Travel
Cakebread Cellars: A wine tasting primer + A tasting
January 24, 2011 | 
Author 
In December I got a tweet from Cakebread Cellars: “Our wines are vegan!” You don’t have to tell me twice! (See my post Vegan Wine? if the concept of “vegan wine” is new to you.)
We exchanged email addresses and the next thing I knew I was planning to meet the fine folks at Cakebread on my trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley in January.
I asked if the winemaker would consider writing a tasting “primer” for me, and my readers, in advance of the trip. I am so happy she said yes!
***
Meet the winemaker: Julianne Laks
Julianne Laks was appointed Cakebread Cellars winemaker in 2002, becoming only the third winemaker in its 35 plus year history and the only non-family member to hold the position. She joined the winery in 1986 as a part-time lab technician, later becoming an enologist and an assistant winemaker under winemaker, Bruce Cakebread. Julianne was promoted to winemaker when Bruce became president and chief operating officer succeeding his father, Jack, who continues as chairman and CEO of the winery. Julianne’s winemaking skill, artistic passion and intimate understanding of the vineyards are just a few of the reasons Julianne was chosen to follow in Bruce’s footsteps. In 1977, Julianne graduated from UC Davis, where she was one of only two women to earn a degree in fermentation science that year.
A great way to learn more about wine is to visit a winery where you can evaluate the wines through an educational tasting. When planning a trip to a wine region, it’s always good to focus on 3-4 wineries per day. I like to choose a particular area for its distinctive microclimate and terrain. For instance, within the Napa Valley appellation or AVA (American Viticultural Area) there are 15 sub appellations. These 15 regions are growing areas that each has distinct soils, climates, elevations and terrain that are best suited to specific grape varieties. So, for instance, I might decide to visit 3 wineries in the Stag’s Leap District for one day’s wine tasting trip. The most vivid characteristics of a growing area can be most easily identified and the comparison of wines is very meaningful.
A reliable tasting room attendant will guide you through the wine tasting, giving you pertinent information about the vintage, winemaking methods, sensory attributes of the wine, food pairings, etc. This will enhance your tasting experience and foster your ability to describe the qualitative aspects of the wines.
I like to think that every sip of wine tells a story. The sensory evaluation of each wine should encompass the elements of sight, smell and flavor. And the best part is to savor the sensations that you have just experienced and focus on your impressions. The progression of sensations when tasting a wine should unfold like a story with a beginning, middle, and an end. The more you experience wine tasting, the more acute you will be in detecting what you enjoy or what may be missing from the storyline.
Allow plenty of time to do wine tasting, and as early as possible before a meal when your taste buds are very acute. Also, it’s best to refrain from wearing cologne or perfume as it impairs your ability to evaluate the wines.
***
Thank you, Julianne, for this terrific primer on wine tastings! My friends and I put this information to good use!
We were greeted at Cakebread Cellars by Christopher Huber, Direct Sales Manager,
the man behind that December tweet! He set up a a wonderful tasting, which included a tour of the facility, led by John.
who was a wealth of information, not just about the wines but about the history of the winery.
All Cakebread wines are bottled on the premises.
We watched this gentleman stirring
the 2010 Chardonnay.
This is the ceiling of one of the rooms. Can you guess how many corks filled the ceiling?
I know but I can’t tell. You’ll have to visit to find out!
Tasting time!
John described Cakebread Cellars wines as very food friendly…
.. a “foodie” wine. Though originally focused on restaurants they feel their wines should be on the table to share with family and friends.
And then he started pouring
My favorites:
2008 Reserve Chardonnay: Tasty (I’m not big into whites…)
2007 Merlot: Smooth
2006 Cabernet Sauvingnon: Flavorful
2007 Syrah: Delicious (hand’s down favorite)
After the tasting John walked us around the back so that we could see the garden
that was not compromised
when the vineyard expanded.
Cakebread Cellars also offers cooking classes at their winery kitchen (next time, I want to get in on that!)
I cannot thank Christopher, John and Julianne enough for the generosity of their time and their enthusiasm in educating us about wine tastings in general and specifically the wonderful wines of Cakebread Cellars.
