Why Cakebread Cellars Is One Of Napa's Best Success Stories

(Forbes) - When the team at Cakebread Cellars broke ground on Suscol Vineyard, a wild undeveloped property just south of Napa, a female mountain lion and her cubs kept watch on the process from a nearby rocky perch. Director of Vineyard Operations, Toby Halkovich, recalls, “She just sat there with her two cubs, watching us plant the vines. We all joked that no one should cough or limp. It was a bit unnerving, but she never did anything but observe.” To this day, almost 8 years later, the mountain lions continue to keep to themselves, living amongst the vines.

The Suscol Vineyard, which was something of a gamble for the Cakebread family, is one of the most extraordinary properties I’ve ever seen. Its abundance is palpable. Vines are planted near rich riparian edges and native grasses. Wild turkeys scamper about; eagles soar above, eyeing the jack rabbits and rattlesnakes…everything seems content. Except for the vines, they struggle, and Toby likes it that way. If I had to come back as a grape vine, I’d want to be one growing in Halkovich’s vineyard. He’s a detail fanatic, checking each and every Cakebread property at least once a week (that’s 510 acres on 15 estate vineyards). He likes uniformity and balance. He leverages all the technology he can, but never relies on it completely, always using his eyes to assess the situation. No vine goes unnoticed under his watch.

Indeed, detail fanatics populate the Cakebread team, and leading the way are brothers Bruce and Dennis Cakebread. Under their guidance (Dennis oversees winemaking with winemaker Julianne Laks, Bruce is President), this winery has evolved over 40 years into a consistent, award-winning and much-loved producer. In fact 2013 celebrates their 40^th year of wine production. To put that in perspective, consider this: the Mondavi family was the 33^rd winery to be bonded in Napa; the Cakebread family winery was 39^th.

Considered one of the patriarchal families of Napa, Cakebread tends to fly under the radar, largely because they aren’t rife with drama or even remotely controversial. Maybe it’s the family history in the auto repair business that keeps them authentic and refreshingly simple; they’re all nuts and bolts, no drama. Cakebread is famed for it’s Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, what is less well-known is the fact that Dennis Cakebread has spent the last 10 years fighting for direct shipping rights on behalf of his winery, his fellow winemakers in Napa and wineries elsewhere. It’s also probably not advertised that Bruce is serving a second term as president of the Napa Valley Vintners Association and you might not know that the winery is a vital player in The Napa River Restoration project.