Gondolas of freshly picked grenache grapes, at the vineyard of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, wait to be transported to the Camins 2 Dreams winery in Lompoc. Valley News/Courtesy photo
The Pala Band of Mission Indians joins the emerging niche market of wine produced by Native Americans
Sandra Shrader
Special to the Village NewsOver the past decade, a small number of Native American reservations throughout the United States and Canada began planting vineyards and becoming wine producers, melding a spiritual and traditional love of the land with the ancient art of winemaking.Although their winemaking operations are presently considered minuscule relative to the mega-industry of commercial wine production, tribes in British Columbia, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Northern and Central California have already established their own successful and critically acclaimed brands.And now there is a Southern California newcomer to the tribal vine movement.