Cakebread Cellars
8300 St. Helena Hwy
Rutherford, CA 94573
Phone: (800) 588-0298
cellars@cakebread.com
All Tastings and Tours are by Prior Appointment. Call (800) 588-0298
***
Stay tuned! My next vegan wine post, “An afternoon with the winemaker at Schug Carneros Estate,” is coming soon!
Originally posted on JL goes Vegan: Food & Fitness with a side of Kale. Follow JL on Twitter.
Foodnuts in Flanders
Last spring we traveled to Europe and went on a river cruise on the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. We started in Basal, Switzerland, and ended in Bruges, Belgium. We thought we’d share some of our food experiences from that trip, in no particular order. So, for our first post, we will showcase a dinner in Bruges. Belgians love to eat good food and there are places all over that serve spectacular food. It has been said that Belgium serves food of French quality in German quantities. Diners can expect high standards of ingredients and preparation but with a lack of pretentiousness of presentation. A number of traditional Belgian dishes use beer as an ingredient. For a rather small country, Belgium produces a huge number of beers in a wide range of different styles. It has more distinct types of beer than anywhere else in the world. You can drink different beers depending on whether you’re having fish/seafood, white meat/chicken, dark meat or dessert, much like you would choose different wines to complement a meal.
For our dinner in Bruges we ordered a typical Belgian dish, Flemish beef stew. Flemish beef stew is very similar to French boeuf bourguignon but uses beer instead of wine. The beer is representative of the region so the stew we had in Bruges was made with a dark beer from that area. Since there are so many different regional beers in Belgium, if you were to have Flemish beef stew in another area it would be prepared with that area’s typical beer and taste different from the one we had in Bruges. The restaurant is La Dentelliére. Their website is http://www.ladentelliere.be
Here is a picture of our dinner of Flemish beef stew.
Some diners had mussels.
And don’t forget dessert.
Here is a picture of typical Belgian waffles. They’re HUGE! No syrup. It’s whipped cream on top along with fruit or chocolate.
Top 5 Restaurants of 2010 – Reviews and inspiration on another year of eating
2010 was another great food year and for me personally it was an opportunity to eat all over at exciting restaurants old and new. Here is a quick peek back at some of my favorites and places I recommend if you are in town…
It was difficult to narrow a list to 5 when I took more than 24 trips and visited 50 (or more) restaurants. These places are geographically diverse, from the lower-east side of Manhattan, through Kentucky, up to Toronto and even out to the west coast.
Let’s get to it! You can find my reviews (if finished) by following a link in each title.
Bacon Maple Doughnut, I love you Portland
9 a.m., 42° and the best brunch you can have are these steamed and fried dumplings. Cilantro Soy Sauce and enough hot chili to warm the coldest fingers.
This one was featured on Food Network’s Triple-D, it is a funky place that has the best burgers period, and filet mignon chili. The drive out of town is worth it.
Otarian: “food fast, not fast food”
I attended a day-long conference in Manhattan Friday. I knew I didn’t want to eat the “boxed lunch” that would be provided so I checked out Happy Cow: Compassionate Eating Guide to see what vegan options may be nearby and found that Otarian was just a few blocks away.
I started following Otarian on Twitter and Facebook when they announced the opening of several NYC locations but somehow I have never had lunch there.
At noon I left the conference (after a highly entertaining keynote address from New York Times tech columnist David Pogue) to grab a quick lunch at Otarian on 8th Avenue.
I perused the menu.
Otarian offers lacto-ovo vegetarian options and vegan options (and some of the lacto-ovo options can be made vegan upon request.)
Did you know that in New York City chain restaurants are required to provide calorie information? I ordered the Indian Chutney burger and the Sweet Potato Chiplets anyway 
The burger was delicious. Spicy and hearty.
I’m a sucker for a sweet potato
and these did not disappoint.
For $10.83 I got the burger, fries and a bottle of water.
Does $11 for fast food seem steep to you? First, it’s Manhattan! Second, it’s vegan! Third, it’s food fast, not fast food
and worth every penny.
I will definitely eat at Otarian again.
