December 07, 2017

The Chumash tribe has lived along the coast of California at least 13,000 years. Hard to beat that for history! The first settlement was near the coast of Santa Barbara and at one time the territory reached from North Malibu all the way to Paso Robles. Out of history, comes Kita.  In 2010, the Chumash Indians purchased “Camp 4” in the Santa Ynez Valley. Camp 4, named for the area being the forth stop on the passage to Yuma, Arizona during the stagecoach days.  Kita means “Our Valley Oak” in the Chumash language of Samala.

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Winemaker, Tara Gomez, presides over her tribe’s first owned and operated winery. Gomez’s passion for winemaking is evident in the vineyard and the cellar. She was one of only two women graduating with a bachelor science in enology at Fresno State in 1998, and has spent many years perfecting her craft before starting Kita.