorge: I mean, isn't whiskey brownish?

How do you remove the color?

Well, it's a process called--it's a milk punch.

So, that's like the whole process how we take and that's how we clarify.

And it's all based on milk.

So, we put it like--it's a way you put on milk, then it separates and that's how it takes color away.

It's an awesome and it's an old school process too called a milk punch.

So, it's a milk punch sour whiskey.

Jorge: Man, all good drinks, man.

All good drinks.

Javier: And then you gotta remember the wine in Valle.

Jorge: I think I'm done with drinks for today.

I think I'm done with drinks for today.

So, with reluctancy, I'm gonna try the tongue you brought me.

I'm not a big tongue guy, but you know I'll do the honors, my friend.

I'll do the honors.

Javier: So, here we go.

We got homemade tortillas.

Jorge: So, let's put a little radish, little avocado on the mouthful.

Javier: A little bit of this salsa.

It'll give it a kick and I'll help you.

Jorge: Oh man, this is so good.

Javier: Not bad?

Jorge: No, it's so tender.

Javier: Thank you.

Jorge: Oh my goodness, I'm gonna have some more of this, this is so good.

Jorge: So, after finishing our day here at Javier's place, we move to a different side of del Valle.

This place really gonna show you the range of experiences that this region has to offer.

Sitara, what are you doing here in del Valle?

How long have you been here?

Sitara Pérez: I've been here 11 years and I'm a winemaker, so, we're in harvest right now.

I've got wines fermenting and--.

Jorge: Really?

Where did you learn your trade, winemaking?

Sitara: Actually, I learned it here.

Jorge: Oh, really?

Sitara: At La Escuelita, have you heard of that?

Jorge: Yeah, I've heard of that school.

Sitara: Our famous Escuelita.

Jorge: So, you came here 11 years ago and how soon into it did you go to the school?

Sitara: That very same year.

So, I came in 2012 and I was just kind of not sure what I was gonna do here.

I was kind of reinventing myself.

So, then I heard about the wine school.

I went and checked it out and all the bells and whistles went off in my head.

I was like--.

Jorge: Was it in Spanish or English school?

Sitara: It was in Spanish.

Jorge: And you speak Spanish?

Sitara: Yes, [speaking in foreign language].

Jorge: Oh, -- wow.

Sitara: My father was Mexican American.

My grandmother was born in Coahuila.

Jorge: Wow!

Talk to me about--you know, we went to the school, you know, how did you go like--okay, I'm gonna start making wine.

I mean, how did--how do you go from that to like your boutique.

Sitara: Yes, very boutique, very boutique.

Well, you know, I've always loved wine and that's why I moved to a wine valley and I wasn't really sure what I was gonna do, but I figured if I made wine, maybe I could make a living.

Jorge: And have you?

Sitara: Yes.

Jorge: Oh, fantastic, that's great to hear.

What kind of patrons are you getting?

What kind of people do you get normally in your place?

Sitara: Well, you know, we do get a lot of people from Mexicali and Tijuana.

But also from San Diego and Los Angeles.

Jorge: So, it's a combination of expats, tour--I mean foreigners, and locals.

Sitara: A lot, yes, a lot of locals, we really depend on local business, and a lot of Mexican Americans that come down who have history here and family here.

And they kinda go back and forth.

Jorge: Now, you're kind of hidden.

How do you get--let people know where you're at, you know?

It's a little bit of an entrance, right?

So, how are people finding you?

Sitara: Well, we are on Google Maps, which helps.

Jorge: Yeah, even though it kind of gets crazy, you know, coming close here, but yeah.

Sitara: Yeah, well, the roads are always crazy.

Come on, you know the roads here are terrible.

Jorge: It's part of the charm.

Sitara: It's part of the charm.

Jorge: Part of the charm.

Sitara: It's Baja, man.

Sitara: So, no, I mean, social media, you know, is primarily.

In the very beginning I started sort of blogging about my journey into the wine business.

And then that evolved to Facebook and Instagram and you know things like that.

Jorge: And people followed you?

Like you--who are following you in your blog?

Did they make the journey?

Sitara: Absolutely, yes, absolutely.

Jorge: Where are you from originally?

Sitara: Alaska.

Jorge: You're kidding, come on.

Sitara: Nope, so my dad, he was born in San Antonio, Texas, joined the Air Force, and they sent him to Elmendorf in Alaska where he met my mother, which is why I don't look very Mexican.

Jorge: Because your mother's side, yeah, yeah, okay.

All the way to Alaska, man.

And at what point did you make it to, you know, to this part?

Sitara: I grew up and went to school in the Seattle area.

