Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Workshop

Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Workshop
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Close your eyes and think about what comes to mind when you roll the word cakebread around. Or, as you let the word roll off your tongue, I bet you aren’t sure what to think at all.

And I really bet you aren’t thinking wine, well, that is unless you have tasted it.

Because then you know – Cakebread Cellars, ah yes, that delectable little place in Rutherford, California in Napa Valley where California stands proud.

I have always been a fan of Cakebread Cellars so I was excited when I had the chance earlier this year to visit the Cakebread home and take part in the annual American Harvest Workshop.

Let’s get a lay of the Cakebread land first. Jack and Delores Cakebread are the ones who founded the place and that was after Jack studied photography with Ansel Adams. It was in 1972 he was asked to take photos of some Napa Valley winemakers for a book. He fell in love with the area and the idea of winemaking. Through a chance meeting he made while on his photo mission it eventually led to Cakebread Cellars today with 1,100 acres (more than half of the properties planted to vine) and 14 properties.

You will find Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon on the Cakebread lineup and there is even some Pinot Noir from the Cakebread property in Mendocino County. Overall, Cakebread has accumulated vineyards in 13 different sites around the Napa Valley area and the one in Mendocino. In Napa Valley you will find the footprint on Howell Mountain, in the Carneros region and in the Suscol Springs area of southeastern Napa Valley.

And all of this comes from the humble beginnings in 1973.

So with that as the buildup to Cakebread Cellars let’s talk about the American Harvest Workshop. It was the 30th Anniversary of the workshop that I attended this year. To say that this workshop has become a local tradition in these parts every September during harvest would be an understatement.

Basically, the American Harvest Workshop is a hands-on intensive, four-day affair with tastings, seminars and I even had the chance to get out and harvest the grapes. There were five leading chefs from around the country that joined us too.

While I was there we had the chance to engage in some great conversation, try the best wine Cakebread has to offer and I even took part in a beekeeping seminar (bee suit included).

We learned much about the Cakebread Cellars Culinary Program, which is led by the lovely Chef Brian Streeter who has been with the company for over 25 years. Some of the food used in the Cakebread kitchen comes from Dolores Cakebread’s garden planted on the grounds in a 3/5-acre plot. She is a master gardener and the garden boats 40 beds of ever changing, seasonal produce used in the winery’s kitchen.

The finale for the American Harvest Workshop was the fact that folks attending (including me) were paired with one of the chefs to cook a meal for dinner. The chefs along with the attendees help created a six-course dinner for the final nights served on the Pecan Patio at Cakebread Cellars.

Chefs who attended this year included Todd Hall from Utah/Colorado/New Mexico; Andrew Adams from Memphis, TN; Meredith Manee from Coronado, CA; Austin Fausett from Washington D.C.; Adrienne Grenier from Fort Lauderdale, FL and Thomas Sixsmith from Cakebread Cellars. The pottery used for the casual, but elegant evening was made available by the Napa Valley Potter’s Guild. On the plates, the meal included everything from squash blossoms to Alaskan Halibut to clam shells, duck breast, and even antelope loin with a variety of accouterments alongside and paired with Cakebread Cellar wine.

Final answer, the best dinner and pairing I took part in all year – good food, wine, company and atmosphere and it doesn’t get much better than that.

Sidebar:

American Harvest Workshop Chef Profile

Todd Hall’s first-course for the American Harvest finale meal consisted of Cakebread Cellar’s Garden goodies including arugula, lettuce, squash blossoms with a Sauvignon Blanc syrup drizzle paired with the 2014 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, but he is actually more of a southwestern and French cooking kind of guy. His favorite meal is John Dory sautéed with brown butter and lemon/rack of lamb.

Since Cakebread Cellars brought in a variety of chefs from around the United States, I of course looked for some sort of familiar tie with one of them to personalize the experience. Hall was a shoe-in since he has ties to Dallas. His daughter lives in the Big D and he spent time in Dallas in his earlier years as the sous chef in charge of banquets at the Loews Anatole Hotel.

