Cakebread Cellars

Best Wine Clubs (with video)

Filed under: Wine

The best wine clubs in the U.S. include several award-winning wineries that produce some of the best wine this country has to offer. Luxist examined the benefits of some of the best, most popular ones, including those from Domaine Carneros, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Duckhorn Vineyards, Far Niente and Cakebread Cellars. There are certain advantages to be had when subscribing to a wine club offered directly from a winery. Here is what we learned:

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards
Located just outside the historic town of Kenwood, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, is known for its intensely flavored and complex award-winning wines. St. Francis grows 100% of its grapes in Sonoma County and was among the first to plant Merlot in the Sonoma Valley, enduring many a raised eyebrow for daring to plant a blending grape on prime soil. In June, the winery was a Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Nominee for Best Domestic Red Wine.

Wine Club:
St. Francis offers three different wine clubs. Called "The Patrons Society", the difference between the three options are selections and shipping schedules. Its "red wine club" ships four, six or eight times per year. The "white wine club" includes six-bottle shipments four times a year (February, May, September and November). The Zinfandel Wine Club ships three bottles per shipment over a six month schedule (February, March, May, June, September and November).

Benefits of Membership:
Members are given the ability to sample small production wines before they are released to the public. Often, the wines are so exclusive, that only wine club members have the opportunity to purchase them, as most never hit store shelves.

Discounts:
Members receive a 20% discount on all Artisan wines and a 25% discount on all Sonoma County tier wines. They also receive a 20% discount on all retail merchandise and on reserve wine & food pairings for two (reservations required).

Freebies:
Complimentary wine tastings at St. Francis' Visitors Center and opportunities for "members only" activities at the winery. Members also receive recipes from the winery's Executive Chef, David Bush, for foods that pair well with the wines. Invitations are extended to members for St. Francis regional events around the country.

Cost:
Price varies, depending on size of shipment and does not include tax and shipping (which costs $14 to $21 for a three bottle shipment by UPS Ground). The white wine club ranges from $80 (for a four bottle shipment) to $91 (for a six bottle shipment). The zinfandel wine club ranges from $96 to $108 (for three bottle shipments). Click here to sign up for the wine club. For more information, call (800) 650-5437.

Gallery: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

The dining room at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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Cakebread Cellars Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Cakebread Cellars, a recent Luxist Award winner,has a new release that is the culmination of 11 years of planning, planting and trial winemaking. The single-estate mountain-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Dancing Bear Ranch is named after the property which straddles 200 acres on Howell Mountain on the northeastern slopes of the Napa Valley. The land was acquired by the Cakebread family in 1998. The sloped vineyards looks out over Bell Canyon and the ranch is ringed with ridges of fir, oak and pine trees. Grapes in a challenging spot often yield some of the best wine and the unique position of the land has led to a distinctive wine with rich, ripe fruit flavors.

The 2006 Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is the first national release. It consists of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc) and 2,500 cases were produced. The bottle features the name of the ranch and the rendering of a golden bear. It sells for $106. It can be enjoyed now or for those interest in delayed gratification it can be aged 7-10 more years in your cellar.

Tags: cabernet sauvignon, Cakebread, Cakebread Cellars, napa valley wine, wine

Cakebread Cellars Wins the Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic White Wine

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Cakebread Cellars, in Rutherford, Ca., is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic White WIne.

The winery, renowned for its Chardonnay wines, is owned by the Cakebread family, who are known for being among the most creative and successful winemaking families in Napa Valley.

The winery has a reputation for producing world-class wines. Cakebread attributes its success to its focus on quality, consistency and continuity, characteristics which are applied to the grapes, its wines, its staff and the operation of the winery, itself.

Gallery: Cakebread Cellars

Cakebread's roots date back to trip Jack Cakebread made in the early 1970's when he came to photograph the Napa Valley and casually mentioned his interest in one day owning a vineyard to family friends who owned a ranch in Rutherford. When he returned home that afternoon, the phone rang---it was the friends offering to sell their property. Cakebread headed back up to the valley that same afternoon to make his best offer, and Cakebread Cellars was born. Today a team of seven Cakebread family members leads the winery.

Cakebread Cellars has vineyard properties located throughout Napa Valley in addition to a recently added parcel in the Anderson Valley. The winery owns 13 sites totaling 420 acres, 340 of which are currently planted. Unlike many other wineries, Cakebread feeds its white grapes directly to a press where the juice is gently extracted without crushing (called whole cluster pressing) and only the juice is fermented.

All tours and tastings are made by appointment. They are conducted in various venues around the winery--in barrel rooms, in the fermentation room and occasionally alongside the vineyard or on a patio when production schedule and weather permits. Call ahead to make appointments, as weekends and holidays book quickly.

Tags: awards-main, best white wine, Cakebread, Cakebread Cellars, Chardonnay, luxist-awards, wine, winner-wine, winners-wine, winners-wines