Camins is the Catalan word for path or road, which was a wonderfully promising sign when we first connected with Mireia Taribó and Tara Gomez in the summer of 2021. It was as if our paths were meant to cross.
This wife-and-wife power couple joined forces to establish Camins 2 Dreams in 2017. Starting with Syrah and then Grüner Veltliner, their tiny garagiste production masterfully showcases the Sta. Rita Hills sub-region of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara. The wines are poised and luminous: serious interpretations of the wild and dramatic landscape of this famed region that overlooks the Pacific coastline. Each bottle showcases a single vineyard within Sta. Rita Hills, offering dynamic and pure expressions of one of our favourite pockets of California.
The wines of Camins 2 Dreams are guided into existence through the wisdom and experience of their makers – with absolute minimal intervention. Fermentations are spontaneous, with bins moved onto the crush pad outside if the ferments need a little heat to keep them going. Mireia and Tara are using stainless steel and neutral French oak for fermentation and élevage, and the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, with minimal SO2. The results are breathtaking. These are some of the most serious Syrahs we’ve tasted – probably most comparable to Côte Rôtie or Cornas in the Northern Rhône Valley.
And of course, the intertwining story of life and love between these two winemakers could only lead to something great. Tara’s path to wine began when she was quite young, in the wine cellars of California while taking local trips with her parents. A Chumash native of what we now know as California’s Central Coast, Tara went to Cal State University with the support of her tribe and attained a BSc in oenology, through a particular fondness of chemistry and the ties between wine, applied science and nature. Her first label was called Kalawashaq’ Wine Cellars – named after an ancient Chumash village – which she started while working for local wineries after graduating.
In 2008, Tara left California to go work at a natural winery in Catalonia, in Northeastern Spain, where Catalonian winemaker, Mireia Taribó was beginning a tenure. The two had met as interns together in California in 2006, and were back together again, this time at Castell d’Encus. Mireia would stay as Head Winemaker there until 2014, and she moved to California and married Tara in 2017: the same year they started Camins 2 Dreams.
Slowly, Tara and Mireia are working to expand the varieties in the Camins 2 Dreams range. But at its core are focused, mineral-driven Grüner Veltliner (still, and a really delicious sparkling!) and a range of Syrahs that we can only describe as profound.
Current Availability
Camins 2 Dreams: In the Vineyards
Mireia and Tara partner with like-minded growers throughout the Sta. Rita Hills sub-region of Santa Ynez Valley (the more southern region of Santa Barbara County). They are slowly expanding their portfolio of Grüner Veltliner and Syrah to include Carignane, Grenache and blends using such grapes.
Spear Vineyard (CCOF Organic)
Relatively new to the region, Spear Vineyard was planted in 2014 and boasts some of the highest elevation plantings in Sta. Rita Hills, with the highest peak at 900 ft. above sea level. In total, there are 34 acres planted to 6 different varieties, on various rootstock and a multitude of different orientations, elevations and soils. They’ve been dedicated to environmentalism since planting, and adhere to strict organic practices. Tara and Mireia receive a tiny amount of this gorgeous fruit, including Grüner (from just 1.5 acres planted) and Syrah (from just 4 acres planted).
John Sebastiano Vineyard (organic practices)
John Sebastiano is one of Sta. Rita Hills’ newest and most exciting plantings. It sits on steep, high-elevation hillsides on the eastern (inner) edge of the region – about 10 miles as the crow flies from the Pacific Ocean. The vines are planted at a particularly high density, and the Syrah blocks, planted at some of the highest points of the vineyard, are becoming famous due to their western exposure. With this exposure, the grapes are subjected to the extreme winds that whip off the coastline and define Sta. Rita as one of the most liminal climates for grapegrowing. And in fact, the Syrah here barely achieves ripeness each year. All of these factors combined make tiny, concentrated grapes that translate to some of the most exciting Syrah we’ve had… anywhere. Thing Jamet with sculpting minerality. Northern Rhône lovers, step right up!
Zotovich Vineyard (sustainable)
Planted in 1996, Zotovich Vineyard sits in the middle of Sta. Rita Hills – about 9 miles from the ocean. It was originally planted to Italian varieties, which were grafted over to Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay and Viognier by Steve Zotovich & his team when he purchased the vineyard in 2004. These varieties better suited the climate and site, and additional blocks of Syrah and Grenache were planted in 2012. Zotovich sits primarily on the lower-altitude valley of Sta. Rita Hills, with a gentle slope and an incline of further plantings on its south side. It’s also located at a unique confluence of the valley, where the wind rushes from the west and turns south, making it – like John Sebastiano – a particularly liminal climate that’s beautifully suited to Syrah.
Christy & Wise Vineyard (Demeter Biodynamic)
This is a very special site – one we look forward to bringing to Ontario in the future. Christy & Wise is a 514-acre property on the northern edge of Sta. Rita Hills. It purchased in 2015 by Brook Williams, who immediately started planning to plant vines in a small section of the land, and farm biodynamically. Part of the planning process was selecting grape varieties that are best suited to the micro-climate and terroir of the site. With climate change causing warming temperatures and greater weather variability (particularly increased, extreme winds in Sta. Rita Hills), Brook and his vineyard manager, McKenna Giardine selected Syrah, Graciano, Grenache and Viognier (to co-ferment with Syrah). In 2016, a modest 34 acres were planted: they are own-rooted and are dry-farmed – all factors in consideration of lowest environmental impacts. A couple of blocks of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were also planted… for commercial sensibility. Certified Biodynamic since 2019, Christy & Wise Vineyard supports the 1% For the Planet initiative, donating the proceeds to Kiss the Ground, which “inspires participation in the regenerative agriculture movement.”