Otarian
947 Eighth Ave
New York, NY 10019
and
154 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10012
Originally posted on JL goes Vegan: Food & Fitness with a side of Kale. You can follow JL on Twitter and Facebook.
Posted in Restaurants, Travel | 
Tags: otarian, sweet potato fries, vegan fast food, veggie burger | 
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A Very British Food Revolution
This year, like many others previous, I holidayed the coasts of Europe, namely the wonderfully sunny South of France. As well as a warm week on the French coast, I also spent a fortnight in America.
Although I have alot of French family, I would never ever class myself as a Francophile in any sense of the word, but holidaying in France is not only convenient, but it’s also relatively hassle free. After all, you can reach it by train, plane or boat.
France has sun, some splendid beaches and is very family-friendly as well as making the perfect getaway for a couple’s weekend. The food, as I’m sure those of you who read any David, Mayle, Olney, Fisher, have ever eaten at Raymond Blanc’s or ever seen a cookery show on TV will recognise, is pretty good. I have no desire to sound like an espadrille and straw hat wearing Englishman-in-Provence stereotype but, yep, they got fruit, they got veg and they’ve got meat.
No doubt you’re aware that France, with its vast, regions of endless mineral-rich, fertile fields have some fantastic produce, world class in fact. The wine, oils, cheeses and meats are all top notch stuff and for many years have put British foods to absolute shame. Previously restaurants would often bypass British produce opting for French, Italian and Spanish goods to sit proudly on their menus instead of home grown.
But in just the last few years there has been a silent but swelling revolution, a food revolution, a British led food revolution that is totally unique to this island. We have in the space of a few years become the world leaders in quality and variety. People are protesting with their plates and shopping bags, no longer do they want Chicken Dippers and Turkey Twizllers, chemical and additive rich foods, just good, simple, honest stuff.
Producers based in and around the South-West, Cotswolds, Surrey and London are finally receiving recognition for their hard work, local produce is officially back in fashion, beautifully crafted goods from smaller producers can be seen on menus and in Delis, farm shops and even on Supermarket shelves. Leading the way are some colourful characters, sure we’ve all seen Jamie Oliver travelling round calling this and that ‘puka mate’, and we’ve seen the Hairy Bikers riding around telling us all about food that they champion, but who are the real champions at a local level in this revolution?
Well I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear there are quite alot and where I live in the Cotswolds the change in food production, marketing and selling has been drastic. No longer to people want cheap anything goes food packed full of additives and chemical nasty’s. Good food is here to stay in Britain but as I discovered in America this ethos has not yet landed on US shores.
Champions such as Rob Rees the Cotswold Chef, Farmers markets around Gloucestershire, television presenter Tom Herbert owner of Hobbs House bakery’s in Nailsworth are setting the trend for the new generation of foodies.
Companies such as the Cotswold-based Winstone’s Ice Cream have managed to defy the Global recession and continue to grow, and with growth innovate and adapt their already world famous product.
The company started in 1925 by Albert Winstone’s, is now owned and run by Albert’s great granddaughter Jane Vear. Along with her two sons Tom and Benjamin Vear they have managed to attract new customers by ensuring that their ice cream is made with the finest possible local ingredients. The shift to using local fruit, milk and cream has been gradual, costs have increased but their customer base understands that quality costs more.
Along with adapting recipes that are almost a century old, bringing ingredients up to date and using local producers the company has also began to undertake a program of green initiatives including recycling all of their cardboard and plastic waste.
For Jane’s son Ben, who looks after the majority of the companies communications it is not just important to take these steps; recycling waste, supporting local business and using the highest quality ingredients but as he explained to me, ‘its hugely important to actually communicate to the outside world that we are making these changes, we do this via promotional material, social networking such as twitter and facebook and more directly by telling our customers at the point of purchase’.
British food is back in fashion and inspired by the cultures and daily needs of an indescribably complex group of individuals. Food with resonance, spirit, challenge, not some faded outdated recollection of a mythical, romantic, classical past but instead obsessed with food miles, quality of ingredients and with an audience of ever more conscious eco shoppers. Britain is heads and shoulders above its counterparts, America still has a long way to go and Europe is firmly following the trend.