Cakebread Cellars Reviews

I remember visiting Cakebread Cellars when the "tasting room" was little more than a shack on the side of Highway 29 (and so was another favorite Sequoia Grove next door). The good news is that while Cakebread has certainly gotten much bigger over the years, the wine has remained a focus and it shows. An excellent list of varietals and single-vineyard offerings, with most only available to club members or at the winery. And a tasting and tour that remains one of the best and perhaps most reasonably priced in Napa. Departed with two more bottles to share with friends. Thanks Erika (sp?) for a great time. Our family group of nine really enjoyed the history and your hospitality.

Left with a bad taste in my mouth. Nice setting. .Terrible tour. Terrible guide. No instructions provided at the end. I wanted to buy wine. Nothing given on how how to purchase wine, join the wine club, or anything else. Asked the guide, Kathy, for assistance. She said she had to speak with her manager. She walked away. She never returned. So we walked away too, empty handed but with a full wallet. Won’t be back. Won’t ever order Cakebread wine anywhere. Sorry, not sorry.

I wanted to take a moment and really share feedback about my experience with Dean the tour guide host at Cakebread cellars. This was me and my wife’s first Trip to Beautiful Napa Valley. Additionally we have never had a formal tour of a winery. We had no idea what to expect. We watched a lot of videos and read reviews of wineries around the Valley and chose Cakebread Cellars. What landed us at Cakebread was the reasonable price and the opportunity to tour while taste. When we arrived we were very impressed with the beautiful architecture and story that we saw building surrounding the Cakebread family. It was so cool to see the American dream unfold behind the scenes of this beautiful property. Next we were greeted by Dean. His humble presence was very inviting. We quickly could feel his passion and knowledge of wine and specifically how Cakebread believes in their products. It was so interesting to see the story behind all the wine options, and the science that goes into each flavor of each wine. The wines tasted fantastic. But by understanding different techniques and nuances about wine our pallets were enhanced tremendously.
The property was beautiful and the wine tasted fantastic but Dean absolutely made this experience magical for my wife and I. I give this experience an 11 out of 10. Absolutely blew my socks off!

We did a taster on the patio enjoyed our company and the view... the wines we tasted were excellent.
Several of us ordered wines. Our guide was very knowledgeable.

We had an excellent “Wine & Vines” tour with Myles. Absolutely fantastic beautiful venue with a knowledgeable relaxed tour guide. Would definitely recommend to everyone who wants to enjoy fabulous wines in appealing surroundings.

Of all the wineries we went to, this tour was the best with the most engaging guide. Great that you can keep your tasting glass as well.

The wine was surpassed only by the tasting experience provided by our host. Our experience was unhurried and extended beyond what we initially signed up for. The vegetable garden was a pleasure to walk through. Very nice tasting and experience. A must do!!

One of the first tastings my wife and I went to and we loved it. Sam did a great job of explaining the history as well as talking to us about production and the actual wines we were drinking. We really enjoyed moving around to the different tasting rooms as it allowed us to get a little bit of insight into the fermentation and aging process. Highly recommend!

We became members here last summer during Covid and have visited several times as a couple and with our kids (12 and 8.

They always treat our kids super nice and we never feel out of place with them with us.

The wine is excellent and their patio seating for members always feels safe and spacious and is so nice and peaceful.

Cheese tray is yummy and their food and wine pairing is out of this world. Highly recommend!

Cakebread offers some of my favorite chardonnays, and we did not want to miss a tasting there during our recent visit. We had a reservation for 10 persons, and the staff was very informative and efficient. We will return next time we are in the area.

We had such a lovely time at the Cakebread Club Lounge. We were the only ones there when we arrived and were treated to a private and personalized experience tasting delicious wines. Carl was our host, and he answered all our questions and provided wonderful information about the history of the vineyard and wines.

2nd Napa trip in as many months, but first trip to Cakebread. Will not be our last!

Don was our host and he was the most personable and genuine host. His knowledge of the history of the winery is only surpassed by the way he brings its stories to life, all while serving tastes of amazing wines.

Cakebread is known for great wines. Don brings the vineyard and the experience to another level.

We had a tasting and your with Nancy and it was one of the best things we had done in Napa. Everything was so concise yet still fun and relaxing. We have been on a ton of different tours and tastings and Nacy was by far our favourite guide (actually everyone at Cakebread was super helpful). They do want you to make a reservation because they get really busy, but they were able to squeeze us in. So happy we went here :) (only and the wine is out of this world)

The winery is beautiful with so much natural wood and rich smells. We were taken through our tasting tour with Kathy Martin who was completely cordial and knowledgeable about the cakebread wines. She made the tour a fine experience. Plus she was so easy to talk to and answered all of our questions. Thank you to Kathy.

We popped in and they were able to accommodate our party of 6, probably because it was off-season. The person who did our tasting was very nice and we enjoyed the wines. The new facility is really nice and comfortable. I didn't give it 5 stars only because it didn't knock our socks off like some other places we went to. But definitely a good solid choice.

Sadly disappointing. This was a visit we were truly looking forward to I anticipation of tasting some exceptional wine. I doubt that we will be returning.

My mom and I visited and had a wonderful time! We had fantastic service and the scenery was beautiful.

Cakebread Cellars was a bit of a disappointment for us. Maybe it was because our friends had given it rave reviews. We found the cellars to be a bit commercialized and while our host was nice, it felt a bit impersonal.

Friendly, welcoming and great wine tasting in the back where it was private. We enjoyed our selection of wine and the story of who Cakebread Cellars began!

Went with mom and sister and did the food and wine pairing. Had an absolutely wonderful afternoon touring and tasting. It was our favorite tasting in all of Napa and Paso Robles. The food pairings were perfect and the perfect balance with the variety of wine we were able to experience. The Perfect Pair was a great choice and allowed us the ability to sit, relax, and truly enjoy the food and wine. It’s a great option for those that like white as well as reds. And the buildings and tour were beautiful. Lastly, I can not say enough about our host Jeff. He was great!

Had a private tasting here with a group of 10 people. They took us out in their garden for a tasting. Wines seem a little less bold tasting than other wines in the same varietal from other wineries. Great atmosphere however.

Cakebread is another good tasting. They just finished an expansion of their facilities so they can now accommodate more people. So that is good, but part of me kind of liked the old facilities. Still, the Dancing Bear and Vin De Porch make it worth a trip.

Beautiful property, and probably some of the best wine you will taste for the value. The tour is simple around the tasting room (they are building a bigger/better one currently), and made better by the very high level of customer service. Hard to beat this stop in Napa Valley

My boyfriend and I did a red & white wine tasting while in Napa as Cakebread is one of my mom's favorite wineries. Tasting fees were $15/person which were reasonable and the tasting groups were limited to 6 people. The grounds were beautiful and the wines were pretty good (we have opposite tastes so we both had some we liked and didn't like). The only downside we found was they do not have permit where you can buy a bottle of wine and relax/drink on property like some of others we visited.

great wine, but least fun of the vineyards we toured. larger group so i suppose we shouldn't have expected anything else. didn't feel like we learned much about the wine, which was unfortunate since we both like their wines.

Beautiful winery but the wines are very pricey and they were quite stingy with their pours during our tasting. Barely a tasting. Would not pull out anything extra, which was unlike any of the other wineries we visited.

Cakebread is pretty reasonable and has a nice tasting format. You can do a basic tasting for 15/person. Rather than cramming around tasting bar, they walk you around the property through the cellar, gardens, vineyard, etc and give you pours with commentary along the way. They are probably best known for whites and the two chards are pretty good. Wasn't too fond of the Pinot, but the cab and rubaiyat were good. Talk to your tour guide at the end and he or she will give you pours of the reserve wines -- the merlot was special.

In sum, inexpensive and nice tour format.

The gardens are so attractive with the mix of flowers, vegetables, herbs. So fun to stroll through them. The wine tasting itself was rather a let down for me. We were all standing around a bar surrounded by empty wine barrels. Not one chip offered to accompany the wine. Of the six wines offered, I only cared for one. Our wine educator saved the day as she very was pleasant, knowledgeable and told interesting stories about the winery. A table with some chairs, a basket of pretzels would have added a great deal to make the experience more welcoming.

This is a busy spot, probably because the price is right, compared to the other wineries nearby. Nonetheless, we were able to get an appointment with only an hour's notice. Our group of 8 was led to a room right off of the lobby, where we stood on a concrete floor and tasted 6 wines. The bar area where the server poured was not big enough for more than 3 people to stand around.

Our server was very friendly and enthusiastic, but we did not care for any of the wines. Still, a great value in the area.

Definitely a worthwhile tasting! Beautiful property, delicious wine and a lovely family owned business with a fun history.

Absolutely loved the setting, wine is amazing and our hostess Jo was a kick. She was knowledgeable and funny. We will definitely return.

We stopped in for a tasting without reservations and got a bit lucky to get paired up with a group that had room for 2 more. The tasting was in a chilled wine storage room, which always adds to the experience. Cakebread makes some excellent wines and it was a nice tasting, with a number of wines that I really liked. Also tasted a couple of their reserve wines and wow; not cheap but just great wines!

We had an amazing time at Cakebread yesterday. The wine and food pairings were simply outstanding. Jack did a great job in guiding the tour while Jose prepared excellent dishes for us. We hope to come back soon, we highly recommended this winery.

First of all, if you want to do a wine tasting here, you need to make a reservation in advance of coming. Gone are the days when you can just walk in and get a tour on the spot. We arrived in Napa and learned this the hard way. Fortunately it was early in the day, so we made the rez here and then went to lunch and other places, and made this our last stop of the day. It was fantastic. I had done the tour back in 2003 but that place was closed for renovations so we had it at this location. I believe it will eventually move back to the original location. Our tour guide showed up with his basket of wines, and he immediately provided us with a sample even before the tour started (smart guy!). We were able to walk through the vineyards and sample the grapes right off the vine. He also offered us about 6-7 samples along the tour. If you purchase any wine, they refund the wine-tasting fee (which I believe was $15 or $20). Of course, you will want to purchase the wine since it is discounted there and very expensive to buy outside of CA. I highly recommend to visit this place, experience the tour and purchase some wine! 🍷

My husband and I stopped here because he was familiar with the name of the winery since he has worked in fine dining restaurants in the past. Of all the tours we visited, this was the most laid back. Price is great and the wine is delicious, my husband is not a big red wine person and he even loved them! No pressure to buy anything. Tasting is fairly quick and to the point but I never felt rushed, great place to relax and get away from some of the more crowded wineries and tasting rooms, would definitely come back!

Ask for Zach! He was a great guide… very smart and clever / interesting “performer”. The people we ended up with in our group were pretty quiet but Zach’s upbeat energy kept the energy light.

We learned a lot facts about wine making, soil, climate, etc.

This was a very informative tour. Also, the wines are SO GOOD!

Cakebread is a solid vintner with a good selection of quality chardonney and cab along with other varieties. They have the wine tasting/tour business down pat. With their new tasting area and outside patio for club members, the gardens are beautiful. The "hosts" are energetic and well trained. The aren't gouging the consumer with $40 tastings and do offer a nice $15 one. Tours with tasting are a little more. They also do food parings very well, but there are so many terrific restaurants in the valley...how much can one possible eat and drink in a day?

The wine tasting experience was great and our host, Jeff, was excellent. The wines, as always, were top notch. The problem is the fulfillment of any wine order you place. Be prepared for delays and some of our wines were no longer available by the time our order was being shipped. We received our wine a few weeks later than all our other wine deliveries from our Napa visit. However, the wine is consistently great so if you don't mind the delay you'll definitely enjoy the product.

Cakebread is well-known but even without power they were wonderful on the tour. Tour guide was great with great wines and cheese.

