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An American Legacy
article by Katheryn Freeberg is president, son Dennis Cakebread is senior vice-president of Sales and Marketing, and Karen Cakebread, wife of Bruce, is winery events director and assistant international marketing manager. Wine expert, Michael Weiss, summarizes simply that the outstanding quality of wines that come from the Cakebread Cellar is a result of their commitment to “no shortcuts.” Each year, at the Harvest Workshop, Weiss, professor of Wine and Spirits of the Culinary Institute of America, teaches the art of creating a meal around a noble bottle of wine. A master chef, Weiss is an author, lecturer, television and radio host, and a recipient of the St. Vincent Diploma of Honor from the Corporation des Vignerons des Champagne France. He expounds the chemistry of the perfect meal and defeats many misconceptions of the pairing of wines through a simple experiment that can be done in the comfort of one’s home. American Harvest Workshop attendees receive samples of lemongrass citrus vinaigrette, pistachio oil, tapenade, tomato salsa, barbeque sauce, and artichoke puree. Each sample is then tasted with wines in spectrum from Sauvignon Blanc to aged Cabernet Sauvignon. The results are quickly discernable. In Weiss’ own words, “The Workshop is a haven that stimulates respect for the harvesters of the raw materials that sustain us and the guides that transform them to their gastronomic destiny. The varied expressions of Cakebread Cellars’ wines and the generosity of the Cakebread family provide a home that nurtures all involved. Hands-on education is enhanced by levity, fine foods, and delicious wines.” The recent Harvest Workshop kept with the Cakebread tradition of attendance by some of the most dynamic chefs on the continent. Featured chefs included: Tom Wolfe, chef and owner, Wolfe’s of New Orleans; executive chef Ned Bell, Murieta’s West Coast Grill in Calgary, Alberta; executive chef Robert Sulatycky, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago; executive chef Martin Hamann, Fountain Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia; and Wally Jo, chef and owner, Wally Joe’s of Memphis, Tennessee. These imaginative, culinary experts designed menus from the bounty of the Napa Valley purveyors and Cakebread Wines for two exciting evening meals. The results were brilliant and delightful. The host of purveyors that displayed their wares on the Cakebread Winery’s shady lawn included: Bellwether Farms, a producer of artisan cheese; Broken Arrow Ranch, a supplier of American game; California Vegetable Specialties, a specialist in endive production; Cow Girl Creamery, featuring cheese specialties; Gourmet Mushroom; Hog Island Oyster Company; Marshall’s Farm Honey; Napa Valley Lamb Company; Napa Valley College Potters Guild; Omega 3 Seafoods; Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company; Rancho Gordo, specialist in wonderful varieties of beans; Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker; Skyhill Napa Valley Farms, a producer of goat products with a focus on excellent yogurt; Wolfe’s Quality Quail; Sparrow Lane Vinegars; Sonoma Country Poultry; and Forni-Brown-Welsh Gardens, a grower of specialty crops for chefs across the United States. The Cakebread Winery is open daily for tasting and tours. Reservations can be made at 707/963-5222. Call the Cakebreads for more information or visit their website. Wines are available for purchase at www.cakebread.com. Article by Katheryn Freeberg, copyright 2005. All rights reserved. Photographs by Terry McCarthy and Katheryn Freeberg. Author, publisher, journalist, editor, and owner of Michael S. Andrews Publishing LLC, Katheryn is also recognized as a marketing specialist, along with a history of advertising and sales expertise. She makes her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
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