Chumash Cellars, "Kitá" Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, Central Valley, CA

Expressive with aromatics of black currant, undergrowth, wild mushroom, and cedar, this gorgeous wine made by Tara Gomez of the Chumash Tribe is well-balanced with well-sustained acidity and a finish with fine tannins.

COUNTRY: USA

STATE: California

APPELLATION (AVA): Santa Ynez Valley

REGION: Santa Barbara

SUBREGION: Central Valley

VINEYARD: Camp 4 Vineyard

VINTAGE: 2017

GRAPES:100% Cabernet Sauvignon

SOIL: Sandy-loam

PRACTICE: Sustainable

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Deep garnet color with a slight brick-colored hint

BODY: Full bodied

TASTE: Dry

TANNINS: Moderate

PRIMARY AROMAS: Boysenberries, black currant, tobacco, cedar

FLAVOR: 

FORMAT: 750ml

ALCOHOL: 14.6%

SERVICE AND FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTION: While this wine would go well with traditional Indigenous American dishes, such as bison meat, acorn flour porridge, and wild mushrooms, it also would pair well with a traditional New England winter beef stew.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Chumash Cellars was run by the Chumash tribe. It was the first winery and vineyard run solely by tribe members. 

The Chumash Tribe are indigenous American people of the central and southern coastal regions of California, in parts of what is now today as Ken, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. These indigenous people have lived along the California coast for at least 11,000 years. After the arrival of the European colonizers, the Chumash suffered destruction, exploitation, and segregation for most of five hundred years. But through the determination and hard work of Chumash survivors, the Chumash tribe was able to overcome the adversities of early modern life and rise to economic self-sufficiency. With revenue from the tribe’s gaming property, the culture has been revitalized and Chumash descendants once again thrive on tribal land. Resources are devoted to education, health, and culture, ensuring a vibrant future for Chumash generations to come.

Kitá Wines was founded by the Santa Ynez tribe of Chumash Indians after they purchased Camp 4 Vineyard. It was led by Chumash member and winemaker Tara Gomez, a native of Santa Maria and the daughter of Richard Gomez, a former vice chairman of the tribe. This project started with less of 3 tons of grapes from Camp 4 Vineyards in 2010, and by 2021 it produced more than 2000 cases of wine. Tara has earned several honors, among them “Winemaker of the Year” in 2021 by VinePair; she was also named as an advisor to the James Beard Foundation Legacy Network Foundation.

In 2022 the Chumash tribe, for economic reasons, decided to stop the production of Kitá Wine. Fortunately, Tara Gomez and her wife and business partner Mireia Taribó founded their own wine label, Camins 2 Dreams, under which they produce [wines] from vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD: Camp 4 Vineyard

“The story of Camp 4 Vineyard begins with the late Fess Parker.  After purchasing the 1,400 acre property, Parker decided to plant 256 acres of grapes on the land in 1999 and it produced its first successful crop harvest in 2003.  The vineyard’s name, Camp 4, refers to the land being the fourth stop on a passage from San Francisco to Yuma, Arizona, during the stagecoach days.  In 2010, The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians purchased the property.  The vineyard is situated on the easternmost edge of Santa Ynez Valley on the valley floor below 300 feet in the Los Olivos District. The vineyard is home to 19 varietals focusing on Rhone grapes and provides an ideal microclimate for these varietals with a long growing season and maximum flavor development.” (bellantefamilywinery.com)

ABOUT THE LABEL: The label depicts an oak life, as Kitá translates to “Our Valley Oak” in the Chumash native language of Samala.