We started our tour at 12:30PM. Jeff, our guide state it would be 40 to 45 minutes. He was lacking in the personality department but we pressed on. He was very engaged with the other couple discussing HIS wedding, HIS favorite town and HIS favorite restaurants. As we approached the 55 minute mark, dragged out by his personal life we stated we had to leave. Our driver sent a text that we would be late for our next tour. I politely said, thank you for your time but we have to leave now. HE was the one that made the tour run late. He stated we could not leave unescorted. Even though the door was In view. He stated we had to wait for an escort. We did wait a few minutes for an escort that never came. We then said we had to leave now. He got very agitated and followed us closely. It was the most bizarre experience we have ever had anywhere. It felt like a kidnapping

We booked the in depth tour with tastings. I know cakebread as an excellent wine from back home, so our expectations were high. We were not disappointed. Our guide, I think it was Mary, was very good and could answer all the funny questions we had. And the wines are great. Remember to book the tour beforehand.

My husband and I booked a white wine flight and were surprised to get a mini tour as well. Our tasting was done in a beautiful room inside their wine-making facility. It has recently been redone (within the last few weeks) and it was very beautiful. The grounds are very peaceful. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the wines. We were on the tour with two other ladies who were much more knowledgeable about wines than us, so some of the information was lost in translation, but the tour was nice none the less. We did taste all Chardonnays and they were enjoyable.

I did a $15 tasting which you get to try 6 different wines (3reds 3whites); after you pay they give you a glass and pour your first wine for the tasting.while drinking your first wine they give you a quick tour around before entering inside into the tasting room . All I remember trying was their Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and their blend that had a hint of fig which I can't recall the name of but it was my favorite red blend so far. Our guide was great and very knowledgeable also very friendly! When I earn more I'll go back and buy that red blend!

My family and I had a great time learning and tasting the wines. Definitely a highlight of our trip.

Targeted Cakebread on our trip to Napa. We used our Club Corp membership to book our reservation at 50% off. We did the reserve tasting and our host (Nancy?) was great! She was super fun and shared lots of great information during the tasting. All the wines were excellent and the tasting fees were reasonable. This is a must visit when in Napa!

I absolutely love their wines! Cakebread is perhaps most well known for white wines, but their Cabernet Sauvignon is one of my faves.

I also did a Cabernet and Cassoulet cooking class here and that was so much fun. Chef Brian led the class and was a fantastic teacher. Afterwards, we get to eat our own cooking and the meal is paired with healthy pours of delicious wine. I'd highly recommend the experience!

All the staff at this family-run winery make you feel right at home. The ambiance is warm and beautiful.

Unfortunately we started the day here with rain. Whether I'm staying inside the cell of majority of the time but did book through the courtyard very quickly. Luckily the rain let up for a short while and we were able to go into the garden where our awesome tour guide picked some fresh veggies which were simply amazing. Wine was good and the tour was also a lot of fun.

I visited Cakebread Cellars on vacation recently and was blown away by the incredible service and their wines. Everyone there was friendly and welcoming from the moment we checked in. Claire gave us a tour of the grounds and was very knowledgeable about the winery, local area and flight of wines. I would highly recommend her if you're planning to visit for a tasting! Many thanks to Claire, Ashley, Megan, Chelsea and Matt for making my visit a great one!

This was our 1st stop in Napa and we did a reserve tasting with James. This place set the bar very high for our trip, we joked we should have done it last. The vineyard is gorgeous and our experience was so very special. James was so wonderful and did a great job creating a special experience for our group, not just a tasting. We went out to a cottage little house and had a gorgeous table set up with cheeses and wine. James is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. We left feeling as we had been drinking wine with a friend. The wine was amazing and we took a reserve bottle home for our anniversary. This place is a must do in Napa! We went to 6 vineyards and this was my favorite by far! Splurge for the reserve tasting as they have wines you cannot get anywhere else. Amazing experience!

This is a popular place. We finally were able to fit it in this trip. Wonderful, typical Napa style wines. Add this to the list, it is worth the visit. Great Chardonnay.

Founded in 1973 by Jack & Dolores Cakebread, Cakebread Cellars is one of Napa Valleys iconic family-operated wineries. Known for its Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines, which are internationally distributed.

Their wine is excellent (favorite Chardonnay) the tour was quick but informative. Since you must book to get in, the tasting was much more personal than one of the 'show up and drink' places.

We had an opportunity to do a private tasting at Cakebread and really enjoyed it. The upgraded tasting takes place in a small private tasting room. Only 2 couples were there so we had great attention from a great host, Don. The wines were excellent quality, select wines. We heard very good background on each wine, the grapes, and the aging process, and some nice history of the winery and wine makers. We even got dome extra pours to try and determine which if the premium cabernets we found to be best if the best. This winery is well worth the small premium to get the reserve tasting. For people that appreciate excellent wine, a great choice for a Napa area tasting.

The tour was great, enjoyed the wine. The tasting offered about 4-5 selections. The wine was moderately priced. Recommend their blends.

I went with my sister to Napa to celebrate her 50th birthday. One of our favorite Chardonnays is Cakebread so we scheduled a tour. After reading other bad reviews about their guide, I was a bit worried. However, our guide, Zach, saved the day. Zach's personality was great, so entertaining, and had us laughing throughout the whole tour and made it truly memorable. Zach even found me a piece of volcanic rock obsidian, a very special souvenir.

We had a tasting and tour with a group of 6. We had Dina as our host and she was a lovely guide full of interesting facts about the history of the winery and the Cakebread family that started this business when they were in their forties and several of their sons in college. It’s a very interesting story.

We learned all about the wine making process and how they make the Chardonnay in egg shaped concrete containers and how it helps with the process to create such delicious wines.

Our friends were so impressed that they purchased a membership. We are purchased additional bottles because we loved the wines so much.

The property is gorgeous! We fell in love with this place. Will definitely visit again!

A pleasant change from all the red wines that are all around. Greg was very entertaining. The reserve chardonnay was very tasty

We thoroughly enjoyed our Perfect pair tasting - wines paired with tasty morsels to bring out the flavor of both the foods and wines. Our host, Dean, and Brian, the executive chef, give us a wonderful introduction to the interaction of certain grapes and vegetables, while also outlining to wine-making process. We will be returning when we come back to Napa.

They are building a new tasting room, so for now they have tastings randomly around the property. Their wines are excellent. I love their Chardonnay but they are all really good. Make sure to try them. Everyone I take here loves it!

My husband and I love their Chardonnay, so included this in our wine tasting itinerary. Unfortunately, the visit didn't quite meet expectations. We arrived for our Reserve Tasting which was supposed to last 1 1/2 hours at a cost of $65 each. After all members of the tasting group arrived, we were led to an outdated former office with no ambiance or views. (In fairness, construction of new facilities is ongoing and I'm sure will greatly improve the experience.) Our host was personable, but maybe a little too casual in her approach. We were presented with a nice cheese board to enjoy with the wine. The wines were all excellent, but I have a major pet peeve about spotted wine glasses. The stemware was coated in a light dishwasher film and water spots. All other wineries we visited had crystal clear stemware. The tasting concluded in an hour. Again, we love their wine and indeed purchased a case, but the visit fell a little short. With so many winery choices, details make all the difference.

Stopped here and did the food and wine pairing. Beautiful gardens and facilities. The food pairings were well tailored to the wines and brought out the flavors perfectly. Chef was even offered to email recipes upon email requests. A must do if in Napa!!!

As we drove to Cakebread Winery we were delighted to see new construction going on and vines full of grapes! The tour and tasting we were offered was amazing!! We walked the vineyard, tasted grapes, explored the garden that supplies the food for their cooking classes and were educated on the Napa valley wine history. Anna was our guide and made this a warm, welcoming and very educational tour. From the vineyards, to the vats to the barrel rooms, we were fascinated by the attention to detail Cakebread employs to make the best wine we tasted in Napa.

We took a tour with a tasting. The wines are good. Chances are you have seen them in a store near you. The tour was nice, but small. You walk back to the storage area, lack of a better term, and the guide tells you about it. It is neat to see the barrels, but it would have been nice to see more instead of just walking to a spot and then standing. Enjoyed it, but could have been better.

Very nice winery. Small place appointments needed. Outdoor tasting in a garden patio with a small group of 10. Staff is excellent. Great wines

Today I had the chance to visit Cakebread cellar and I loved the experience, the visit and the wines! I have to thank Jeff, my wine educator, the for amazing wines tasted, friendly approach and honest, clear information about Cakebread! Highly recommended!!

Another “go to” place in our Napa Valley visit! Many different experiences available, but reserve well in advance! All are great, so if one is not available, choose another. It’s sustainability is a great feature. We’ve seen it grow over recent years and love how they keep the original standards and have built on them. This stay, Zach, Art, and Jo gave us memorable experiences. Looking forward to our next trip!

I was a bit underwhelmed by the tour. It was just OK. I guess I am a bit spoiled by some of the other amazing tours I have been fortunate to attend. It is big and commercial but I will admit the wines (especially Cabs) are amazing!

We decide to go back here after visiting several years ago. This proves the saying "you can't go back". The wines were mediocre at best. We suggest that you pass this place by. Very disappointing!!!

We did the tasting & it was wonderful! Very impressed with Cakebread, worth every penny. The winery is beautiful! We had a private room with a small group & it was really cool, food pairings were awesome.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Greg, who taught us so much about the grape-growing and wine-making process. For a non-drinker married to someone who appreciates wine, this was the perfect mix of tour and tasting. And what a value- $25 for a 90min tour and tasting. Make a reservation now to visit Cakebread Cellars!

I love Cakebread wine. But, their tasting experience was below par, and the least enjoyable our recent wine tasting trip. The staff was very unenthusiastic and simply going through the motions. Tastings are experiential not just about pouring wine in a glass. Cakebread was not enjoyable. We left halfway through the tasting.

Fun experience. Our friends have a membership and we had a fun morning. They had a nonalcoholic option which I appreciated!

What a great way to do a tasting! Instead of sitting down or standing by a bar and having each glass poured, at Cakebread you almost don’t even realize you’re doing a tasting. The first glass is given right when you enter. You wait for the guide to get the group together (small groups!) before you start walking the vineyard. Once your glass is empty, the guide fills it up with the next wine. The tour is extremely informative and you learn a lot about the farming that goes into making the wine. The walk in their private garden is perfectly paired with another glass before you end in the tasting room where you can purchase bottles for home. Having been to a number of wineries in the area, I was impressed by how creative this tasting was!

We had a fantastic tour at Cakebread! From the moment you walk in you can feel the family vibe. Lisa, our tour guide, was knowledgeable, friendly, and a pleasure. You can tell the attention to detail and love they put into their wine. Don helped us out at the end and again made us feel like family. Highly recommend coming here! Not to mention the wine is amazing!!

We visited this winery 20 years ago and did a reserve tasting. It was memorable so we had to return. Our return trip was TONS BETTER - the new building, the excellent service and knowledge our hostess shared made this experience excellent. It is well worth the $65 for the reserve tasting. We were warmly greeted and immediately given a 2 oz serving of the wine of the day. They the reserve tasting included food pairings and .....'revisits' of the wine we really enjoyed.

To top off the experience, because I am a chardonnay drinker, Amy pour me three samples of the three Chardonnay's so I could taste them all together! While the tasting experience was exceptional, Amy herself added an unexpected and very welcomed warmth and energy to the group.

This was our first visit to Cakebread Cellars and we enjoyed the white wine tasting. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the wines were excellent. While ordering our wine our guide brought us an additional sample and said she thought we might enjoy it. The Cutters Wharf Chardonnay was the best we had tasted on the visit

We had a fun afternoon tasting wines at Cakebread Cellars. Our host Jo was very knowledgeable and the setting was a perfect setting for a memorable wine tasting experience.

