The Somm Journal

124 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 lie 2 percent ae the transition fro first to second generation and about 12 percent of family businesses make it from second to third generation, so you have to be aware of these challenges and plan for them." Thoughtful Origins and the Careful Balance of Tradition and Technology Alongside his brother Bruce, Cakebread Cellars' President and CEO, Dennis has helped expand the business from the origi - nal 22 acres into 560 prime vineyard acres and decades-long contracts with select growers—all while maintaining a luxury and ultra-premium image familiar to consumers and somms alike for more than 40 years. "It goes back to when we started. The original idea was that we wanted these wines to be at restaurants—enjoyed by two or four people at a table—rather than hidden away in someone's cellar," Dennis explains when asked how they became, and reain, a fiture on fine-dinin wine lists. "This goal morphed into the realization that not many restaurants at the time had good wine glasses that were clean without soap residue, or had proper storage, or that were attentive to proper serving temperature. We realized that the places that paid attention to these details were fine-dinin establish - ments, so we focused on cultivating rela- tionships with these restaurants. For us, the winemaking has essentially stayed the same since we began, but we work on keeping the consistency and the aors." That sentiment is echoed by Winemaker Julianne Laks, who recently celebrated 30 years at Cakebread Cellars. "Stylistically, Cakebread's main emphasis since the begin - ning has been that the wines be fresh and bright and go well with food," Laks explains. "We've never changed course on that." "I always think of my tenure here as tradi - tion blended with technology," Laks contin- ues. "We try to keep on top of the latest research and I've always done a lot of trials in winemaking, attended conferences and seminars at U.C. Davis, and generally kept my eye out for ways to increase the quality of the wines we make without drastically changing the style." Sommeliers Have Their Cakebread (and Drink It, Too) With more than 650 wineries in Napa Valley and a world of options to choose from, som- eliers hae seeinly-infinite possibilities in crafting a wine list these days. So how is it that Cakebread Cellars has maintained its position on the most celebrated of lists, both classic and eclectic? It seemed best to go directly to the source with this question, so we reached out to two sommeliers about their own experiences with Cakebread wines. "I have quite a long history with Cakebread wines," explains Marcello Cancelli, Wine Director at Swift & Sons steakhouse in Chicao. "y first foral ob as a soelier had me take over a Grand Award–winning wine list that featured Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve served by the glass. Since then, the Cakebread wines have been a presence on every wine list I have created in the past 20 years"—a remarkable feat given the sheer number of wines available on the market now. "With their track record of quality, com - mitment to sustainable and organic practices, Dennis Cakebread, Chairman and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Cakebread Cellars, with Winemaker Julianne Laks.

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