Cakebread Cellars Grounds: 6/10
Considerations: Tasting room, outdoor space, cleanliness and overall property
We would argue that Cakebread Cellars is one of the more unique wineries in Napa. The winery is smaller in size compared to other national brands and thus, is by-appointment only. In terms of a tasting room, Cakebread doesnt truly have one – read on to the Tasting section for more details on this.
The property itself, both inside and outside, was extremely clean with beautiful trees and flowers outside. As mentioned, on the back-side of the property facing Highway 29 , construction was in progress on a new visitor center. That being said, the construction was not too loud or distracting, and the nearby outdoor areas were well maintained.
There was a large outdoor patio which we were dying to enjoy after our tasting since it was such a beautiful day, but were turned away as the patio area is reserved exclusively for Cakebread Wine Club member tastings. We speculate that this is intentional, to encourage guests to both join the wine club and ensure the smaller property doesnt get too crowded. Still, we wish there was more of an outdoor lawn area or something for non-club members to enjoy.
Disclaimer: While we were obviously disappointed, kudos to Cakebread for following California liquor regulations.
Can You Drink Wine When Youre Trying To Lose Weight
Yes, but focus on moderation and pay attention to portion control.
Going over your daily caloric needs can lead to weight gain over time, and the calories in alcohol can definitely contribute to that. A 5-ounce glass of late harvest wine, for example, contains 20 grams of carbohydrates and 172 calories. Two glasses of wine can put a dent in your caloric intake pretty quickly, Norton cautions.
The calories in wine come from residual sugar and from alcohol, Norton explains. And those liquid calories may not be as effective at making you feel satiated. In other words, youd be taking in unnecessary calories and still feel hungry, she adds.
But as long as youre being mindful about your overall calorie intake and your daily activity level, you can still drink wine when youre trying to lose weight just skip the dessert wines. If youre trying to keep your sugar or carb intake low, stick to 1 to 2 servings of dry wine, Norton says.
Which Wine Regions Are In California
From North to South, the main regions are Mendocino, Lake, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Livermore Valley, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara.
California is a vast region that consists of several smaller wine-producing areas. Although Napa Valley and Sonoma are what California is most known for, the states other regions produce equally outstanding wines.
Napa Valley and Paso Robles are renowned for the bold reds of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, as well as the scenic wine route which offers unique experiences to wine lovers. On the contrary, Santa Barbara and The Russian River Valley, with conditions more suited to delicate grapes, produce outstanding expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Each of these regions offers a unique take on the wines of California allowing for a greater expression and experience of what the Golden State can truly offer.
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Cakebread Cellars Has A History Of Women In Leadership
Since Cakebreads beginnings, the winerys cofounder, Dolores Cakebread, has been a pioneer among women in wine. She led the culinary program for many years, and her love of food and gardening inspired the food-friendly wine style for which the brand is known. Of the current Cakebread team, five leadership positions are held by women, including winemaker Stephanie Jacobs .
Dolores ensured women were at the forefront of the business in the history of the company, says Jacobs. But I dont necessarily see gender defining success. Its always been based on talent and results and relationships.Says Jaeger, Our dedication to quality doesnt stop with our wines, it also applies to the people we hire. We want the best person for the job, regardless of gender.
Cakebread Cellars Combines Innovation With Tradition To Continue Enhancing Quality
Cakebread does produce many of the traditional varieties that Napa Valley is known for, but the benefits it offers buyers go beyond the bottles in its portfolio. Sandy Block, a Master of Wine and the vice president of beverage operations atLegal Sea Foods in Boston, says there are a variety of reasons he keeps Cakebread in the wine program at Legal Sea Foods restaurants.
Cakebreads strengths, he says, are its reliability vintage to vintage, compatibility with our seafood, great consumer trust and recognition. He adds that Cakebreads production of half-bottles is also an asset, since, as he points out, this format is not always available for wines of this quality and reputation. Block also emphasizes that family ownership of the brand and Cakebreads long-term vision are important factors that have resulted in a continuity of direction dedication to vineyard terroir expressionand finally, the production of wine in a style that complements food rather than bowls you over with extraction.
Finally, because Cakebread is very selective with its distribution, which is focused within the restaurant community, the brand tends to stand out in wine programs, says Jaeger. A restaurateur has the confidence not only that the wine style and quality is consistent year in and year out, he says, but also that its not readily available .
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Why Cakebread Cellars Is One Of Napa’s Best Success Stories
The first Cakebread family business
When the team at Cakebread Cellars broke ground on Suscol Vineyard, a wild undeveloped property just south of Napa, a female mountain lion and her cubs kept watch on the process from a nearby rocky perch. Director of Vineyard Operations, Toby Halkovich, recalls, She just sat there with her two cubs, watching us plant the vines. We all joked that no one should cough or limp. It was a bit unnerving, but she never did anything but observe. To this day, almost 8 years later, the mountain lions continue to keep to themselves, living amongst the vines.