I have been a fan and enjoying Cakebread wines for more than 20 years. Having the opportunity to visit and enjoy a tasting was simply phenomenal

The tour of the vineyard was very informative along with very scenic

The Tasting Room is situated in a rustic setting overlooking a man made lake

The wines are very flavorful and tasty. The staff is top notch, warm and friendly

I really enjoyed my visit compared to other nearby vineyards

Cakebread’s new visitor center and tasting experiences are top-notch! We did the white wine tasting (love their chards) and had the most pleasant, charming, and knowledgeable host Michael. This was as much an educational experience as it was a chance to taste some awesome wines. Cakebread is a must stop!

They just added on a ton to the facility and it is beautiful. Tastings are conducted in beautiful modern private tasting rooms. The entire place is stunning!! Highly recommend!

The best wine tasting I had in Napa (even though it was raining all day)! We took a tour and really enjoyed it! I’m not a fan of Chardonnay or Merlot, but really loved theirs! There wasn’t a wine I tried that I didn’t like. Highly recommend!

My husband and I enjoyed a tour of Cakebread Cellars today with Alissa as our tour guide. We enjoyed our tastings outside on the patio since weather was beautiful. Our favorite wine here was the Sauvignon Blanc! Small beautiful Winery!!

Family wine tasting was very nice. The garden tour in the end was neat to see these plants and flowers that they grow. We would definitely come back next time once their new center is done.

Loved Cakebread reds before visiting - love them more after. A unique vineyard with a great story. Will always be on my visit list when visiting Napa.

Cakebread wines are for a more sophisticated clientele . The sad part is many of the wines were unavailable. Guess that is a testament to how good there wine is .

A wonderful way to spend the morning, the family tasting engage our girls and entertained the adults. Our guide was top rate, I apologize to them as I forgot to write down their name

I had always heard Cakebread wine was delicious and it did not disappoint. All wines were good but my favorite was the Chardonnay, the tour was also nice although it is a small tour. They are in the middle of a remodel so it will be great when it is finished.

The estate tasting tour was a compromise for us, as my partner wanted the white tasting and I prefer the reserve red tasting. Luckily we both were happy with the estate tasting. The tour was nice and all the wines were lovely, even the whites ;-) Having been a member years ago, I was a bit sad by the commercial feel of the new facility. However, I was given the same ol' personal and warm attention at the checkout counter and purchased two fabulous bottles! (even if it wasn't the Dancing Bear)

We chose the red flight which was delicious. The staff were very knowledgable and shared some great back stories on the founders and their links with Ansel Adams. New for me was they originally were known for their whites (and they're still very good) but their real strength is their Cabernet Sauvignon although I suggest you check prices as we found their wines cheaper elsewhere.

Have always enjoyed Cakebread wines since it’s early years. Not too sure if they are just getting too big. Lots of construction going on with more Visitor area being built. Many smaller wineries to go to. Only opinion as many enjoy stopping here

After spending 2 hours of our precious time at a nearby, expensive, high pressure sales wine tasting, Ana at Cakebread was a breath of fresh air. She was welcoming, knowledgeable and an excellent host. We felt no pressure to buy, but we were informed about the benefits of becoming a member. She did her job very well without leaving us feeling pressured.

My wife and I chose to visit Cakebread for the first tasting of the day and it was a wonderful experience. We chose to do the white wine tasting and it ended up being a private tasting with just the two of us. Even though we were just doing the white tasting we were still offered some reds if we wanted to try them. Exceptional experience and beautiful property!

Cakebread has superb wine, but we were disappointed with the lack of grandeur (i suppose) at the tasting facility. Our host was well versed and let us take as long as we wanted, so that was nice. A Pinot Noir that is only available onsite was leggy and luscious. I usually stick to Cabs and it was as good as. I'd say, still do, but know that Cakebread lacks views or the amenities that other vineyards boast. Maybe we should have gone here first! Now there's an idea!

First introduced to Cakebread by a family member - I must say their wines have never let me down. The staff is very accommodating with your requests and I really enjoyed the tasting - informative and entertaining.

My husband and I booked the tour of the winery which included stroll through the vineyards, their vegetable garden and culminated in a sit down tasting on a beautiful August day. Our guide was knowledgeable, but not stuffy and kept the tour light with a good joke or two. We ended up signing up for the wine club and meeting a great couple that took us on a club member tasting at another winery. The grounds and winery are somewhat rustic and traditional but beautiful. I also appreciated the nicely kept vegetable garden.

This is our second trip to Napa so we have done more than two dozen wine tasting. We were looking forward to this sit down wine tasting. The guide was excellent. She was passionate and well informed. The wine selection was just ok IMO. The room is beautiful and the estate is pretty.

Cakebread is the best of the best and yet stays intimate. The facility is top notch and the people are even better.

While in California wine country, my wife and I visited Cakebread Cellars. Cakebread is one of my favorites and I have wanted to visit in person. The tour and tasting was $50 per person. We sampled six wines and went on an hour tour learning about the wines, the Cakebread family and the wine making process. Our guide was very good and informative. The tour and tasting was very good and I would highly recommend it.

We had a great time at Cakebread Cellars. We had a reserve tasting. We were matched with two other couples for our tasting. We had a cheese plate, but it's wasn't a specific cheese and wine pairing, but the cheese enhanced the flavors of the wine. We got a little history about the organization and two videos - one with the founders and one a story about bears (I leave that for them to tell when you get there). At the end, we walked around to see the founds' wife's prize garden which was great for taking pictures. We made our reservations about 6 weeks in advance. That may vary by time of year. This was a beautiful time of year. The leaves were all changing color and made for great views and great pictures.

This was the quickest winery we visited. They don't have a tasting room, so you go to courtyard. I like the whites best. The guy was nice but not my favorite stop.

Jacob was our tour guide for the vine and tasting tour. It was incredible! And a really great value - for Napa that is a rarity! The tour was $75 per person and it came with a mile long walking tour through the vines and garden, 4 tastings in the vineyard, we ate the Sauvignon Blanc grapes and tasted the same wine - life changing - hats to keep the sun off our faces, produce from the vines, trees and garden - we ate grapes, figs, and tomato and basil - and all the facts and information you could ever want. When you figure that most tastings are $50, the additional cost for the hour long tour is a bargain. The grounds are stunning and the eco-friendly nature of the place is really cool. This is a perfect tour for all kinds of nerds. We could have spent day’s in the garden alone. Seriously, it’s like a botanical wonderland!

Loved this winery so much I became a club member. Upon arrival, the front desk checked us in with a taster of their chardonnay. We then walked to an open lounging area, and met our host Zach, who then took on us a short tour to another area where we did our tasting. Zach was great. He’s not only knowledgeable about the wine and history of the winery, but he made tasting super fun. Don’t forget to tip your host people!

After the tasting, Zach took us on a short tour outside where the grapes grow. He even took photos of us; apparently, he’s a good photographer as well. Ha! He knew exactly what the best lighting, angle and position would be for a picture-perfect result.

Now about the wine. It’s sooo yummy. I fell in love with their wine about three years ago when my boss gave me a case, which I believe is the cab. Finally, years later, we were able to make a trip to the winery to try all the varietals. We are happy with our 6-bottle a quarter club membership and will see where this takes us.

Have had great hosts at other wineries through the years, but Zach definitely made this visit a memorable one.

Had a lovey tour at the vineyard and staff were super helpful and friendly. Very knowledgeable about the process and how it all works. We were an organized group of friends and they took great care of us.

Did a 11am wine and food pairing.

Learned so much from Greg.

Awesome tour of the facilities and delicious educational experience learning a out how food affects taste of the wine.

Thank you so much Greg!

I fell in love with Cakebread at first bottle several years ago. As soon as I found out I was heading to Napa for work, I immediately booked a tasting. I opted for the last tasting of the day, which was the Current Release, because I was flying in that morning. Guiding our mouths through a wonderful journey of wine was Claire. She was amazing! I’m really glad I went because I’ve been wanting to try their red wines, but didn’t want to buy an entire bottle.

I needed up purchasing three bottles and joining one of their wine clubs! I can’t wait to return!

We started our weeklong adventure in Napa for a tasting at Cakebread Cellars and what a benchmark to set! All of their wines were excellent and the staff was exceptional especially our hostess Ana who did a remarkable job guiding us through each wine in their wonderful tasting room! Definitely set the standard for all others to compete with!

My first mudding was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Thick mud you float in. Hot sulfuric heat and smells followed by a shower then jacuzzi to thoroughly clean out your body parts

Very relaxing and you leave feeling like a sponge. A really nice experience and

I thought that I had made a reservation for a white tasting, but it was not in the system. They were very gracious and took us anyway on a busy Sunday.

We really enjoyed the tasting. Very informative with no big sales job to join the club of buy wines. We also got an extra pour of a red as we seemed to have developed a rapport with our hostess.

Cakebread Cellars is gorgeous winery. Great location and great staff. Our guide, Don was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Attended a wine tasting here accompanied by lots of really good food. It was a hot day but you could get relief inside. Becoming a club member here seemed pretty pricey to me.

Dave was a great tour guide and made this experience our favorite of the 6 tours we have done one our trip! Highly recommend and ask for Dave!!

You can find Cakebread Chardonnay on wine lists all across the country but you’ll need to visit the winery if you want to discover all of their wines. Not to be missed are small production Cabs: Benchlands and Dancing Bear will blow your mind. Excellent and informative visit, beautiful views, incredible wines.

The wines, the location and the people all together make this a must visit location when in the area. The special events are unforgettable. The chefs prepare the most tasty appetizers that go perfectly with the wines. The staff can answer in detail all your questions about the wines they offer.

Had a fabulous time at a tasting here in late March. The wines were fabulous and I learned a lot from James our guide. Bought some red wines to take home and have not been at all disappointed!

My husband and I came to Napa with another couple and we all agreed we wish we went to a different winery instead of this one. In all fairness, I also think that the rainy weather hindered our experience here because we did not get to experience the grounds but the building isn't anything special either compared to other places.

The tasting was very disappointing. We felt rushed throughout the tasting, it was only about 20 minutes standing at a bar instead of the nice sit down experiences we had at other places. Staff was not very friendly. We did not enjoy any of the wines either. If we could go back in time, we would definitely take this place out of our itinerary.

We loved all of the wines and Jessi made our day even better with her knowledge and kindness! We’ll definitely be back!

We didn’t have an appt but Cakebread
accommodated us and we joined another group! So glad because this was the best tour and tasting we did in all of Napa Valley/Sonoma/Alexander Valley we visited while in California thanks to Tom, who escorted us through the grounds and cellars and taught us about more wines than I can count! Thanks Tom for your expertise and fun. Make sure you ask for TOM when you visit to get the best experience and learn new things even for the connoisseur. Will return from Atlanta with friends next visit!

We had such a great time at Cakebread. We were were warmly and graciously welcomed - even without reservations. We loved the wines and the outdoor seating area. Will definitely go back the next time we're in the area.

Our first choice on a recent girls trip to Napa, and one of our favorites. We love Cakebread wines, and this visit further entrenched our love of the brand. We were warmly greeted at the door and made to feel very welcomed. We connected with our tour guide Michaela, and she made for a super enjoyable morning. She was friendly, knowledgeable and very hospitable. A tour of the grounds, garden, barrel room and a tasting of 5 stellar wines along the way. A perfect pick to start our trip!
Thank you Michaela, thank you Cakebread. Also some great swag in the gift shop. Love my coasters, wish I would have carted the wine box back...next trip!

Cakebread is known for their chardonnay. This was a great experience to taste their other offerings. Our hostess, Erika, was amazing. Her knowledge and personality made this a delightful experience. This tasting was done surrounded by casks...such fun to see a different setting. Super small and cozy!

