A Week In Napa – Part 3

One of the highlights of my week in Napa was a trip to Cakebread Cellars for a Wine & Food Pairing Experience.  The only bad part of this experience was the torrential downpour that I encountered on my drive up the St. Helena Highway to Rutherford and the Cakebread Cellars. Once inside the tasting room with it’s cozy barn like appearance the rain no longer mattered.  I was greeted by smiling faces and my rain jacket and umbrella were quickly replaced with a lovely glass of Cakebread Chardonnay, “what bad weather?”  The warm reception was just a precursor to the hospitality shown during this experience.  Next I was introduced to my tour guide who informed me that the resident chef Brian Streeter wanted to meet with me during my time at Cakebread.  You can imagine, I was elated to hear I would visit with the chef.  I purchased The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook to be sure I obtained his autograph.

Cakebread was founded in the most humble beginnings.  Owners Jack and Dolores Cakebread purchased a cow pasture, old barn with a dirt floor and a century-old house that didn’t even have a foundation, in 1973 for a $2,500 down payment.  They had fallen in love with Napa, traveling there often from their home in Oakland, California.  The day after they purchased the ranch they began to make plans to plant a vineyard with the intention of selling grapes to vintners in the valley.  After a year they realized that they too could be doing what their winemaker neighbors already were doing – making wine.  From those modest beginnings this family business has grown from 157 cases in 1973 to an annual production of 85,000 cases.  For a quick summary of how Cakebread has grown over the years read this.  The Cakebreads have been married for over 50 years and theirs is story of diligence, hardwork, vision, friendliness and love.

After a brief account of the history of the vineyard and it’s owners, we were lucky, thanks to all that rain outside, to be forced to walk through the winery on our way to the private room where we would sip and savor Cakebread wines and the chef’s flavorful appetizers.  Wine is my beverage of choice after 5p.m.and I enjoy many varieties of wine but when it comes to knowing all there is to know about wines – good grief – I have so much to learn.  It’s overwhelming to hear the guide talk about the entire process but I appreciate all there is to hear.  Just looking at these giant stainless steel vats and equipment is amazing and beyond this are hundreds upon hundreds of French Oak barrels, all stamped with info for the winemakers to keep track of  their precious commodity.

Inside Cakebread Cellars

Cakebread Cellar French Oak Barrels

After a lesson in grape growing and wine production we proceeded to our private room to begin our tasting.  There were 6 others in my group, all as happy as I to be there on this cloudy, wet day.  The Wine & Food Pairing Experience takes about 90 minutes total yet I never felt rushed.  Asking questions is encouraged and all questions were answered intelligently by our host.

As we approached our glass enclosed  room the chef was plating our food.  I loved that!  Not his sous chef or an assistant but Chef Brian himself!  About the time we entered the room the bottom fell out of the clouds and we could see the rain pour heavily through the floor to ceiling windows.  The relentless wind and rain actually helped to set the stage for a pleasant and entertaining time.

Chef Brian Streeter

Food & WIne Pairing Experience

See the glass with the Cabernet already poured?  Our host poured it first to allow time for it to breath before we tasted it.  Each of the others were poured at the time we would taste and a description of each wine as well as the food paired with it was given.  Before we began tasting Chef Brian greeted us and told us a bit about his concepts of healthy, local and seasonal foods. Finally it was time to taste some fantastic wines and appetizers.

Cakebread Cellars Wines

You can see the featured wines above .  We began with a 2010 Chardonnay paired with Tortilla Espanola, a classic Spanish egg dish which was the perfect vehicle to highlight the beautifully balanced Napa Valley Chardonnay.  A simple dish of eggs, onion and potatoes, seasoned only with onions and salt.  2013 Napa Valley Chardonnay boasts fresh, fragrant, apple, melon and pear aromas with a hint of oak spice. Rich and mouthfilling on the palate, its smooth, beautifully balanced, yellow apple, nectarine and honeydew melon flavors segue into a long, succulent finish enhanced by refreshing mineral and spicy oak tones.

Next up was a 2012 Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros.  Coupled with Gougeres with Dungeness Crab and Avocado Salsa.  Classic Gougere or cheese puff showcasing the round, rich flavors of this Chardonnay Reserve.  Creamy cheese and silky crab marry well with the texture of this wine, which is fermented in those heavenly French oak barrels.  Full-bodied and mouthfilling on the palate, with luscious, impressively concentrated apple, pear and melon flavors, this Chardonnay finishes showcasing ripe fruit, spicy oak and refreshing mineral tones.

Third we tasted a 2012 Pinot Noir which was matched with Portabella Fries with Meyer Lemon Aioli.  While every appetizer served was delicious, this was my favorite, as I love portabellos and these were amazing, lightly breaded with panko and parmesan. Apple Barn Pinot Noir displays high-toned dark cherry, blueberry, black raspberry and plum aromas with hints of earth and spice.  An opulent Pinot Noir – I want more!

Our final tasting was a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, which by now had had time to breath and was full of dark cherry and boysenberry fruit flavors.  We all know a glass of cabernet served with a flavorful steak is hard to beat and the Thai Beef Salad in a Lettuce Cup was a wonderful version of that. Steak marinated in soy sauce, garlic, cilantro and canola grilled to medium rare and tossed in a lemongrass dressing was the perfect compliment to this wine with it’s ripe fruit, dark chocolate and wood spice tones.  A favorite to be sure.

Cakebread Cellar Corks

After a leisurely sip and savor of these fine wines and fantastic food, sadly, it was time to make our way back to the front tasting room and say our goodbyes.  I met with the chef and visited for a bit before asking him to sign my cookbook, which he cheerfully did.  I’m adding it to my collection of cookbooks signed by their authors, that’s another post.  The friendliness of each person I encountered on my visit to Cakebread truly made the experience one I won’t soon forget.  I definitely plan on returning for more of their hospitality, to savor the fine wines, relish in some tasty food and learn more about this wonderful operation and all that makes it what it is.  A gem in the heart of Napa Valley.