“The Anatole hired me over the phone and my age was not on my resume,” he said. “I had two years as a chef of one of Salt Lake’s top French restaurants, accompanied by a four-year apprenticeship under a famous French chef. I arrived at the Anatole and they were taken aback when they found out I was only 20 years old and they placed me in charge of a team of 46 cooks of which I was the youngest and $30 million annual banquet revenue. They also had the 1984 Republican Convention being held across the street and President Reagan was staying with us and every other Republican that would fit into the hotel.” Hall said the Anatole was a culinary life changing experience for him and in a book he has coming out in the spring he has dedicated two chapters to it.

Nowadays, he is about to open a new restaurant in Tampa called Suegra Tequila Cantina, he said it is the fifth time he is opening the concept in the United States.

“This is my concept,” he explained. “I have sold it in Boston Temazcal Tequila Cantina, I have sold it in Palm Springs at The Waldorf Astoria Adobe Grill, at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess La Hacienda and The Prado in Balboa Park in San Diego and I just sold it again in Tampa.”

His bio said he was a child prodigy who started working at age 10 in the kitchen of the small lodge where he lived. He began formal training at age 15 and then was the youngest graduating apprentice chef to earn certification from the American Culinary Federation.

It didn’t take him long to end up as the chef de cuisine at Le Parisienne, a French restaurant in Salt Lake City and from there that is when he went on to Dallas at the Loews Anatole Hotel.

He has moved around a bit working as chef or consultant in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Colorado and now in Florida. He is also well-known in the Boston area because he brought not only Mexican cuisine up north, but also 300 tequilas at Temazcal Tequila Cantina.

His last stop before Tampa was La Posada de Santa Fe and the restaurant "Julia” and what I really like about that stop was the place is haunted.

His awards include 1990 Best Hotel Chef in America James Beard Foundation, 1992 Rising Star Chef of the Year Nominee James Beard Foundation and 1990 American Culinary Gold Cup Finalist, to name a few.

Hall said he always knew he wanted to be a chef, and when I ask him about any turning points in his career he said “No turning points, but a few train wrecks.”

As for the Dallas food scene now since he is no longer in that city he said “There are so many great chefs and concepts.”

Interested in hearing more about his concepts, train wrecks and where his concept might end up (tequila included) after Tampa read his upcoming “Trampled Underfoot” released spring 2017.

Fun fact; Cakebread Cellars unveiled a photo exhibit this year by Jack Cakebread showcasing photographs he took over the years in celebration of Ansel Adams, Jack’s mentor of sorts. The showcase is in honor of Adam’s 114th birthday. Visitors will be able to see 10 prints taken by Mr. Cakebread predating the origin of the Cakebread Cellars in 1973. His original Hasselblad Camera is also on display.

“Ansel taught me to see things differently,” Cakebread said. “How to think ahead and anticipate all the small details that go into making an exceptional print.”

The bottom line:

Vineyards: 560 acres under vine

Oakville/Rutherford – 73 acres

Howell Mountain – 29 acres

Carneros – 180 acres

Napa – 135 acres

Calistoga – 33 acres

Anderson Valley – 110 acres

Since 2008, Cakebread Cellars has also been part of a small group of Napa Valley wineries with a green business certification through the “Napa Green Certified Winery” program. The winery has pledged to take part in ongoing sustainable and green business practices including water and energy conservation, reducing waste and preventing pollution.

For more information visit www.cakebread.com.

8300 St. Helena Highway

Rutherford, CA 94573

707.963.5221

For more travel or auto tips follow Rita @RitaCook13 or on Instagram at RitaCook13.

To hear more about Rita’s travels listen to her every Saturday night on WTIM radio at 7 p.m. CST or visit http://theinsidermag.com for archived episodes.

This writer has no financial stake or professional relationship with any brands - auto or travel destinations - that she writes about and the opinions in all articles are solely my own as are the photos/video.

Views for miles ala Cakebread

Views for miles ala Cakebread

A good harvest!

A good harvest!

In the kitchen at the American Harvest Workshop

In the kitchen at the American Harvest Workshop

Time to harvest!

Time to harvest!

Chef Todd Hall

Chef Todd Hall

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