The American Dream

It was a warm fall day in 2006. My companions and I had been escorted to a set of tables in a clearing near what appeared to be a country cottage. The sun beat down beautifully as the sounds of the Napa river streamed briskly past us. We sat waiting for lunch, shaded by a grove of trees and welcoming the breeze that was picking up through the valley. The excitement of the harvest seemed to breath and pulsate from person to person. At my table, we began to enjoy a selection of sandwiches and salads that had been prepared for us earlier by the vineyard's chef.

My hosts, a man in his 60's, and his wife began to tell us the story of how they founded the winery nearly thirty years ago. He had been a mechanic in San Francisco, and on the weekends, he would drive the hour drive up into Napa to work on the vines that he had purchased there. At that time, the majority of the valley was used for growing crops such as fruits (plums and prunes being very popular) and vegetables. Yet, there were pioneers who would recognize the potential for the area; it was as if they could see how perfect this Eden would be, how renowned it would become. My host continued for many years to enjoy his hobby on the weekends, traveling back and forth between Napa and San Francisco, before finally settling into the full-time wine business he had started.

My hosts and dining companions on this sunny afternoon were non-other than Jack and Dolores Cakebread of Cakebread Cellars. While their wines now connote prestige and world-renowned quality (not to mention a rather hefty price tag), the people behind the wine were sincere, down to earth people who cared about genuine hospitality and something good to eat and drink. As I sat having lunch with them, I couldn't help but think of what an honor it was. It isn't every day that you have lunch with legends. Yet, these perceived legends were more concerned with talking about the local farmers market than global wine economics. They talked about their family and how each of them play a part bringing the wines to fruition. To them, this was their home. This Eden was their paradise found.

Over a year later, I look back fondly on that afternoon. Having lived in Napa Valley for four months prior to this lunch, I learned to appreciate the two very different sides of Napa Valley: what Napa is, and what Napa is perceived to be. The Cakebreads represent what Napa is at its core: a home to farmers and visionaries pursuing the American Dream.

Yes, there are many self made millionaires who simply bought a piece of the action. And yes, Napa is the second largest tourist destination in CA next to Disneyland. But these millionaires and jet-set tourists will probably never understand the foundations and spirit that this valley's reputation was built upon. Where were they when Napa was known for it's prunes rather than it's pinots. It is the Mondavis, the Grgichs, and the Cakebreads that made Napa what it is today.

Jack and Dolores: Cheers to the American Dream.