The Suscol Vineyard, which was something of a gamble for the Cakebread family, is one of the most extraordinary properties Ive ever seen. Its abundance is palpable. Vines are planted near rich riparian edges and native grasses. Wild turkeys scamper about eagles soar above, eyeing the jack rabbits and rattlesnakeseverything seems content. Except for the vines, they struggle, and Toby likes it that way. If I had to come back as a grape vine, Id want to be one growing in Halkovichs vineyard. Hes a detail fanatic, checking each and every Cakebread property at least once a week . He likes uniformity and balance. He leverages all the technology he can, but never relies on it completely, always using his eyes to assess the situation. No vine goes unnoticed under his watch.
The family : Dennis, Jack, Dolores, Bruce
Wines with Suscol Springs Fruit:
Cakebread Flagship Wines:
Pairing #4 ~ Pinot Noir And Kimchi Fried Rice With Bacon
Pinot Noir probably isn’t the first wine you think of when you think of Sunday brunch but I promise you this Pinot Noir by Cakebread Cellars is going to be a killer pairing alongside any brunch dish that includes bacon. The silky tannins of this Pinot will cut through your juicy and fatty bacon . If you want to be extra adventurous I challenge you to create this Kimchi Fried Rice with Bacon recipe by Chef Brian! It requires minimal ingredients and just a bit of time to create this mouthwatering dish.
I know this will be a different and probably challenging Mother’s Day for us all, but I hope these recipes and wine pairings can inspire you to get creative virtually with mom! Tag me in any brunch and wine creations, I would love to see!
Cheers and Happy Mother’s Day to all of the incredible moms and motherly figures out there!
Loving these recipes and wine pairings? Book a sommelier led virtual wine tasting to learn even more!
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Pairing #1 ~ Sauvignon Blanc And Asparagus With Burrata And Pistachio Salsa Verde
This complex, bright, crisp, mineral-driven wine by Cakebread Cellars will go perfectly paired alongside an array of different dishes but a favorite pairing of mine is pairing Sauvy B with green vegetables like asparagus. Vegetables are tricky to pair wine with but thankfully Sauvignon Blanc has the perfect touch of Pyrazine flavor to enhance this incredible dish by Chef Brian Streeter! Not to mention, Sauvignon Blanc is always going to pair nicely with most cheeses, especially burrata. Head here for Chef Brian’s full recipe!
Cakebread Cellars Wines : Key Points
Founded in 1973 by Jack and Dolores Cakebread, Cakebread Cellars has established its reputation over the past 40 years as an estate that delivers top quality wines year after year. Cakebread Cellars first began as a family winery ranch in Rutherford, in California’s Napa Valley. Since then, the winery has acquired 12 more vineyard sites in Napa Valley and the North Coast enabling the Cakebreads to completely control the quality of the fruit they grow and the wines they craft. Today they offer a versatile portfolio of many different grape varieties from some of the most cherishered terroirs of the Napa and Anderson Valleys.
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Wine Review Cakebread 2019 Chardonnay Napa
Cakebread suggests that this wine is ideal for Mothers Day. Cakebread Cellars wines make for a simple yet thoughtful way to say thank you to the important women in your life. Share a toast with a special bottle of Chardonnay to celebrate moms this year, like the Cakebread family themselves.
Since co-founding Cakebread Cellars nearly five decades ago, Dolores Cakebread remained an inspiring force behind the culinary program and warm ambience the family winery carried into the present. In the early years of the winery, Dolores started the iconic fruit and vegetable garden that still greets visitors today. Through her devotion to Napa Valleys wine and food education culture during her life, Dolores remains an iconic mother figure in wine country.
Over 40 years ago, Cakebread released their Chardonnay as its very first wine and has been fine-tuning it ever since.
What Is The Famous Wine Region Featured In The Movie Sideways
Thats Santa Barbara.
The greatest attribute of Sideways is that it promoted Pinot Noir, which became very popular because of the movie.
The region of Santa Barbara offers a great variety of unique tasting options with over 120 different wineries to choose from. This region is off-the-beaten-track, but should not be underestimated. Sideways drew much-needed attention to this region and all that it has to offer.
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Where In California Is The Wine Country
The Californian wine country is in the North San Francisco Bay area, with over 800 wineries located all along this scenic route. The Bay area encompasses some of the world’s most famous wine regions, including Napa Valley and Sonoma.
The success of these famous regions within the Bay area is largely to do with the sound soil composition and ideal climatic conditions. Each region is fortunate to have a wide range of temperatures and soil types, allowing the brilliant variety of grapes to thrive here.
/ 2013 / 2014 Vintages On Salebenchland Select Vine Hill And Napa Cab
The name Cakebread is synonymous with Quality & Family... founded by Jack Cakebread in 1973, this top tier California winery is still family-owned and operated to this day. Jack grew up on an orchard ranch in Contra Costa county, then after serving in the Air Force and working as an acclaimed photographer, he embarked on a grape growing and wine making journey which turned out to become one of California’s most celebrated and in-demand wineries. We are proud to offer 3 vintages of Cakebread’s limited production Benchland Select, crafted from two vineyards planted on gravelly, loamy soils in the western benchlands of Napa. 2012, 2013 and 2014 were all top, top vintages, and are ideal for mixing a case to create vertical tastings to enjoy over the next decade+. The Vine Hill 2014 below is made from a single vineyard in Oakville. And finally, we are offering a special price on 2014 Napa Cabernet for an added bonus!!!
