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A NATIVE AMERICAN WINEMAKER FOLLOWED A PATH THAT LED CRITICS TO SWOON

have met many winemakers over the own a in prime wine country, so why not years, but none with a story quite like Tara get into the wine industry?” she suggested. They Gomez’s. Gomez hails from the Chumash were resistant. “You can take three tons of , Indians of California’s Santa Ynez coast. make wine, and we will taste and decide whether IAfter her tribe gave her the financial support to this project moves forward,” they responded. pursue a degree in , she returned home to “In 2010, I made a ton each of Cabernet make wine on the reservation where she grew up. Sauvignon, Syrah and Grenache. And to this day I In the early 1900’s the Chumash became federally strongly believe that was my best vintage,” Gomez recognized in the area extending from Malibu to recalls. The were not released until 2013 Paso Robles. “We are coastal Indians,” Gomez told because it took time to develop the brand, Kitá. me recently. “My band has 130 The critics raved about Kitá’s 2010 and 2011 members. Our elders pass vintages when they were released together. “I was on and we have the thrilled and surprised,” Gomez says. younger generation Her secret? Making elegant wines with lower of tribal descendants, alcohol in the style she encountered in Europe. which includes me.” “You have to pick early when the grapes are Gomez studied BARONESS not too ripe,” she says. “Everyone was saying, at RECOMMENDS ‘Who is that girl from the tribe and why is she AVAILABLE FROM WINE FOR Fresno State, then got THE WORLD, AN IMPORTER OF picking so early?’ Well, my goal was to preserve an internship at Fess SUSTAINABLE AND ORGANIC the freshness in the while maintaining its Parker near her WINES FROM SMALL PRODUCERS natural chemistry. It is daring.” WORLDWIDE. WINE4THEWORLD.COM home in the Santa Ynez Gomez’s daring extended to reviving her Valley. Wanting to explore the CAMINS 2 DREAMS: original project, Kalawashaq’, in partnership Grüner Veltliner 2019—With grapes stomped by wider wine world, she moved from there to Paso foot, this unfiltered Grüner has floral, lime and pear with her wife, rebranded as Camins 2 Dreams Robles, where she spent 10 years working at the aromas, and nectarine and flint on the palate. ($40) (meaning “the paths we followed led us to our prestigious J. Lohr Winery. While there, Gomez dreams”). Their focus is on natural winemaking. Syrah 2018—Fermented with wild yeasts, this bought grapes and launched her own label as a side Rhône-style Syrah shows violet and lavender They are making Syrah, Grüner Vetliner and project, Kalawashaq’ Wine Cellars. perfume and blueberry fruit, and vibrancy and spice Grenache. On their first vintage, they scored a 95 Eventually wanderlust—and a love interest— on the finish. ($50) from Wine Enthusiast for their 2018 Syrah. brought her to Europe. “One of my interns at J. KITÁ: “During my travels in the Rhône, I went to Lohr took me to her home in Barcelona,” she T’aya 2018—An aromatic southern Rhône blend of the little region of Saint-Péray,” Gomez says. Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc, T’aya says, “and we traveled throughout Europe’s wine expresses honeysuckle, citrus and peach notes and “They make sparkling wines from Marsanne and regions.” Gomez was interested in learning Old a creaminess from aging on lees. ($27) Roussanne grapes. This inspired me to make a World winemaking, i.e., mastering elegant, lower sparkling Roussanne, soon to be released.” Stay Grenache 2017—This expressive wine with bright alcohol wine. The intern, Mireia Taribó, eventually acidity has cranberry and raspberry aromas and a tuned for more dreamy natural wines from became her wife. unique mix of savory and sweet flavors of strawberry, Camins 2 Dreams. —Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave When Gomez returned to California, her reser- clove, damp forest and dried orange. ($43) Native Wines (clockwise from top) Camp 4, the vation was in the process of acquiring a 1400-acre Kalaš 2018 –A Merlot-dominant Bordeaux blend, Chumash Indian reservation vineyard in Santa parcel from Fess Parker Winery, to build more Kalas has lovely black currant, blackberry and Ynez Valley, California; Winemaker Tara Gomez of housing. There happened to be a vineyard on the espresso flavor. It is medium-bodied, earthy and Kitá and Camins 2 Dreams wine brands; Camins 2 spicy. ($45) Dreams Syrah with its aromas of violet, blueberry land. She had an idea for tribal leaders “Now we and plum. TOP: TYSON ELLIS; PORTRAIT: BENNY HADDAD; BOTTLE: CAMINS 2 DREAMS TOP: TYSON ELLIS; PORTRAIT:

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