Jorge: Okay, so, you--before you came to Baja, you were already like in--.

Sitara: The lower 48.

Jorge: The lower 48.

Sitara: And then I left, but I left the United States in 1998 and I went to Costa Rica.

And then I lived in Argentina, and Peru, and Ecuador before I moved here--.

Jorge: Oh, my goodness, you've been around.

What was it?

What was it that made you go from, you know, globetrotter, all these places in Latin America and "Hey, I'm gonna like shut off the engine, and glide in del Valle, and just call it a day there."

What was it?

Sitara: I finally found my vocation, my true love.

It's here, it's here.

Jorge: In no other place you had that like, opportunity to like, make wine like here.

That just presented itself, so cool.

Sitara: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it was wonderful.

It's been wonderful.

It's a passion product.

Jorge: Yeah, it's great to hear.

What did you do for a living?

Other than traveling, the gypsy life.

Sitara: In Costa Rica, I worked with live reptiles.

Jorge: What?

Explain that, please?

Sitara: My ex is a herpetologist.

Jorge: Oh my goodness.

Sitara: So, we had a huge reptile park and we bred live reptiles.

Jorge: What kind?

Sitara: Oh, my God, everything.

Pit vipers, you know, crocodilians, we had a Komodo dragon.

Jorge: Like Komodo, those are scary as heck.

Sitara: She was a pet.

Jorge: Oh, was she?

Sitara: Yeah, they're really smart, actually.

After that, I was in Buenos Aires.

And I worked for a Hungarian count who actually taught me a lot about wine.

Jorge: An actual count.

Sitara: An actual count.

In Peru, I bought art for a gallery in Calgary, Alberta.

And in Ecuador I was hired by the same man to look for property because he wanted to build a zero footprint community.

Jorge: Okay, so you've been all over.

I'm super surprised that you finally found a place that you're settling on.

But like you said, you found your dream calling, and it's here, and it's this.

You enjoyed the Baja life then.

Sitara: Oh yes, oh yes, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Yeah, I choose this place every day.

I wake up every day and I'm like, I'm so happy I'm in Baja.

Jorge: That's so cool.

Jorge: It truly speaks of del Valle when someone as cultured and world savvy as her, decides to permanently drop anchor here.

When a foreigner is respectful and appreciative of the people, culture, and region that they have adopted and have been adopted by, that whole environment is improved because all the lived experiences of the traveler are now part of this domain.

Jorge: What are you going for with this little hole in the wall that you've created for all kinds of people?

You know, it's got its own charm.

Tell me what your intention is, what your goal is.

Sitara: Well, the main thing is that people have a great experience, right?

So, we want them to enjoy the wine but also to feel at home.

So, it's kind of a family place, but we're kind of going for, what I would call, Rústico Chic.

Jorge: Rústico Chic?

Sitara: Yeah, Rústico Chic?

Jorge: You may have coined the term there, Sitara.

Sitara: It's one of our hashtags.

Jorge: Rústico Chic.

Sitara: Yeah, we do a lot of upcycling.

So, you see the fence with the black, that's irrigation hose.

Jorge: Oh, got it, that's recycling.

Sitara: Yeah, we do a lot of that kind of thing.

Jorge: Know what Sitara, talk to me about the wines.

What kind of wine are you preparing here?

Sitara: So, usually I almost always have a white wine and a rosé and several reds.

Okay, so I ran out of rosé, but we're in a new harvest, so I'm making a new rosé.

And I have a very aromatic, lovely, white wine.

And I make like a young, fruity, summery red and I make bigger, bolder reds as well.

Jorge: So, you are making like, you know, bold, you know, red wines, cabernet styles, merlots.

Sitara: Absolutely, yes.

Jorge: But you seem to also want like the floral, lighter, you know, rosé, chardonnay making as well, or--.

Sitara: Right now I'm not making chardonnay, but you know every harvest is different.

So, it depends on what grapes are available.

And also--yeah, so--.

Jorge: Is there a particular style that you feel that you're adding to your particular wine?

Sitara: Well, I like to think of myself as like a wine mother, and these are my babies.

And you know, when you have children, you just kind of want them to be the best version of themselves.

So, I feel like I do minimal intervention and just.

Jorge: Allow them to be what they're good at being--.

Sitara: Try to guide it into what it wants to be, yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jorge: As you can probably already tell, Sitara is a very unique woman.

From the decor of her place to the label designs on her bottles, how does her uniqueness translate to her wines though?

Only one way to find out.

Sitara: This is a 2017 cabernet.

And it says on here, [speaking in foreign language].

So, I released this wine for my 10th anniversary making wine, yeah.

