Jack Cakebread came to photograph the Napa Valley twenty-five years ago for a book and while he was here, he casually mentioned his interest in owning a vineyard to some family friends who had a ranch in Rutherford. When he returned home that afternoon, the phone rang and it was the family friends offering to sell their property. He headed back up to the valley that same afternoon and Cakebread Cellars was born.
On the occasion of their silver anniversary, the Cakebread family is reflecting upon profound changes in the wine industry over the past twenty-five years. Although there are innovative improvements in grape growing, a new winery, new wines and new ways of reaching consumers, the key values have not changed at Cakebread Cellars. Dedication to making the highest quality wines and a commitment to family has followed a continuum as the small vineyard grew into a thriving internationally distributed wine company.
Their first vintage--157 cases of 1973 Chardonnay--was sold to Phil Faight of Groezinger's Wine Shop in Yountville. He in turn sold to a small audience of premium wine drinkers who primarily drove up from the Bay Area on weekends to visit the country. "Two or three cars an hour would be on the road and we would all stop and look to see who was coming," said Jack as he thought of his original neighbors who became some of the "legends of the wine industry - Mondavi, Martini, Heitz, BV's Tchelistcheff and Christian Brothers "Brother Tim." Today, traffic is about 30 cars-a-minute as the world comes to visit the Napa Valley wine country.
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Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2006
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BN#206230 |
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The 2006 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh, rich and vivacious white wine, displaying enticing grapefruit, gooseberry, kiwi, green apple and hay aromas. On the palate, its rich, full-bodied, green apple and citrus flavors, accented by notes of peach and varietal spice, are balanced by crisp natural acidity and ... more
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Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2007
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BN#243169 |
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They night-harvest their Sauvignon Blanc grapes at cool temperatures to preserve their fresh, vibrant flavors and achieve an ideal balance of sugar and acidity. After the grapes arrive at the winery, they immediately press the whole clusters to maximize varietal character while minimizing the extraction of astringent compounds from the ... more
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