Tara Gomez is a native of the Santa Ynez Valley in a way that no other winemaker there can claim, she is a Chumash of the Santa Ynez Band. After graduating with an enology degree from Fresno State and working in the cellars of J. Lohr and Fess Parker as well as at various old world wineries for over a decade, her tribe bought the Camp 4 Vineyard in 2010 and hired her to be the winemaker for the project. Kita is the Chumash word for the Valley Oak tree predominant in the Santa Ynez Valley, and the Camp 4 Vineyard is named after the forth stop on the stagecoach route from San Francisco to Yuma, Arizona. In addition to making the wine Gomez helps tend the 256 acre, sustainably farmed vineyard that lies just West of Happy Canyon. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc sees a touch of new oak (16%) with the rest seeing neutral barrels and demonstrates Gomez’s appreciation for old world elegance without trying to imitate a Sauvignon Blanc grown in a cooler, old world climate. Aged for months on the lees, the wine has a creamy mouthfeel, and flavors of pear, honeydew, guava, grapefruit and citrus blossom. We look forward to sharing more of the wines of Kita with you in the future.