This is part of my March series on women in wine. Read my invitation to the #WinePW Festa delle Donne.
When I started researching women in wine (in California!) I came across mention of Tara Gomez and Mireia Taribó of Camins 2 Dreams. I immediately ordered their virtual tasting kit which included a Zoom sit-down with the two women; and I ordered a bottle of the 2021 Santa Ynez Vineyard Carignan because it's one of my favorite varieties.
A Virtual Tasting with Tara Gomez and Mireia Taribó of Camins 2 Dreams
Tara and Mireia are a wife-wife team of winemakers who started Camins 2 Dreams in 2017 to make hand-crafter, terroir-driven all natural wines. All of their wines are fermented with natural yeast and minimal intervention in the winery. They source from organic, biodynamic, and regeneratively farmed vineyards. Both women have their roots in science.
Mireia grew up in Catalunya, in the Northeastern part of Spain, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Barcelona, then another Bachelor's degree in Enology at the University of Rovira, During her final year at university, she traveled to California for an internship. Upon returning to Spain, she finished her studies, worked as a winemaker at Castell d’Encus, a start-up winery in the Pyrenees, and continued on to earn a Master's degree in Enology, Viticulture, and Marketing of Wine. Her relationship with Tara deepened and, in 2014, Mireia moved to California and worked as a wine broker and consultant.
Tara graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Enology from Cal State Fresno. After graduation she worked with Fess Parker and J. Lohr and 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. After globe-trotting for awhile, Tara returned to California. Her Chumash tribe had acquired Camp 4 Vineyard and she started her second label: KitáWines, a small, premium winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. that operated from 2010 to 2022. Tara is the first and only recognized Native American winemaker in the country, and brings a unique perspective to her winemaking style!
Camins 2 Dreams is the collision of Tara and Mireia's passion for wine, winemaking, and each other. They source fruit primarily from vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, an appellation in Santa Barbara County.
During the course of our conversation we sipped our way through a handful of their wines: 2022 Grüner Veltliner from the Fiddlestix Vineyard; 2023 Albariño from the Santa Ynez Vineyard; 2021 Carignan from the Santa Ynez Vineyard; 2021 Syrah from the Spear Vineyards; and 2021 Grenache from the Christy and Wise Vineyard.
They foot-stomp, bringing some traditional processes to their forward-thinking wine production. On the week that we spoke, they were preparing for a trip to San Benito County to explore a future collaboration. I can't wait to explore more of their creations. For now, I am going to share a pairing I did with the full bottle of the 2021 Carignan I ordered.
Roasted Portabello Risotto with their 2021 Santa Ynez Vineyard Carignan
In the Glass
A unique blend of whole cluster fermentation and destemmed grapes, this Carignan was grown in the eastern edge of Happy Canyon AVA. The whole cluster lends complexity to the wine; the destemmed grapes bring balance. After fermentation, they are kept separate, aged in barrels for almost a year, then blended and bottled.
The wine poured a brilliant red with a purple rim. On the nose, I noted aromas of tart red fruit such as unripe plums and summer raspberries, lavender, rosemary, and a hint of cracked black pepper. On the palate the wine had balanced acidity and tannins with layers of spice, bay leaves, and some elegant flowers.
Tara and Mireia suggested pairing this with poultry, rabbit, or even roasted carrots glazed with plum and mezcal. I decided to go with roasted mushrooms over a hearty, creamy risotto.
On the Plate
I make risotto all the time with whatever I have on-hand - mushrooms in the Fall, Asparagus in the Spring - but this one was inspired by Selefina's Sweet + Zesty Onion Mix, a collaboration blend between Selefina and Kelly Ryan of Butter & Thyme. I folded in some jarred porcini mushrooms that I picked up at local-to-me The Quail & Olive.
Ingredients
Roasted Mushrooms
mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling (I used the Mediterranean Blend Olive Oil from The Quail & Olive)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I used the Tuscan Melody Balsamic from The Quail & Olive)
salt and pepper
fresh thyme leaves
Also needed: lidded jar, parchment paper, baking sheet
Sweet + Zesty Risotto
1/2 organic white onion, peeled and sliced (approximately 3/4 cup)
1/2 organic red onion, peeled and sliced (approximately 3/4 cup)
1 jar porcini mushrooms (you can use sliced, sautéed mushrooms instead), sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
splash of olive oil
4 teaspoons Sweet + Zesty Onion Mix
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
4 cups liquid (I used a mixture of beef stock and water)
4 ounces mascarpone cream
Vietnamese Black Peppercorn and Dark Pink Himalayan Salt (fine grain) to taste
Also needed: grated Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
Procedure
Roasted Mushrooms
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the olive oil and vinegar in a lidded jar and shake until emulsified.
Place mushrooms on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut-side up if you cut them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the glaze. Top the mushrooms with the thyme leaves and drizzle with more olive oil.
Put sheet in the oven and roast mushrooms for 20 to 25 minutes for large mushrooms, 16 to 18 mushrooms for smaller mushrooms. You can use these as you would any roasted meat.
Sweet + Zesty Risotto
Bring your stock and water to a boil. Then reduce it to a simmer and keep it on a burner adjacent to your risotto pan.
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter with a splash of olive oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Add the white onions and onion mix. Cook until onions are beginning to soften. Stir in the red onions and cook until translucent and beginning to caramelize. Stir in the porcini mushrooms and toss to coat with the butter-olive oil mixture.
Add in the rice and stir until completely coated with oil and butter. Add one ladle of simmering broth at a time, stirring, stirring, and stirring some more till the liquid is absorbed. Repeat until the rice is soft. If you need more liquid, just add more; if you don't use all of the stock, that's okay, too.
Fold in the mascarpone cheese. Let stand for five minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon out individual servings of risotto and top with a roasted portabello and serve immediately. Let diners sprinkle with more freshly grated cheese, if desired.
Circle back to read more about women in wine. I will be sharing several other pairings and you won't want to miss any of the other writers' exploration. Cheers!
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