When planning our trip to Napa, a visit to Cakebread was definitely something we wanted to be sure we included in the itinerary. We’ve always enjoyed the Cakebread Napa Chardonnay and consider it one of our favs, so we hope for a nice visit which would open us up to more wine we would enjoy from them.
Their grounds are beautiful! Our wine educator explained how Mrs. Cakebread is into gardening and it definitely showed, as they have beautiful gardens and landscaping throughout.

When it came to the tasting, it was rushed, which is very unfortunate. Other wineries would provide extra wines based on interests we have and/or styles of wines we like. We were offered their reserve chardonnay, which was nice, but we kept hearing about a couple of other wines and those were never offered and since we felt rushed, we never asked.
We even expressed interest in their membership and most basic questions were addressed, but we were advised to take the brochure home and read and consider it and we could sign up online… this was very odd as many wineries would like guests to join and would treat them even better when they had interest in joining, but unfortunately, that wasn’t our experience. Our wine educator was very cordial and far from rude, the overall experience was just very unenjoyable, which is sad, as we do appreciate their chardonnay.

Overall, if this was the worst of the Napa wine tasting experiences we had on this trip (visiting 20+ wineries in a week), we’ll chalk it up to experience and be happy for all the other wineries that absolutely amazed us. We won’t return.

Pulled in without a reservation and were paired with a couple happy ladies from Vegas and a SF couple. Una was our person that shared the wonderful wines to us. We first enjoyed Cakebread in the middle 80's and they have kept the wines EXCELLENT!

My absolute favorite Chardonnay, and I LOVE this winery! It's in a beautiful location, and the tastings take you out to the vineyard, then inside the barrel room. Fantastic experience, and not to be missed when in Napa.

We took the Sustainable Wines & Vines Tasting Tour with Zach and got the opportunity to taste Cakebread’s fantastic wines and learned a ton about the terroir, process and the Napa Valley region. Zach was a great guide - very knowledgeable and engaging. Not your typical stuffy Napa tour. Cakebread’s property and facilities are also beautiful.

Mediocre tasting. Seemed very commercial and designed to cycle through people. The hostess did not explain the distinctiveness of their wine or highlight anything noteworthy.

Buyer beware. The main hostess is quite ride and obviously has no respect for her patrons. We went to celebrate and spend money. Total disappointment. The old lady with the dark hair knew we were military, knew we were celebrating a birthday, and knew were just wanted to relax and have some fun. Within minutes she lied about selling glasses and sold some to a white couple behind us in line..i caught her and called her out, she lied again and again...total waste of an employee. Please find staff who want to be there to provide the top notch customer service your business deserves!!!!!

Thank you to Sierra! She was kind and hospitable and made us feel so welcome on our first ever visit to Napa. She was also extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic, which proves she loves her job! The views at the winery were incredibly amazing, especially in the tasting room. We had an amazing time and hope to come back in the future for a red wine tasting. Thank You!

Really enjoyed our visit to Cakebread! Todd was knowledgeable and super friendly. Great wines and a beautiful location!

Cakebread is usually associated with Chardonnay, but that's not our thing. We had guests visiting that really wanted to go there.
Reservations are a must!
We were so pleasantly surprised by a red only tasting. It was outstanding. Led my a seasoned team member, she knew her stuff. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a visit here.
But call first!!!

Wonderful tour of the facility, indoor and out, gardens, grounds...and a truly wonderful wine tasting experience. Loved our tour guide!

We booked the reserve tasting and expected a few more people would be joining us but we had a private tasting in a lovely area. Greg really took time to give us a full experience, along with the history of the winery, Napa and the wine making process. He answered all of our questions and was so knowledgable. We loved their Pinot and Cab but found the Rubaiyat to be really special too. Take the time and book your tasting and make sure to ask for Greg.

We did the 25 dollar tasting no tour and it was excellent! The moment you walked in the place were greeted with a take home souvenir glass and tasting of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc while you wait for scheduled tasting. The person who did our tasting was very upbeat and friendly received great serving of Chardonnay Reserve, Pinot, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. All I gotta say tasted super smooth. Was the only tasting where I actually drank all of the wine in the glass cause it was so good. Made me definitley a customer to buy their wine.

This was our favorite wine tour while we were there. Our guide walked us through the fields, tasting the grapes, smelling the plants in their garden, and tasting some wines. She then took us into the cellars before bringing us to the tasting room. She brought us a couple extra tastings too. The tour was educational and fun and the wine was really good.

Cakebread, what an awesome last name. They offer 5 different types of tastings. We did the Red Wine Tasting ($30/pp). We were greeted with a tasting of rose while we waited for our group to gather. James was our host. He used to be a wine maker and was very engaging and informative. We tasted 7 different reds. James went into detail his wine tasting ritual he uses to help identify what he is drinking.

Cakebread is known for their whites- which are amazing but we were also surprised by the tastiness of their reds. We opted for the reserve tasting to get both and were so pleased with the experience. Greg was wonderful to spend
time with and a knowledge and well connected wine enthusiast. A must visit!

We stopped in for a tasting on day one of a three day first-time adventure to Napa Valley. Without reservations, our wait was a short 10-15 minutes during which time we were able to sample our first pour - a nice, crisp white - while enjoying the sunshine on the outdoor porch. The tasting includes a small tour with a knowledgeable guide; ours was Griffin, who was amazing. Carrying the four wines in a small insulated pouch, Griffin allowed us time to enjoy each pour and then guided us into part of the barreling facility where he expertly explained the process and told us about the differences that new and old French Oak made in the wines. Great wines, great guide, great fun!
We did not visit the gift shop but one is on premises. Plenty of outdoor seating space with lovely water features.

I don’t get here very much but enjoy my time every time I am here. They are know for there whites but I love the Cabs. The people are great and it is a very enjoyable venue. Thanks for a great few hours.

Cakebread offered a great tour and wine tasting led by Dina. All questions were addressed. Highly recommend when visiting Napa.

Cakebread was recommended by a friend as somewhere that we should visit. The building was attractive and our host was nice, wine was good, but the whole experience was lacking. We just received 4 tastings and no snacks. We did hear and watch a funny story about the bears climbing the fence to eat the grapes in the vineyard. There was another couple in our tasting that come every year for a tasting, so to each their own. We felt it was a disappointment for the amount that we paid.

Did the Tour and tasting. Todd, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and informative. Awesome architecture and new construction at the visitors center. Felt like a great balance between your and tasting. A lot of information about wine and the wine-making process. Would go back.

Our guide had a great sense of humor and was very knowledgeable. The views of the vineyard were beautiful and the garden was a nice little surprise. The tour was the perfect amount of time. We were introduced to wines we wouldn't typically try and loved them!

We loved our In-depth tour and tasting at Cakebread Cellars. Ana, our host was superb and kept us entertained and informed. We toured the vineyards, tasting some Merlot grapes (very sweet and delicious), saw the grapes being loaded into the presses, toured the huge barrel warehouse and gardens. Ana poured 6 different wines during the tour and after the tour, we got to try another couple that we were interested in. Superb afternoon. Always wanted to go to Cakebread Cellars since we met Bruce in Scotland and it didn't disappoint.

Hi! We traveled with tween-aged children and our tour guide was wonderful and they were kind to the kids, which I appreciated. I think it’s wise for Napa establishments to realize people need to travel with their kids so I appreciate them welcoming us, and not everyone does. The wine was (of course) fabulous. Cakebread quality is fantastic.

The visit to Cakebread Cellars was 1st class. We were greeted at the door and offered a “welcome” glass of wine. The facility was clean, staff was friendly and engaged. Carl was our guide and he provided a true in-depth tour in the vineyards, vegetable garden and in the processing area. We felt like we knew a lot more about the wine growing, harvesting, fermentation and bottling of the best wine that we taste tested while in Napa. There was no hard sale or pressure to join the club. We look forward to visiting Cakebread Cellars the next time in Napa.

Our party of 4 did not care for their wines. Pretty disappointing tasting. There are many other wineries I would recommend visiting.

We had a nice wine tasting here, although they didn't give us much information about the 'story' of the vineyard. Of course, we were happy with the quality of the wine (and ended up buying a case, which they let us mix-and-match). Overall, a nice experience.

We paid for the.classic Cakebread tasting and we thoroughly enjoyed it mostly because of the outdoor seating just for the 2 of us under a large umbrella. It was a tranquil, pretty setting which lend to the wine tasting experience. The server, Sam I guess short for Samantha was cheerful knowledgeable and very nice. We ended up. Using 6 bottles and they took care of the shipping.

This tasting was by far our worst of the day. We had left wonderful experiences at nearby wineries and were very much looking forward to Cakebread. Our tasting guide, Alissa, told us she was only in it for the 401K and the dental plan. Her lack of enthusiasm was palpable. I have been an drinker of Cakebread wine for years but I think I am finished. Terrible experience.

We made our reservation that day, they were able to squeeze us in. Our "flight" was with a few groups. Which we didn't mind. The actually tasting is conducted in w/the barrels. Which was very nice. We were told about the history of the property, how the wines are made, which grapes are used, etc. It was great.

When we were checking out they suggested we get a disposable wine carrier that you can check. It was perfect. All of our wines arrived safely.

I highly recommend this vineyard. Everyone was super nice. And, they give a Military Discount.

We did the Red Tasting Tour with Michaela. She was wonderful. We got to the tasting a little early so the staff pour us a taste of a Pinot Noir until the tour started. Michaela met us right on time with five others. She took us into the vineyard and did an excellent review of grapes and the process. Then we entered a tasting room and had several reds, some not sold outside the winery. She was very knowledgeable about the wines and her presentation was excellent. We returned to the main building where she pour me two Chardonnay's since those are my favorite from Cakebread. (We did the reds since we did not know them at Cakebread). Excellent experience.

We had a tour with Zach and he was awesome! Very knowledgeable and made the tour even more enjoyable. Would recommend requesting Zach as a tour guide if that is possible!

Although visitors are encouraged to make appointments, we really wanted to visit Cakebread, had a little extra time on our hands, so took a chance and just walked in. We were greeted warmly and when we inquired as to the possibility of a Reserve tasting, we were ushered into a private tasting room. We were accompanied by a lovely hostess with a soft Irish accent. We spent an hour with her, sipping great Reserve wines and talking all things wine, winery and grapes.

A quieter venue, well worth the time and money.

Not a great experience. We arrived and were promptly told they were short staffed. The tastings, presentation, and information given were bare bones and not what I expected from a high end winery. Essentially, we were poured a very tiny, tiny sample and given a brief overview of the wine and then left on our own for an extraordinary length of time. We sat by ourselves for most of the time with empty glasses. Then at the end were taken into a room and asked if we wanted to shop and acted as if we should tip the host (who was a ghost) most of the time.

On our recent visit to Cakebread Cellars we enjoyed the Reserve Tasting. The wines and pairings were wonderful.

My first trip to Cakebread was amazing the staff and wine were fantastic. When I went back this year, I took my girls with me for a long girls get away celebrating my 60th. We did the outdoor tour and everyone loved it. So informative, fun and beautiful. Loved their wine and story.

I pre-booked/paid for a tasting for my boyfriend and I during our visit because we enjoy their wine often at home. The tasting took place on the side of the tasting room at a table height table with a black table cloth. The wine was removed individually from a cloth bag. We didn’t get much information on the wine we were tasting and there was no/sometimes awkward and forced conversation. It made us feel a little rushed. We didn’t learn anything about the wine, vineyard, or the grounds. When we finished the tasting she was very pushy into us making wine purchases. The wine was good, as expected, but overall the tasting experience was very underwhelming. We had much better experiences elsewhere.

My husband and I’s first trip to Napa did not disappoint and Cakebread was definitely our favorite stop. The tour was so fun, beautiful and full of fun information and AMAZING wine! If you go I hope it’s on a day that Tom is working bc he was the best tour guide! He made the tour what it was and we truly enjoyed our stop here!