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Pairing #2 ~ Chardonnay Reserve With Eggs Benedict
This bold and balanced Chardonnay reflects abundant yellow apple, vanilla, baking spice, and brioche aromas followed by delicious juicy melon and peaches on the palate. This Carneros Chardonnay is rich enough to compliment the creaminess of a classic Eggs Benedict! If you need a simple Eggs Benny recipe to whip up for brunch, head to Cooking Classy’s page here!
Cakebread Cellars Wine Tasting: 9/10
Considerations: Quality of wines, size of pours, value for money
Because of its size, Cakebread Cellars offers wine tastings by-appointment only. Appointments must be booked and paid for in advance on Cakebreads website, and the winery allows guests to cancel reservations for a full refund at least 48 hours in advance. For the standard tasting, the maximum group size is 6-8 people and costs $25 per person. We had mixed feelings on this, having to pay up front is never preferred, but it was nice to not have to worry about cash changing hands or pulling out the credit card.
The standard tasting at Cakebread Cellars included a mix of red and white wines, in addition to a tour of the facilities and overview of the wine making process. Throughout the tasting, we explored various venues around the winery, including the barrel room, fermentation room and alongside the vineyard. Cakebread seems to really pride itself on educating visitors about every aspect of their wines – from how they maintain the vines and decide which grapes to pick, to blending a perfectly consistent batch of Merlot time and time again. It was extremely interesting and really enhanced the wine tasting experience!
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Winemaking: Where Tradition Meets A Forward
Winemaking at Cakebread Cellars is today led by winemaker Julianne Laks and cellar master Brian Lee, who have been with the company for 26 and 25 years, respectively. While the team works hard to maintain the companys bedrock values of continuity and stability, the winemaking style is in constant evolution in order to adapt to changing palates. The team has embraced techniques like whole-cluster pressing white grapes to enhance freshness and varietal expression, aging Chardonnay on its lees to achieve a rich, creamy style at the tasting and carrying out malolactic fermentation on the white wine in order to soften any excess acidity gained from harvesting early . This makes them exquisite wines to pair with food.
Most recently, Cakebread Cellars has invested in state-of-the-art technologies, including a brand new juice chemistry analyzer, destemmer and sorter. At the winery, close attention it paid to finding new ways to generate and conserve energy in an effort to be as sustainable as possible and preserve the winery and vineyard for generations to come.
Cakebread Cellars Is A Green
A green-certified winery, Cakebread has been an industry leader in sustainability for more than 45 years and is constantly innovating in the vineyard. Ultimately, the family says We want to make decisions that outlast us, says Jaeger. Sustainability is a core value here. People walk the walk, they talk it, and its really ingrained into the organization.
Cakebread farms either organically or with sustainable practices, such as using raptor perches, owl boxes, and a falconer for pesticide-free pest and rodent control. The vineyards are irrigated with recycled water. Cakebread has also tested a biofiltration water system that can reduce the use of energy by 95 percent and improve wastewater quality. Were trying to make sure that were looking at all of our vineyards in terms of ecosystem management and understand that every input into our vineyard system has a lasting and rejuvenating effect, says Asimont, who is also researching carbon sequestration and carbon farming, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are believed to be able to help mitigate climate change.
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Chicken In Red Wine Sauce
I have prepared this delicious Chicken dish using CAKEBREAD CELLARS Merlot. Founded in 1973, Cakebread Cellers is the second California winery to achieve Napa Green certification.
They are also certified as Fish Friendly and participate in the Certified California Sustainable Wine growing program. Learn about their growth and journey in this website.
I used Cakebread Cellers Merlot to prepare the Chicken dish. The wine has a round aroma with flavors of blackberries and black cherry and a balanced acidity.
As the chicken, carrot and onion simmered in the wine and chicken broth, my entire kitchen smelled delicious and as you can see from the picture, the dish turned out gorgeous.
Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select
learn more about producers & collectors
Wine Spectator | Rating: 93Deliciously ripe and intense, sharply focused, rich and deep, with gobs of complex, earthy currant, tobacco, coffee, mocha …
Self | Rating: 94Author: Maia C Self | Rating: 94Awesome wine, balanced, soft tannins, great raspberry fruit, pepper after openingAuthor: Tj R Self | …
Over 30 years ago, Jack Cakebread came to photograph the Napa Valley for a book and while here, he casually mentioned his interest in one day owning a…
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Cooking The Chicken In The Oven
After following along till step 5, layer everything in an ovenproof dish, and bake for 30 minutes in a 375 F preheated oven.
The dish can be enjoyed with mashed potatoes, or rice or some crusty bread or simply salad. The key to the dish is to use a good quality wine for the best taste and flavor.
I will highly recommend Cakebread Cellers Merlot.
The dish might include a few extra steps but overall, I find it very easy to prepare the dish and flavor comes out robust with amazing texture.