Just a little taste, right.

Jorge: Am I smelling like fruits?

Like it is, right?

It's like.

Sitara: It's a lot of dark fruit.

Jorge: For sure, the smell is so pleasant.

You know, sometimes when the--some of the commercial brands, as soon as you smell it, even the alcohol is overbearing, right?

It's like a mule kick and this one isn't, this is.

Sitara: Right, it's very smooth.

Jorge: This is pleasant.

It is smooth.

Wow, good job, girl.

Sitara: Thank you.

Jorge: Just enough stringency where it's not like, you know, bland.

It's got like enough.

Sitara: Structure, it has structure but it's not aggressive.

Jorge: It's not aggressive, exactly.

You can misjudge and you know, not gauge how much you're having because it's so smooth.

Sitara: It's dangerous.

Jorge: Yeah, it's dangerous.

Sitara: But in a good way.

Jorge: It can sneak up on you because you're like, you know, it's just going down so smooth and whoa, wow, I've had to many too.

Sitara: Never, never, wash out your mouth with wine now.

Never, never too much.

Jorge: Hey, I like this, I like this, good job, good job.

Sitara: Thank you.

Jorge: And I always say like, girls have their own touch in how they design.

Can you tell me a little bit about your designs and what you're doing?

Sitara: There's other women making wine in the valley.

But all of them are just trying to look like the--what the men are doing.

And I was like, you know what?

I'm a lady.

So, I'm gonna put that on my labels, you know, right?

And also because I think wine should be fun, you know.

Like a little bit irreverent.

Jorge: Yeah, everyone wants to look like they're from Tuscany or from like, you know, Bordeaux, and we're in del Valle, right?

So, you gotta own the place you're from.

Sitara: Right, so this one is called La Vaquerita, which means the little cowgirl.

You know, we have a really strong equestrian community here.

So, I have La Vaquera, La Vaquerita, well.

Jorge: Very cowboyish.

Sitara: And then La Chula is for the Chulas.

Jorge: Yeah, the--like the cuties, right?

Sitara: The cuties, right.

Jorge: The pretty girls, fantastic.

Sitara: Yeah, absolutely, so La Flama Azul is our other project that I started with my husband where we take--.

Jorge: That's gin?

Sitara: This is a gin.

That's my recipe.

Jorge: You're making gin.

Sitara: I'm making gin.

Jorge: How are you making gin?

Sitara: Well, we have stills.

So, we take people's bad wine and then we distill it, and then we get it really high proofed and really pure.

We proof it down and then we, you know, we do our recipes with it.

Jorge: Oh my goodness.

Sitara: If you're a gin fan, I also make a black gin and there's only one other black gin in the world.

I became fascinated with it.

Jorge: So, does it make a difference, the flavor with the black gin from a clear gin?

Sitara: Yes, absolutely.

Jorge: I love gin to begin with.

Sitara: Yeah, so this one tastes like pirlo and a little bit of wild fennel.

And this one is made with Bergamot, you know, Earl Gray Tea, right?

And I also use a little bit of squid ink, local squid ink.

Jorge: You're kidding.

Sitara: No.

Jorge: That is such a unique drink.

Sitara: Yeah, it's got juniper in it as well.

You know, all gins have juniper, but yeah, it's a little bit different flavor.

We're the only distillery in Guadalupe Valley, and we make all of our distillates from wine.

It's very unique.

Jorge: That's fantastic, that's fantastic.

You're such an entrepreneur.

How's it doing?

Is it selling or not?

Sitara: We're doing well.

We can distribute all throughout Mexico.

Yes, yes, were not in the states, yet.

Jorge: Not in the states, yet.

If you want her special gin, folks, gotta cross South, right?

Sitara: Cross south.

Jorge: They gotta cross south.

Jorge: Well, Sitara I can honestly say you are the female equivalent of the most interesting man in the world.

I don't know if you ever saw that.

Sitara: That's pretty funny.

Jorge: But good job, good job.

You got a great project going.

Thank you for inviting us.

Sitara: Really appreciate it.

Jorge: We were happy to have found a small place like this and it has all the charm, and we're happy to be here.

Look at that, Sitara and her patrons, living the Baja life.

The confluence of circumstances that have led Sitara to this corner of the world could not be replicated even if you wanted to.

Sitara's journey to del Valle de Guadalupe is a testament to her love for the region and her dedication to creating a welcoming experience for her patrons.

Jorge: So, after getting to enjoy the full spectrum and range of Valle experiences from the cool to the exotic, we leave this place changed and wondering what the future holds for the next time we get to "Cross South."

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