The person who checked us in for our reserved wine tasting really had an attitude - as if she was doing us a favor to allow us to drink wine there!

This is a "belly up to the bar" wine tasting experience. It was simple with no added tour of the facilities. The person pouring the wine was pleasant and knowledgeable.

We all enjoyed the wines.

I would highly recommend starting your trip to Napa at Cakebread. This was our first of six wineries for the weekend and I'm so thankful that it was. Cakebread provides you with one-on-one attention during your tasting with a private pourer for each party. Nancy was great! We were able to ask her questions about the wine making and bottling process that gave us great groundwork for the rest of our visits. Not to mention, the wine is delicious! We left feeling very informed and we were thankful we didn't begin with a big group tour!

This was our second visit to Cakebread. They are welcoming and informative no matter what your wine IQ may be. I think this is the best wine tasting experience in all of Napa! They even let you keep the wine glass with their emblem on it.

Not much of a winery tour as they take you behind the entrance door area for a tasting and brief descriptions of the winery and wine. Wine is very good however so I recommend a stop here. You can purchase special releases only available at the winery.

This is always my first stop with guests. Have reservations and be prepared for an exceptional experience tasting superbly crafted wines. The staff know the product and they love to share. We will be back and often.

Just nothing close to the quality experience at other wineries we go to
Went looking to taste and buy primarily Chardonnays- spend perhaps $500-$1,000. The one Chardonnay I tasted was mediocre. Asked to taste another and was told “no”. Was shocked actually. Just walked out after that.
Pretty crazy as the founder was quite an entrepreneur

What a special evening. It goes without saying the Cakebread Cellars have outstanding wines. What made this visit special was that we were able to book a private cooking class and dinner. Chef Brian coordinated a very instructive spring menu and Kelly kept us perfectly poured with wine, information and stories about the history and family. I’m certain they go over this with many visitors, but I felt like we were their special guests.
The herb, veggie and flower gardens are just stunning. Originally designed and maintained by Dolores Cakebread, she still makes an appearance in the gardens sometimes. The columbines alone are worth a visit for garden fans.
They are making changes and lots of renovations, but head around back and the place is ready to welcome guests.
Best wishes to this iconic Napa family.

I love wine and wine country. It is always fun to meet the hosts and find out more about the wine. This experience with Nancy was exceptional. She is knowledgeable about the wine and made the tasting so fun. We sat outside with beautiful weather and found a lovely Chardonnay. It’s worth the hassle of making an appointment!!

Wonderful experience visiting Cakebread Cellar's, the quality of the wines is formidable, the service and treatment 5 stars, our guide in the tour and tasting Ana was fantastic

We were not sure what to expect since we had come from another winery and the experience there was terrible. This was very nice. Two couples. We all had the classic wine sampler tasting. Our server was very accomodating. I am personally not much of a wine guy but the others in our group our. The server knew just what to ask me to find something that might fit my palette. He was very successful. We very much enjoyed ourselves. Highly recommended

Straight off my group's visit from Opus One, I was ready for a true family winery feel, and Cakebread did not disappoint!

This is my second time visiting Cakebread, for those who haven't heard of it, you gotta try it! I especially love their Sauv blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet.

The first tour I took in 2007, Jack Cakebread, the original owner was on the premises doing some work that day, and I'll never forget it.

This time around, we started our tasting by looking at photos that Jack had taken in previous years, and one can really feel the family environment there!

We sat on a patio between vines and sipped on several grape varietals, two Chardonnays, and a few Cabs, and our tasting guide was Kelly. She was actually part of the culinary/events department and was substituting for someone, but most interestingly, Kelly told us how they offer cooking lessons for parties of 10 people or more, and it sounds like a perfect group activity for a few hours at one of Napa Valley's premier wineries. (Ask for Kelly, she was a sweetheart! She was very patient as a few of us came in after visiting quite a few wineries!)

For me, Cakebread Chardonnay is an ideal California white, and their Cabernet is so well-balanced for the price. It's a "happy wine" for me, as many special occasions have blossomed around a bottle of Cakebread.

Another amazing moment from my previous trip in 2007: I remember pulling a Sauv blanc grape straight off the vine and it tasted just like the wine itself. I think I fell in love with that winery then!

I definitely suggest calling ahead because tours are typically early morning but tasting goes up until 4ish-5:00.

A trip to Napa without seeing Cakebread is an incomplete visit!!

My friends and I stopped by on a girls trip to the area and we had the fortunate experience of having Don take care of us during our tasting. He was super knowledgeable about the wines and his fun loving spirit really made our visit that much better. It was also amazing to taste some wines that I would never have had the chance to taste back home.

I would definitely stop by if in the area and ask for Don!

We have been fans of Cakebread for years so it was on our must see list for Napa. Unfortunately the experience didn't really live up to our expectations. It wasn't bad, it was just average. Nothing really special about it. Our tour guide was friendly, and also kind of silly in her interaction with us. It was fun the first 10 minutes, then it just got weird the rest of the time. Still love their wine and went home with a few bottles.

We had scheduled a tasting at Cakebread Cellars upon recommendations from our son. Erica was our hostess. She was very knowledgeable. She gave us a lot of history of the winery and a great tour of the facilities. We had our tastings outside in the courtyard, overlooking the house and vineyards. The wines were delicious! Highly recommend this wine tour and tasting.

Many of our friends recommended we come here and we definitely weren’t disappointed. The tasting was great and very detailed, learning about the family history, their production facility and the outside grounds. Our guide Tom was great and we will definitely go back.

This was our second visit to Cakebread. First visit as a wine club member and the service was amazing! From our first welcome to our host, Bob, we had a top-level experience. Our group of 4 was paired with another couple for a Reserve tasting. When I asked Bob about my favorite Chardonnay, he promptly brought it out for all 6 of us to enjoy. The cheese/wine pairings in a bright, sunny tasting room were perfection. We experienced several very high-end cabs that we all purchased. The other couple also joined the wine club. A truly fabulous Napa experience! Thank you!

The leader of our group was Jo who had the perfect balance of information, history, and entertainment. You get to taste 6 wines at an affordable price. This was the third winery stop on the day we visited and it by far was the most fun!

Went to Cakebread, more to say we did, than for an actual experience. My mom, sister, and I for years loved Cakebread - however we prefer the oakey, buttery version which isn't as popular now. It held sentimental value for us, so we did a tasting and it honestly feels like the winery has become too mainstream. We were brought into a room right off the main entry, our guide was nice but not extremely knowledgeable, and it all went by quickly. Glad we can check it off the list, but wasn't overly impressed with the experience.

Also, the outdoor patio/bar area was for club members only which turned us off.

We stopped in here one morning during our honeymoon and had an excellent, knowledgeable host for the flight of Reds we enjoyed. Didn't care much for the Syrah, though we know people who loved it, but we were thrilled to be able to taste the Dancing Bear Ranch and Vine Hill Ranch Cabernets which were both excellent. We bought two bottles of DBR and one bottle of VHR to ship back home. Fantastic.

Years ago we were members and recently rejoined. While they have great red and white my husband really likes the whites and is some of the only wine he drinks. They have expanded their welcome area though right now you sit in the gardens because of COVID. Beautiful and peaceful spot in the valley with great friendly staff.

Came here by appointment, you will need one for a tasting. We were at the Meritage and rode Uber. Was on time and enjoy a few splashes of wine before the tasting. Our guide came on time and rounded all the troops up. We tasted 5 more wines as she described the property and told the history of Cakebread. We had a great visit while enjoying the tastings. We were the only couple from Texas. One woman was from Brazil, she was there with her California honey. Everyone else was California folks. We saw a hawk while visiting the vineyards. It was fun and informative while there. We have many friends who enjoy Cakebread Wine, was nice to see the facility and understand the process. The garden was great. They have there own Honey and Olive Oul from the vineyards. They recycle water and are organic.

My friend found this winery for a bach party of six because it was one of the only ones in the area we were staying, who would take groups of six, and had a tour of the vineyard, as opposed to just a tasting. It's pricey at $75 per person but I've never been to Napa before so I have no reference if that's the average price or not.

Still, we enjoyed the tour. Shout out to our tour guide (I can't remember her name but it was the 10 AM tour on 5/21/21), who had to put up with our incessant picture taking. She even let us pick our own carrots from their garden, where they repurpose the soil from the grapes and grow various crops from.

Throughout the tour, we got to taste sauvignon blanc, rose, chardonnay, pinot noir, and merlot. Everyone's faves were definitely the sauv and the pinot - so much so that we ended up ordering 2 cases of the two wines (24 bottles) to split between the six of us. The more you order, the cheaper shipping is and it arrived pretty quickly.

Like I said, my only complaint would be the price point for the tour but overall, it was a nice experience.

I walked in the door and from the moment I spoke to the front desk girl until I left, I felt like they were my family. Kiersten was our host. Ask for her when you get their. I don’t care if someone else comes up to you to guide you around. Stop, and say, “I would rather have Kiersten.” My wife and I are from south Florida and we didn’t know what to expect from Napa. I thought it was going to be all stuck up people acting like we were just tourist, but what we got was royalty. Kiersten although being newer to Cakebread was so knowledgeable, I would have thought she was a certified sommelier. We were poured wine at the check on counter and then it never stopped. Kiersten our Guide said “she’s allergic to empty glasses.” We walked through the vineyards, heard the history, and laughed a ton. What was most surprising was how much our guide Kiersten loved Cakebread. It wasn’t a job for her, she actually drinks the wine at home. Other vineyards we went to the wine sucked and the experiences was great. At Cakebread, every glass from Blanc, to Cab, to Pinot was amazing. Even at the end we got a taste of their Syrah, and that was outstanding. The place was gorgeous but the the customer care was what made the experience. As soon as I get back to South Florida I am going to stock my kitchen with Cakebread wines and tell all my friends I helped in the wine making (since I touched the vine). When I come back, I will be surprised if Kiersten isn’t next in line for being the official wine maker of Cakebread.

This is a super late review because I thought I already reviewed Cakebread. I want to warn potential clients: this was not a good experience.

Good:
- pretty grounds

Bad:
- the lady who led our tasting was awful - talking about politics, saying insulting/borderline racist things about several groups of people, insulting my generation while I was at the table, and the list goes on. There were some southern people at our table so the only explanation we could come up with was that she made an assumption based on their region and went full-speed ahead on her disgusting behavior
- the wine was lackluster. I wouldn't even buy it in the store at $10 or less. That's awful for bottles selling for >$40. Icky. My friend said she used to really like their wine but she was not at all impressed either.
- the room we were tasting in smelled bad - like mildew or something... it also was not well-maintained. While it was pretty, the door kept flapping open in a mildly breezy day. It was loud and disrupting. If the experience aside from this was good, it would have been negligible. But, it just added to an awful experience.

Takeaway: avoid! I will never be back.

We did the food and wine pairing and we were taken back how amazing it was. Such a unique experience.

I've visited Cakebread several times over the past 20 years and witnessed its growth from a small family show to the more corporate entity it is now. While the standard tasting offers a great overview of wines in Napa for those new to the valley, you may want to choose something more specific if you are knowledgable about wines in the valley. Our host was personable and knowledgable, but the group size made the tasting a bit staid. My favorite part was the spontaneous walk through the garden at the end--I think she could tell we were getting antsy!

We had an interesting walk-through, presentation and tasting of wines not sold at retail. While enjoyable, I actually preferred the Cakebread wines I’ve purchased in stores or restaurants to the somewhat more expensive wines sampled at the winery.

Went to Cakebread on Friday and had an amazing estate wine tasting guided by James. Wines were delicious and all the staff was super friendly. The facility is really nice as well. The tasting room was well appointed. I recommend.

