Tara Gomez, Mireia Taribó: Camins2Dreams
Chumash land - Lompoc, California
www.camins2dreams.com, @camins2dreams
Camins 2 Dreams represents the routes and paths we follow to achieve our dreams.
Camins 2 Dreams was founded in 2017. Our grapes are sourced exclusively from vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills, a unique appellation in Santa Barbara County. Our philosophy is to make hand-crafted, terroir-driven wines that are fermented with natural yeast and use minimal intervention in the winery. We believe wine is made in the vineyard and we want to showcase the typicity of each site where the grapes come from. We are lucky both to live and make our wines in Sta. Rita Hills, where foggy mornings and cool nights combine with marine soils to make the perfect ingredients for outstanding wines.
We are a team of two winemakers, Mireia Taribó and Tara Gomez, wife and wife, whose paths first crossed in 2006 through our work in the wine industry. Our friendship grew through wine and travels, which also sparked our love. Our journey of friendship, love, and wine now continues as together we found our dream winery, Camins 2 Dreams
MIREIA TARIBÓ
Mireia was born and raised in Catalunya, in the northeastern part of Spain. Her interest in wine started at a very young age. Growing up in Spain, wine is considered a food and was part of almost every meal. Mireia knew from a young age that she wanted to learn more about wine.
Mireia graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Barcelona, and then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Enology at the University of Rovira and Virgili. When she was in her last year of studies, she came to California as an intern for a harvest season, which is where she met her wife, Tara Gomez. When that harvest finished, Mireia went back to Spain. In 2008, she accepted a harvest position at Castell d’Encus, a start-up winery in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain. She quickly earned a winemaker position and worked there until 2014. While working at Castell d’Encus, Mireia went back to school to earn her Masters in Enology, Viticulture, and Marketing of Wine. Meanwhile her relationship with Tara grew and they traveled the world and visited all the wine regions together. In 2014, Mireia moved to California and began working as a wine broker and wine consultant.
In 2017, she started Camins 2 Dreams, a new adventure with her wife, Tara Gomez, making wine together and sourcing fruit from selected Sta. Rita Hills vineyards and focusing in minimal intervention wines.
TARA GOMEZ
Tara’s passion for wine began when she was young and her parents used to take her wine tasting throughout the Central Coast. When she was a child she enjoyed looking at life through a microscope and it was the connection of wine to nature and science that made her want to pursue an Enology Degree.
Tara graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Enology from CSU Fresno. She worked for a few wineries, including Fess Parker and J. Lohr, at the same time she started her first label — Kalawashaq’ Wine Cellars (named for the village where her Chumash ancestors once lived) — sourcing fruit from her friend and mentor Larry Gomez, from Via Vega Vineyards in Paso Robles. Tara left her job at J. Lohr Winery in 2008, and put Kalawashaq’ on hold while she went to explore the world. During that time she worked two harvests at Castell d’Encus in Spain, the same winery where her wife, Mireia was the winemaker. When Tara returned to California in 2010, her Chumash Tribe had purchased Camp 4 Vineyard and she started Kitá Wines, a small, premium winery in the Santa Ynez Valley where she is currently the winemaker. She is the first and only recognized Native American winemaker in the country, and brings a unique perspective to her winemaking style.
In 2017, Tara was ready to bring her personal project, Kalawashaq’ Wine Cellars, back to life, but instead decided to create a new label with her wife Mireia. Thus, Camins 2 Dreams was born out of their shared love for wine, winemaking and each other. They source fruit exclusively from vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills, a unique appellation in Santa Barbara County. Her focus is on minimum intervention, natural winemaking. She sources fruit from vineyards that share in the same values of respect for the land and their workers and works exclusively with organic, biodynamic, and SIP Certified vineyards.
Tara was recently awarded “2021 Winemaker of the Year” by VinePair. She is honored and humbled to receive such a prestigious award and see all of her hard work, dedication, and perseverance not just seen, but celebrated.
Tara is also about building community and is a part of many groups which include The Hue Society, Advisor for Woman-Owned Wineries, Advisor for The James Beard Legacy Network, and a Mentor for Speed-Rack Advisory Squad.
Social Justice and Environmental Restoration Statement
1). As an owner of a small family winery, Tara continues to work towards diversity and inclusion in the wine industry. She is a strong advocate of mentorship and served as an advisor for the first ever James Beard Foundation Legacy Network Program which advances equitable leadership in the culinary industry from historically under-resourced communities, prioritizing the BIPOC community for this first cohort. Tara has also been a mentor for the Roots Fund, which is a nonprofit organization focused on securing a pathway for the BIPOC wine community.
2.). Tara is also about building community for the LGBTQIA+ and has made a special “Pride” label wine that she donates 60% of the proceeds to her local LGBTQIA+ organizations in her community: Santa Ynez Valley Pride and The Rainbow House Inc.
3). As a business since inception, Tara is also an advocate for donating her time to other non-profits in helping to raise money for the under-represented communities such as the migrant agricultural workers through Vino de Sueños and the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation.
4). Tara also donates her time and a member of The Hue Society, The Savory Institute, an advisor for Woman-Owned Wineries, and a Board of Director for the Vinguard.