Guest Blogger Alert! Here Tienda Salsita owner Kathleen shares her story of salsa and wine, along with three recipes that go with our Wine and Salsa Gift Box. We hope you enjoy!

I’ve known the Hafner name for as long as I can remember. Like so many families, mine grew up with Hafner wines on the dinner table — for weeknight meals and holidays. My stepmom, Giovanna, has been a Hafner Annual Tasting Program member for more than thirty years, so I grew up with their Chardonnay as a familiar fixture in our home and on our dinner table.

Today I have a salsa company, Tienda Salsita, where we make small-batch, stone-ground salsas in Sonoma County, sourcing nearly all of our ingredients from local farmers and using them to bring amazing shelf stable salsas to our community near and far. Tienda Salsita grew out of my time cooking in Mexico and my love for the way salsa can transform a meal: not as a dip, but as a true cooking sauce. We craft stone ground salsas that honor Mexican traditions, support sustainable farmers and bring unique, unforgettable flavors to everyday meals. 

Over the last year and a half, Kate and I have become connected over food and wine and good friends. It’s been such a joy to discover how naturally our two worlds align: her thoughtful, food-friendly wines and my small-batch, stone-ground salsas.

Why This Pairing Works

Tienda Salsita began with the belief that salsa is more than a dip. It’s a cooking sauce, marinating sauce, finishing sauce, addition to your sandwich: a quiet, powerful ingredient that can deepen flavor the same way anchovies, tomato paste, or good olive oil does. My salsas are meant to be used throughout a meal: layered into beans, spooned over roast chicken, finished on vegetables, or stirred into grains.
Hafner has a similar philosophy with wine: drink it with what you love, how you love: there is no “right” pairing.

That shared ethos is what made this collaboration feel so natural. When Kate and I started thinking about a Wine and Salsa Box, we didn’t want strict “pairing rules.” We wanted to show how beautifully her Rosé fits into everyday cooking, and how seamlessly these salsas weave into the kinds of foods we all make at home.

This season’s box features two of my most versatile and best selling salsas — Salsa Verde Asado and Salsa Chile Morita — paired with Hafner’s beautifully fresh and balanced Rosé. Building meals around them felt intuitive, effortless, and fun.

Order your Rosé and Salsa Gift Box here. Only available until 12/5.

Cooking With Rosé in Mind

Over the weekend, I cooked through a few dishes to understand how the salsas and Rosé dance together. Here are the recipes for you to try. 

• Roasted Chicken with Anchovy Butter + Wine Pan Sauce over Soft Leeks and Salsa Verde
• Creamy Local Mushroom Risotto finished with Salsa Chile Morita
• Simple Pot Beans topped with Salsa Verde Asado

Each dish highlighted a different flavor of the wine: its brightness, its subtle fruit, and its delightful finish. We look forward to hearing how you enjoy the Rosé and salsas.