The lady conducting the tasting Ana was friendly and super knowledgeable.They are opening a new visitors center soon. The wines have a good price point.Learnt a lot about the history of the winery, saw production in progress and saw different grapes on vines.
Highly educational and definitely reccomend

We really enjoyed the in-depth tour, which included tastings along the route. The walking tour took us to the vineyard, a cool vegetable and fruit garden (complete with loofah plants), patio, wine press machine and extensive cellar. The wines are good, the architecture of the buildings is pleasing and there's a great story behind the origin of this family operated winery. Reservations for tours are recommended.

This was our first stop on our Napa winery tour and we lucked out. Our group got a beautiful tasting outside by a very knowledgable and friendly member of the Cakebread family who walked us thru not only all of their wines, but a ton of questions about winemaking and the Napa valley region. We enjoyed their wines and the garden next to the tasting area. Unfortunately, we didn't like their wines enough to buy them, but they are available nationally.

Katie is the BEST!!! You must come here!! Great people and wine! DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BEST WINERY!!! Yes

Caption says it all. The food was excellent as were the wines. Greg, Our guide did an exceptional job explaining the why and hows of pairing the types of food with wine. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience

A cooking class at Cakebread was a special treat. We worked with Chef Brian Streeter "whipping up" a 5-star lunch. Once lunch was prepared with were poured a glass of their delicious Chardonnay and enjoyed a tour of the winery. Lovely staff, gorgeous property and world class wine! What an enjoyable day!

James hosted our tasting in a private room. There were tables for more, but we were 4 and had the whole room to ourselves. The setting was lovely, James was friendly, knowledgeable and professional and the wines were outstanding! We truly loved this winery and would highly recommend it!

Great tour! We loved our guide Lisa. It was very informative, interesting and the wine was wonderful.

Beautiful winery, exceptional wines! Please request Zach as your tasting guide. He is very knowledgeable and made the experience entertaining and educational. Thanks for the fun ZACH!

We visited on a slow day and the staff was kind of enough to walk us around and extend our tasting a bit. It made for a more informative experience and we really appreciated it :). The wine is also great too. I recommend the Chardonnay Reserve! Insta: @lltravelmel

We booked a reservation for a tasting in advance and really enjoyed our time. The visitor center was under construction so they had us in the club lounge. I have to say if all my experiences tasting in Napa this was the nicest. We had someone host us on a quick tour and then tell us about the winery and the wine.

Go ahead and book yourself a reservation here. You will not be disappointed.

Lots of construction going on with an expansion work. The tour was very nice & we enjoyed the wines. The sampling was a bit pricey though $25 each.

This was the first winery we visited during a one week tour of Napa Valley and its many famous wineries and it set the bar exceedingly high. From the warm welcome and patio tasting, to the tour of the gardens, vineyards and winemaking facilities, our hosts James and Bruce were more than generous in sharing their time, knowledge and passion. Well worth the visit and a tasting.

We visited Cakebread Cellars on March 18th for a Red Wine tasting. We last visited Cakebread over 30 years ago and were so delighted with the wine, we served it at our wedding reception. We had a lovely tour with Don and had the opportunity to meet Bruce Cakebread and talk wines as well as the NCAA March Madness Tournament! Sorry about Duke losing to Michigan State Bruce...Go Green! We were thrilled to see how Cakebread has grown and expanded. Looking forward to our first wine club shipment. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon!

First, I think it's worth mentioning that I booked my tour for the wrong day and only noticed 2 hours before when I thought my tour was. Cakebread was super helpful and accommodating by fitting me and my group of 3 others although we weren't able to do the original in depth tour we planned for. I never asked them to refund the difference between the two tours and cakebread had the integrity to give me the $40 difference. The wines are delicious and worth the price of the tasting. Crissy, our guide was very knowledgeable and could answer every question the group threw at her. The day we came it was over 95 degrees out so we didn't want to buy wines that day because they'd be left in our hot car. When we went back on Friday Don was nice enough to give us another tasting of the wines we planned to buy just to make sure we remembered what they tasted like. The only reason I didn't give Cakebread 5 stars was the property. Many of the other vineyards we visited took us through the grounds. Maybe it was just because they're under construction but it would've been nice to have walked around a bit rather than standing behind wine barrels the entire tasting.

Staff was phenomenal. Amy was our guide and she was great! Excellent wine. Beautiful scenery and tour. Highly recommend

This was a rarer opportunity for us as Cakebread wines are sadly rarely available in the UK and we were not disappointed.
Our host , Don , was most friendly, knowledgeable and engaging .He gave us an interesting overview of the history of the company and their plans for the future before showing us around some of their gardens highlighting the fruits and vegetables growing there. We then enjoyed a relaxed tasting of four fine wines from the Cakebread range. A real pleasure and a perfect way to start our Napa tour.

This was a very well organized, structured, relatively small pour tasting on a gorgeous afternoon in the large, nicely shaded garden. Unlike many other vineyards, there was little opportunity to explore the area. Each tasting group was individually escorted to the parking lot at the end.

In our opinion, the wines did not showcase Cakebread at its best, as we have consumed a lot of Cakebread in the past. Our server was not particularly engaging either.

We anticipated a much better experience.for a family owned winery.

Beautiful vineyard nestled in the middle of Napa Valley off the Silverado trail. Our guide Nick was one of the most informative host we had during our tour in the valley. Definitely recommend Nick if you want to truly understand your wine, the history and business on wine, and understand what goes into the bottle. The Pinot Noir was one of our favorites here, but th Chardonnay was terrific as well as their reserve Cabernet.

I absolutely loved visiting Cakebread! The tour was insightful and interesting. Our guide, Sara, was a fantastic and informative speaker. The tastings were delicious. I bought some wine, and I can’t wait to try it with my family. I highly recommend this wine tasting and tour.

We were guided by the multitalented James Scott who truly made the pairing a VERY memorable experience! All of the wine pairs were wonderful.. My favorites were the Desert Blanc with the biscotti and the Cab and Blue cheese combo.
Beautiful estate and would do again!

We went for a food and wine pairing, which consisted of four different wines with a complementary appetizer for each, in a VERY elegant dining room. . Unusual for me, I liked every one of the wines selected and three out of four of the appetizers. (One of the appetizers I did not even try as it was some kind of lamb and rhubarb combination, and I like neither of those ingredients.) Also included was a very informative tour.

At $45.00 a person, I thought it was actually a very good value, considering the price of Cakebread wines -- and we even received copies of all the recipes!.

Cakebread is a gorgeous location! The wine is delicious and the staff are super knowledgable. Our host, Zach, was fantastic. He asked us about our interest in wine, what wineries we had been to, and what we wanted to learn about. He used this information to tailor our tour around our interests and it made for such an enjoyable experience! We had a great time with him and learned so much about the wine, the property, and the region. I highly recommend Cakebread if you want an engaging and interactive tasting experience.

Makala, our wine tasting hostess, made our a very special visit.

Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve is my favorite wine so hubby arranged for Cakebread Cellars to be the first tour of several during g our 3-day Napa Valley visit. Suffice it to say it set the bar for the tastings to follow.

There was no accompanying g tour as the property is undergoing construction and renovation. This, coupled with the rain, limited our viit to the wine club area and adjacent wine storage room. That said, we thoroughly enjoyed tasting the various Cakebread Cellars wine. Chardonnay Reserve remains my favorite.

Under construction so hard to judge the layout. We were taken to a warehouse for a private tasting by appointment and stood on a concrete floor for the duration. The extremely informative and enthusiastic host offset the drab surroundings as did the exceptional wine. At $15 it was the best value for a tasting we had on our visit.

Fun tour that requires pre booking. Very informative on the making of wine and extensive tasting service after tour. Our guide Nick was very informative and made this a great experience. Beautiful setting and good wines.

Don't normally like Cabs, and really like Cakebreads sauvignon blanc and Chardonneys, but introduced to Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet by Frank. This Cab was exquisite and the service provided by Frank incredible. He listened carefully to our likes and dislikes . He litterly restructured the tasting after listening and wound up bringing us great (to us) wines and making our choices very difficult. What a great 90 minute experience and what outstanding listening and service.

For 15$ you get to taste 5 or 6 different wines. Our guide Alyssa Marie was great and we had a lot of fun. Beautiful place and a relaxed vibe. It was our best stop!

We traveled to Cakebread cellars with neighbors that were wine club members, so we had an upper advantage on reservations. They seated us in a beautiful shaded garden and we tasted six of their very beautiful flavorful wines. Two days later we decided to return and had a older gentleman who poured for us, so we experienced the six wines that were featured plus other wines that we were encouraged to taste. It was a beautiful experience and would definitely recommend a tasting if you're ever in the Napa area.

Sam was the favorite part of the tour. She had a good knowledge of the farm and surrounding areas and also a good sense of humor. The place is beautiful. The reds were outstanding! Went home with two bottles of red, the 2012 Cabernet and the Vaca blend. Great visit.

Beautifully architected winery with warm wood tones everywhere and modern twists.

We did the walking tour and enjoyed the information and the wine pairings including a wide range of Cakebread offerings across Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Pinot Noirs.

Special thanks to Charlie, our walking guide, for the informative tour discussing innovative technologies with concrete eggs and other wine making processes as well as a geographical lesson on how wine is different across the valley. Highly recommend.

Not only does Cakebread offer great wine, their staff is the best! One of the nicest "cellars" that I saw out of 16 wineries I visited. Unique ceiling in the main entrance is made entirely out of corks - an impressive sight! Keep on making great wine and giving people great experiences when they visit you - I'll be back! :)

Unbelievable experience for unbelievable wine. But my hottest tip is: ASK. FOR. ZACH.

He was SO knowledgeable and just made the wine tasting experience exciting. This was our first stop on the trip, and obviously the wine was great, but our host just made it that much better.

10/10 all around recommend.

Jack and Dolores Cakebread bought a 22-acre parcel in Rutherford in 1972 and the rest is classic Napa history! Cakebread was on our short list of must visit wineries, and we were not disappointed. First, the property is gorgeous, with a casual yet sophisticated ambience (I love the woods used for the buildings). Construction on a new Visitor Center was completed in 2019, and subsequently won Robb Report’s 2020 Best of the Best wine tasting experience. Matt, our knowledgeable and friendly wine host, led us through a tasting of both reds and whites. It was a beautiful experience sipping these elegant wines, seated outdoors on a lovely, spacious patio with views of the vineyards. My husband and I rarely agree on which wine we like the most (honestly, I loved them all, especially the Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve). This time we were both blown away by the 2017 Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet (Howell Mountain). Being at the winery is a great opportunity to sample (and purchase) a wine that you likely will not find back home.

We visited Cakebread because it’s my wife’s favorite. Jess did an amazing job with the tour - incredible given it was her first week! Best tour of the five times my wife had visited! Highly recommend!

Cakebread was my first visit to a winery-ever. That being said, we attended the white wine tasting and enjoyed it. Carl was quite knowledgable, you could tell he enjoys what he does for a living. There was one other couple at the tasting. They led you into a side room and talked about each wine, and took us outside to taste the grapes and speak a bit about he process. This was a tasting, not a tour, so it was about a half-hour. We also walked around and looked at the vegetable garden and the fields. It was a nice visit.

Had a reservation for Oct 28 at 330pm. Due to the excessive traffic as a result of the Siverrado Trail closing, we were unable to make our appointment. Stuck in traffic in St Helena for over an hour. Called to let then know we would be late. Left Rombauer at 300pm. Arrived at Cakebread after 4pm. Spoke with Charles on 11/1 and he said no refund or any discount. Flew in from Florida and expected to purchase wine, but after this dreadful experience, Cakebread has come off my list of wines.. So many other vintners. Poor customer service led then to lose a customer

We love Cakebread wine and we did the reserve tasting. The hostess was very nice and the reserved tour. I believe this tour gives you tastings of their more expensive wines with a cheese pairing. However they have so many tour options I don't what others offer. The 4 star rating is based off 5 stars for the wine, and 3 for the tour we chose. Most the tour/tasting is inside a room in what I would call a bit of a stuffy atmosphere where as we saw other tastings done as you walked around the grounds which would have been a better experience (but lacks the pairing). So it is a personal choice on which of their several tours you like better - but the wine is worth the trip.

