The Firestones have put down sturdy roots in the Santa Ynez Valley and work to preserve its special qualities in many quiet ways. From rescuing landmark structures and pushing for legal reform, to staging charity events and supporting local causes, they give of their formidable resources, their time and best of all, themselves, to enrich their community. Clad in shorts and a sleeveless denim shirt that matches her eyes, Kate Firestone relaxes in her spacious kitchen and muses, Of all the places we've been this is heaven, this is truly paradise. The Valley is a very stabilizing influence for us. We'd be all over the place if it wasn't for this valley that we love so much.

The sharp fragrance of fresh peppermint leaves drifts from the center island where Kate has assembled ingredients to make jelly for an upcoming lamb dinner. I've always enjoyed cooking, she confesses, then adds with modest pride, When we started the winery, my brandy snaps with pumpkin mousse won [contests] six times across the country. The first competition I entered had a frightening panel of judges. I wanted to leave. The dessert prize went to someone else, but the sweepstakes, the best of the whole thing, went to me!

Though Kate hails from the moister climes of India, where she grew up, and England, where she finished her schooling and danced with London's Royal Ballet, she has adapted remarkably well to the arid west.

The first thing I noticed [when we moved here], she reveals, was that the atmosphere somehow forced me to give up smoking. Unlike everybody else who was trying to give it up, I really enjoyed it. I thought, oh, this is terrible, I can't smoke I didn't really give it up, it gave me up. The Santa Ynez Valley first charmed Brooks Firestone as a youngster when he and his family vacationed at Alisal Ranch, where he spent long summer days riding horses and hiking the trails that wound through brush-covered hills. During a hitch as an army medic and throughout his college days at Columbia University, he never forgot the little valley out west.

Armed with a degree in economics, Brooks went to work in the family business, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, where he served as director of the British branch for four years. While in England, he met and married Kate, a lithe ballerina with a buoyant sense of fun. In 1972 Brooks left the tire industry and began the search for a new career. At the same time Brooks late father, Leonard, a savvy businessman with a farmer's heart, bought 500 acres near Los Olivos to plant a vineyard and he asked Brooks to review the project.

Brooks fell for the idea and the Firestones moved their young family to Santa Barbara County and planted the first large-scale vineyard in the cattle country of the Santa Ynez Valley. Barely into the venture, the grape market softened, and they realized the only way to guarantee their crop didn't rot on the vine for lack of a buyer was to make the wine themselves. Even in areas well-worked and long-settled, pioneers can carve a new path, and in 1975, Brooks and Kate Firestone did just that when they laid the foundation for their state-of-the-art winery. Their bold move started a wave of construction that gave rise, eventually, to over 60 area wineries, and set the tone for Santa Barbara County's future.

When we came there were two little vineyards over in Santa Ynez, Kate remembers, Charlotte Young's and the Davidges and Bettencourts together, and that was really it. [Local rancher] Dean Brown got his [vineyard] in a year ahead of ours, but we were the first winery. She adds thoughtfully, We knew it would be tough we didn't really have any idea of the numbers of people who would go into the business.

The Firestone family's commitment to the Santa Ynez Valley first worked its magic when Leonard bought those 500 acres in the early 1970s. He noticed that Mattei's Tavern had fallen into disrepair, and when the health department shut it down, dooming it to a graceless decline, he decided to act.

Leonard teamed up with two of his neighbors to form a committee, file for non-profit status and buy the place. After a massive clean up and a thorough restoration, they re-opened the venerable watering hole for business, much to the delight of locals and travelers alike. 30 years later, Kate and Brooks son, Adam, followed his grandfather's lead when he rescued a Victorian-era house that had languished for years beside Highway 101. He cut the structure into six giant pieces and trundled them over back roads to Los Olivos, where today, the elegant house commands the view at Firestone Meadow, a grassy expanse near the junction of Zaca Station and Foxen Canyon Roads. Dubbed Crossroads House, it serves as a cozy home for Brooks and Kate, who sometimes include its amenities in wine country weekend packages offered at local charity auctions.

In 2001, Adam and his brother-in-law, David Walker, rode to the rescue again when they transplanted and restored the Keenan-Hartley House, the oldest frame structure in Los Olivos. Now located behind Mattei's Tavern, the Santa Barbara County landmark houses the Wildling Art Museum, its walls lined with wildlife art mirroring the region's natural wonders. Respect for the past runs deep in the Firestone family, and Brooks, a self-described historian who has always looked for ways to serve his community, realized that the surest path to positive contribution was to sharpen his historical perspective and address the laws that affect his friends and neighbors. Fascinated by the decision-making process, he ran for office and was elected to the California State Assembly. He went to Sacramento in 1994, and served two terms.

Kate declares that these days Brooks is too busy for politics, though politics is in everything. He is still consulted a lot by people [who] come to him for advice. Despite his departure from public service, Brooks recently accepted an appointment as a civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army where he will work with other civilian aides across the nation to advise and support Army leaders. Brooks has also donned the mantle of Bailli DÈlÈguÈ des Etats-Unis (essentially a presidential post), of Chaine des RÙtisseurs, an international gastronomic society rooted in the 13th century.

Kate serves on the central committee for Santa Barbara County Republicans and, as outspoken centrists, she and Brooks stay active by hosting an annual retreat for candidates and voters interested in discussing the issues. What began as a small group just four years ago has swelled to over 300 people and serves as a valuable forum for evaluating party climate. Brooks and Kate also carve time from their busy schedules to represent their wines on the road because, as Kate puts it, Getting out and being an ambassador really helps to get the name out there. To be able to demonstrate that we are a family winery and not just a vague corporate thing is golden.

Though the Firestone's four children dispersed to Los Angeles, Boston and beyond the Atlantic as young adults, they have all gravitated back to California. Three live in the Santa Ynez Valley: Adam runs the winery, Hayley works in development at Dunn School and Polly treads the boards with PCPA; while Andrew, the youngest, makes his home in San Francisco. All 11 grandchildren live just minutes from their grandparents. When asked about the growth of the Valley, Kate quickly replies, ìI think it's not too bad. The wrong sort don't find enough to do here. That's what's so wonderful about the Valley. Incredible people live here. You don't know what they do, they're just fun to be with. She adds with a wink, Brooks always says to tell [outsiders] about the bobcats, snakes, mosquitoes and poison oak.

Her advice to those lucky enough to call the Santa Ynez Valley home? Don't take it all for granted. Experience it, love it everyday. We all need to be responsible. We're very blessed to be here but, she whispers, smiling, keep it a secret!