Having enjoyed Cakebread Wine all the way back in the Northeast, we were excited to visit the winery, and lucky enough to be able to take a tour. The tour was informative, we especially enjoyed the family history. The wines we tasted were excellent, and we even had a few bottles shipped home. Given more time, we would definitely take advantage of the cooking class offered and learn more about wine pairing. Great experience overall.

We had a large group and we did a tour and tasting. It was fantastic. The guide poured a tasting, would explain the wine, and then lead us around the property. We strolled the vineyards, the courtyard, production area, bottle room, even the garden. During the whole time we tasted 5 or 6 wines and keep revisiting them. We got to pick a few grapes from the vines and even a few tomatoes from the garden. This was my highlight from Napa. Our group purchased over a case of mixed wine and 4 out of 6 couples joined the wine club. Highly recommended stop! The $50 tasting is well worth it!

Make a reservation. We had a really good tour of their facility. The new visitor center was really nice. Tasting was just O.K. We tasting while walking on the tour. Although this was different from all the other tours we've been on, I would have preferred sitting. Most of the wineries do not provide any cheese or crackers. I think this is a miss on their part. At the end of this tour we had a little chocolate bar. That did help the sale of their product to me.

While they do make very good wine - I would not recommend stopping by the winery. Now I will be the first to admit, we did not call and make a reservation for a tasting. But when we stopped at the winery to see about a tasting you would have thought we were homeless bums that wanted to camp on their front lawn.

I can understand that we should have called to reserve a spot for tasting - but you can inform people of that in a respectful manner. They did not ! As the title says, they were Rude and Extremely Condescending in the way they informed us we could not do a tasting.

If I could give this a negative number, I would. So I recommend -- keep on driving and stop at some of the other great wineries in the area that want to have you stop by.

This is a standout in the Napa valley region! Personal attention to each guest, amazing wines and knowledgeable staff. James spent time educating us on each wine, and catering to our individual tastes. A must experience in napa! Try the reserves it is worth it

Cakebread Cellars was a first-time delightful event. We started with a tour of the facilities, learning about the making of wine from the growth and harvest of grapes to their being brought in and worked through to sit in their egg-shaped vats, to the tasting room, to a lovely luncheon served with several different wines with each course. I felt like a spoiled princess who was only missing her tiara! Following lunch was a very clever team-building event whereby each team of four had to mix our own wine (we had three to choose from), had to label it (front and back) and then market it with pricing and who it was going to be most sought by. It was a great way to spend the day. Even if you do not drink wine or even like wine, you cannot help but be mesmerized by the beauty of this place, the vineyards, and the romantic aspects of wine. Not to be missed in Napa Valley, Cakebread is ravishingly wonderful!

Matt, in the reserve tasting room was great, very knowledgable and really made the experience a lot of fun,

We did the tasting and enjoyed it very much. The wine here is mid range prices so look upwards of 30.00/bottle. Their chardonnay reserve is amazing and I think it cost roughly 55.00 per bottle and these are U.S.$ prices. I bought several as really enjoyed them and cannot get anywhere else.
Note: you must make reservations now at most wine tastings in Sonoma and Napa.

My friend and I did the Classic Cakebread Tour in the afternoon, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Our guide, Jane, was kind and engaging about Cakebread’s winemaking process.

What stood out about this tour was the focus on the winemaking itself. Instead of just showcasing the grounds, we were shown production facilities. Jane explained each step of the process in a way that was both educational and fun.

I was especially impressed by a unique winemaking technique they’ve implemented—something I had never heard of before. It was fascinating to learn about the innovation happening behind the scenes, and it gave me a deeper appreciation for the wine we were tasting.

My friend and I enjoyed most of the wine we tasted during the tour. I even ended up purchasing a bottle of their Chardonnay as a Mother’s Day gift for my mom.

If you’re looking for a winery tour that’s not just about the views but really dives into the craft of winemaking, I highly recommend Cakebread Cellars. Great wine, a thoughtful experience, and fantastic hospitality.

We visited Friday and enjoyed Jane Williams as our hostess and tour guide. She was fun and informative for our small group and answered all of our questions with a depth of knowledge that was impressive. The wines were incredible as you might expect but the best surprise of the day for us was the grenache. The grounds are so beautiful it looks like a fantasy wedding venue, kudos to the groundskeepers.

Our second time to this amazing winery - the staff is extremely friendly and the wine is top notch! We haven't had the opportunity yet to try the food pairing experience, I understand it's exceptional - and planning on trying it out on our next visit.

Our guide was great very knowledge we did the reserve tasting impressed with bear mountain we got to pick grapes off the vine fun experience

Cakebread cellars has been under our 'radar' for so many years. We started to visit, and it was our very first winery on our first tour of Napa, and has yet to disappoint. Recently, this past May we visited with our small group of wine enthusiasts and enjoyed a wonderful 'tour' and tasting. It continues to grow in its size of building and enjoyable vineyards, but the quality and taste have not suffered from its growth. Service, friendly staff and the beautiful, quaint grounds make it "Cakebread"......!

Fantastic winery and one of the few that is family friendly. Grownups can enjoy a great wine tasting while walking around the vineyard and vegetable garden, which the kids really enjoyed.

We made our first trip to this winery after enjoying their wines for many years. This particular tasting was one of our most favorites ever! James H was our host and boy did we strike gold drawing him for our tasting. His experience is varied from being a winemaker, to author, on to a wine educator. His style was simple and direct providing incredible insight that was easy to understand. We did some side by side tastings on Pinot Noir and Cabernet that not only educated us on styles and locations but also on our palates. James is retiring down the road. If you are heading there anytime soon, call ahead and see if you could get him for your tasting!

Worth paying for the reserve tasting. Go when they are not too busy and get more attention with more possible tastings.

Our hostess, Michaela, was very well informed and very ‘customer friendly’. Tastings were great (of course - it’s Cakebread!). We always make a point to visit there when in town.

Great value for a tasting. It's nothing super special. It's definitely worth the hour at the cost. Our tasting was just gathered around a service cart. Carl was a host and we enjoyed him. Wines are good. Nothing is going to blow you away here but it's a good spot.

Cakebread is just great. The wine, the people, the property. It never disappoints, each time we return we have a great experience and love the wine as well. Highly recommend stopping for a tasting.

I travel to the region annually and Cakebread continues to be one of the best around. Fantastic tour and some excellent wines. Try the Dancing Bear if you can. Phenomenal. A must go stop in the region.

Multiple people recommended we go to Cakebread while we had a girls weekend in Napa, and we are so glad we listened! Our guided tour was so informative, the pours were generous, and we sampled grapes on the vine and items in the garden. It was fascinating! We ordered lots of wine, can't wait until it arrives! We all want to go back to Napa just to go back to Cakebread.

Our hostess was Megan. She was really funny and kept the tour light. The white wines were amazing. We had a great time and will definitely come back when the new visitor center opens. If you are in the area and if you like white wines give Cakebread a try.

We had a 1030 tasting but a traffic accident kept us from arriving until 1130. We called the tasting room and they were very accommodating to move us to the 12 pm tasting. It was a nice combination of education and tastings. Our host was very nice without pushing the wine for purchase or the wine club. We enjoyed our visit and decided to buy some wines the next day. Great location near other wineries.

My friends and I totally enjoyed the wine pairing experience at Cakebread in September 2024. The experience from the onset set a very high bar for all subsequent wineries we visited. Truthfully, Cakebread was hands down our favorite! The winery is beautiful and serene. The wine was absolutely excellent and the pairings were unexpectedly delicious! I was able to get some recipes from Chef Romano! I highlight recommend the wine pairings visit at Cakebread! Worth every penny!

By far our favourite winery visited this trip. Sam was knowledgeable and you got to see the wine making facilities. Grounds are gorgeous as are the buildings.

My wife and I decided to do the Red Wine Tasting ($40 pp, 4 red wines). The 2015 Pinot Noir was still too young to enjoy; the 2015 Merlot and the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignons had a lingering finish. Those latter reds were above average, but not exceptional. Our hostess Debbie was friendly and attentive. She even poured us an extra wine based upon on our comments on some of the other wines; that 2014 Cab was just average.

We can't wait to go back. Don was a fabulous host and full of fun and knowledge. He made the experience memorable and the wine was superb...as well as the scenery. We highly recommend stopping by.

Jo, our host, was a great storyteller. She walked us through the grapevines and gave us a base history on the valley. Each wine sample came with fantastic insight into the areas the grapes were grown.

Who knew Cake Bread had so much history? Besides the fabulous wine, the grounds are amazing as well!

Zach at Cakebread Cellars was the highlight of our wine tours. Hilarious, interactive and knowledgeable compared to the other tastings where they sat you at a table without much education or interaction. The grounds are gorgeous, the wine is wonderful. Will definitely add this to our list for recommendations and revisit in the future. Thanks Zach!!

Our tour and trip to Cakebread was amazing! Our guide, Kathy Martin was wonderful…friendly, informative and attentive to any questions. She made us feel at home and we enjoyed it so much! The grounds were beautiful and the wines were delicious. It was beautiful this time of year with the vines changing colors. I highly recommend you visit and hopefully you get Kathy! :)

Booked the tour and tasting and wound up being just my wife and I. Amy was fantastic as our guide as she shared the story of the winery, their process, and types of wine. Great experience as our first stop on our first trip to "wine country". Put the rest of our trip in a good perspective. Oh and their wines are as outstanding as Amy and her hospitality were!

We enjoy Cakebread Cellars' wine at upscale restaurants but haven't visited it in years. We found out that we had to make a phone reservation for a visit but space was not available for our party of four (including two from abroad). Nevertheless, we wanted to pick up some wine at the winery store. While there, the concierge very kindly accommodated us for a little tasting of both whites and reds. A host takes a small group for each tasting to a special area so it is quite personalised, organized and unhurried.

First off we booked a family tasting which was only $25 per adult. A great deal in Napa. We were greeted at the door by Megan who explained to us that her job was to keep our glasses full and to keep the kids entertained while we enjoyed our wine. And my gosh, she was fantastic with the kids.
She was very patient answering all the questions of our 3 year old (and if you dont know, they are asking questions non stop). She let her explore the wonderful garden, touching smelling all the wonderful things.
Cakebread is also home to our favorite cabernet sauvignon. Order a few bottles before you leave. We did.

We opted for the extended tour as I had a colleague from over seas with me whom needed to learn more about the process of making wine. This tour accomplished that and more. Pleasant and informative way to spend 90 minutes.

This winery has recently been renovated and smells like a new Finnish sauna! The wine tasting was made even more enjoyable with Paige who was patient and super friendly with the last visitors of the day! Make sure to ask to consult the aroma wheel to better identify tastes and aromas!

Cakebread Cellars delivers with excellent service and presentation. The environment is welcoming with a beautiful location. Tom was an excellent guide/wine expert and I recommend asking for him to any group or couple wanting a expert presentation that’s informative and fun.

We discovered Cakebread Cellars on our very first visit to Napa several years ago and every trip to the valley we return to Cakebread for the wine and food pairing experience. We checked in and were poured a glass of sauvignon blanc to sip on while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. The tasting starts with a short tour of the winery including the lovely garden, then proceeds to the tasting room where 4 wines, two whites and two reds, are paired with 4 bites. This visit the food pairings were a kimchi pancake with soy dipping sauce, corn polenta with burrata and pesto, kale and ricotta malfatti, and lamb rillettes with rhubarb mostarda. There were 4 couples at our tasting, which made for a nice, intimate experience. Afterwards we walked through the production facility, and were shown the new outdoor patio for wine club members. We love all the wines at Cakebread, and that hasn't changed from our first visit years ago. The wines are consistently good, and the whites are some of my favorites. Cakebread has undergone and is still in the process of a major expansion including badly needed parking spaces. Hopefully they can still maintain that personal touch experience.

A wonderful winery with some of the best red wine I tasted. Their 2004 Merlot was the most memorable wine in the flight that we tasted. The people were friendly and knowledgeable which made for a fun experience.

So we scheduled a tasting here as locals and also being in the business. What a disappointment. Our person (I’ll refrain from names as I’m sure she will know it was her) who did our tasting thought it would be better to talk incessantly about herself and things that don’t necessarily pertain to wine, while she painstakingly poured us a half an inch of wine with more blathering between tastes ensued.
It was painful. We would have bought some of the better wines if she a actually cared to pour them, but she did not. We didn’t even get the 2016 cab noted on the tasting menu as she decided to give us the 2015?? Also what was very disconcerting was the screen on the wall. So instead of showing beautiful pics of the new winery or vineyards it had a minuscule pic of prices? You could barely see it and it just kept flashing the same thing on the screen. Tacky beyond belief Extremely annoying and it’s too bad because the new facility is beautiful.
Too many other wonderful wineries in Napa that treat locals and people in the business with respect. We will not be back and we will not purchase their wines in the future.

I visited with my sister and parents and let me tell you, the experience surpassed what we expected. It was a very pleasant tasting and interesting tour. Jacob was friendly, polite, and answered any of our questions. We lucked out because no one else was scheduled for a tasting during our time, so it was more personal, but I can imagine he would have created the same feel even if more were along. We tasted wines while walking through different areas of the winery, both inside and out. I highly recommend this both professional and also genuine experience.

My husband and I visited Cakebread winery in May of 2019 for a basic tasting. The tasting room was quite busy the morning we arrived, so Debbie, our hostess, asked if it would be okay to do the tasting in the barrel room. We actually liked that idea so we said yes and I am so glad we did. While Debbie was showing us around, some of the employees were working on transferring wine from oak barrels to the larger tanks. We were able to ask them questions and they couldn’t have been nicer about it. Cakebread is known for their chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines which are very good, but their red wines were also very good. We were leaning towards purchasing a chardonnay, but then our hostess gave us extra wines to sample and we ended up purchasing the Vaca which was excellent. Debbie made our experience very enjoyable. She was very friendly, informative, and went beyond what was necessary.

We visited on June 7th, 2018 and Barrett was our sommelier. He was amazing! Right from the start we hit it off. Luckily for us tasting group was small - just the two of us. Barrett took some extra time talking with us and we thoroughly enjoyed the wines, but also his enthusiasm, knowledge, humor, and energy. To start the tasting we walked out past the vineyards and Barrett took some time to talk about the winemaking process with us, and how the grapes are grown and harvested. He also discussed the goal for each plant and how sun, water (lack of), soil, temperature, etc affects the grapes. He really impressed us with his knowledge of the Valley, the history, and we really enjoyed his personal story. Cakebread was HIGHLY recommended to us by some friends, and the experience explains why. We bought a nice bottle of the “aged” 2011 Chardonnay (a special year for us). Upon returning we just enjoyed it last night and WOW, it was even better than during the tasting. During our 7 day visit, Barrett made this one of most enjoyable vineyard tasting experiences. We will be joining their wine club and we will be sure to make this a stop every time we visit Napa. - Joel & Carolyn Frederick, Maryland

We had a great tasting experience at Cakebread Cellars. Our server was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. And we already knew we loved the wines, but it was nice to taste some new ones, and of course left with a few bottles to enjoy both while in Napa and take home. The tasting room is nice with all the feels of being in a true winery with barrels everywhere. So glad we stopped.

We made this our first destination when we made it to Napa Valley. Our host, Una, was incredibly informative during our tasting and tour. She moved our group along at a good pace answering all questions and never making us feel rushed. Overall, a great experience if you are looking for education along with tasting.

My daughter and I were lucky enough to be able to make a last minute reservation for a reserve tasting - this is a wonderful experience that allows you to taste wines you won’t find when you get back home. If you are looking for something more special than new releases this is a great option.
We began with a welcome glass of a newly released Chardonnay while awaiting our hostess, Jessie. In all we were 6 people for this experience. As we walked to our particular tasting room Jessie described the newly opened winery, which includes much more space for tastings, an outdoor kitchen, gardens, and lovely sitting areas. The woodwork is stunning - be sure to check out the light fixtures made from barrel pieces.
Our tasting included a reserve Chardonnay, two fantastic reserve cabs, and their special Dancing Bears red. Before tasting that we were shown a video of bears actually climbing a fence to raid the vineyards of their grapes - it’s hysterical! Each wine was paired with a lovely cheese and we even had pecans from one of the trees on the property (they are enormous and beautiful).
Following our tasting we enjoyed a walk through the production area, which at this time of year is quiet - but still fun to see.
This was a fun visit, and we are very happy to be taking 5 bottles home with us. We are frequent visitors to the area and I am already looking forward to a return visit.

We had a great time with the walking tour. Shannon was super friendly and helpful. Great experience and would recommend taking your time to enjoy the property.

Our tour guide James was very knowledgable and friendly. We learned a lot of great stuff that we could use our whole trip in Napa. The wine was also great that we made another stop our last day to bring back more. A must see for good wine and information.

We highly recommend tasting wine at Cakebread Cellars in Rutherford. Whether you are new to wine or a diehard wine enthusiast, Cakebread offers a range of unique experiences for choosing. If you love everything wine and hearing the history of the winery, we recommend calling ahead and booking a tasting in the vineyard. We had a guide that took us around the vineyard as we tasted their amazing wine. Luckily for us, it was also harvest and crush time. We got to see a lot of winery action!

We spent a wonderful afternoon talking history, grapes, and wine.

I’m giving it 4/5 because we almost didn’t get in! Their website indicates appointments are not necessary and this appealed to us because we weren’t sure if our timing. When we arrived we were told and saw signs ‘appointments only’. Fortunately we had a terrific woman who got us into a tasting that had just started. Jacob was loads of fun and gave us a brief tour as well. Really nice winery and we were able to order some wine not available in stores and have it shipped to us.

Cakebread Cellars has always put out very nice wines and my recent visit did not disappoint. However, I'm not a big Pinot Noir fan, but they have a Pinot that I thought was better than the other varietals I had and the rest were very good. Nice Job!

Our tasting guide, Erika, did a great job. We learned a lot about Cakebread and she did a great job answering our questions. Cakebread wines are amazing. We sampled several wines in the barrel storage facility. Had a great time.

The wine is great and the staff are friendly. Enjoyed the wine tasting, but would have liked to see a little more of the facility. I know it would mean more glasses needing washing, but don't like the idea of tasting different wines out of the same glass. All in all, was a good visit.

3 couples stopped at the tasting room without reservations. They were very accommodating to our group. We all love Cakebread wines and were thrilled they got us right in. There were a wide variety of wines serve, to include our favorite Chardonnay. No cheese/crackers but there were a few breadsticks. We ordered a few bottles and had them shipped to our home. Outstanding wines and location!

This has been my favorite Chardonney so when we passed by we had to stop. The staff was not helpful at all. You can't buy a glass of wine here. You can only have a "splash" Not a real winery. Seemed like a gift shop. Disappointed

We had a white wine tasting at 10am, and James was our host at Cakebread. We toured the vineyards and gardens, and walked through the wine production area. James was knowledgeable, engaged, and fun to spend time with. He actually got to know everyone a bit in our group, and it felt like we were drinking great wine with good friends. My husband and I lingered in the shop, and James and the sales team supported us through our purchases, were never pushy, but very helpful! Thanks for setting the bar high for out time here in wine country, you created an EXPERIENCE for us and we really appreciated it!

Beautiful winery with friendly staff. Our guide (Pam) was very informative and the wines are delicious. This was our second trip to Cakebread and will not be our last!

We did 4 tastings and 2 tours on our recent Napa trip and Cakebread was definitely one of the best. Our wine educator for the tasting was James Howard and he certainly was qualified as an educator. We spent an hour or so with him and learned about the various wine processes, how to taste it properly and so much more. Highly recommend the wine and highly recommend James

Very fun tasting for our first in Napa Valley. Our guide, Debbie, was great! She was very informative and funny. The wine is some of the best in Napa Valley, I highly recommend this place and cant wait to see after the renovations.

Food was good , the choice of straters were okayish. The staff were cordial and continuously catered to the various drinks requests of the large group of ours.

Added this tour on the recommendation of a friend the weekend before we got there. Really nice tour and tasting. Wish we could get some of their wines here on Maui!

Very knowledgeable guide and great wine! We enjoyed a tasting outside and learned a lot about their wine making process.

Tour and tasting of at this winery was amazing. However, we ordered 4 bottles of wine (to be shipped) on 10/21 and do not even have an order number yet. I've reached out to them several times and have only received a case number via email - no solution.

It was a pretty location and Pam was a lovely host. We changed our reservation the same morning to accommodate our visit to the redwoods. I wish we could have seen more of the grounds and storage but not sure if they do that for an average Joe.

Overall a good experience. We did the wine tour and tasting. Our guide was very experienced and helpful fielding all of our questions.

Biked here from Napa, convenient location just off the main road with secure bike parking. We booked a tasting and were given the tour around the barrels. Mixture of nice and not so nice wine. We bought a Merlot. Staff were knowledgeable and friendly- nice to see for such a big winery. Good high end option on any tour.

This was our fifth tour over the past several days and was the least appealing. We were not given the option to have a clean glass if we did not like one of the wines that was poured, Making the taste of the wine we disliked to linger in our glass throughout the experience. We received a glass of Sauvignon Blanc when we entered and neither of us really enjoyed that. We would’ve preferred being asked if we would like a Sauvignon Blanc or it would have been nice to have a choice of a different white wine

No water was provided throughout the tour. Every other winery provided us with a glass or a bottle of water.

Overall, the tour felt very rushed

My first tour and experience at Cakebread was 19 years ago and it was a phenomenal experience. That was given a five star. This experience barely makes a two star rating. The difference is that this experience felt very commercialized.

I don’t feel the experience was worth the cost and would definitely not recommend it compared to other experiences tthroughout the region

Recently went to Napa/St Helena area for the first time. Friends recommended that we stop here. Paid for the tour and "tasting". Tour guide was not friendly or fun to talk to at all. Pretty boring and monotone. I didn't learn anything because I just wanted it to end. On top of that, her pours were SO small. For the money, I was disappointed. The wines were good but only average or below for Napa standards. I couldn't believe when they were turning people away on a Wednesday afternoon in February because there was only a handful of people there! Skip this place!!! Went to Halls and Sequoia next door and the wine was phenomenal and the atmosphere/bartenders were fun.

My husband and I did the Estate tour, we got Nick as our guide, and it was incredible experience. The wine was really good and Nick was a great host!

We found ourselves with a little time between places and I took a chance and called to see if they could fit us in for a reservation. They were happy to have us come by and would accommodate us within about 10 minutes. The tour of the place was a nice tour with a host that had knowledge about the history of the wines and the winery. Loved how the whole place was made of Cedar, it smelled so good in the winery. I really loved the wines they poured for us.

We had an appointment scheduled for this winery, James was the absolute best. His knowledge and ability to talk about wine is far beyond your average tasting. He made it fun and interesting and you can tell the passion of their staff meets the quality of wine they produce. Would suggest to anyone to definitely go there!

Cakebread was the first chardonnay I actually liked when I had it on a business trip about 20 years ago. I don't really drink whites anymore, but it was fun to actually see the winery that started my wine appreciation! We found this January Napa Neighbor deal for any California resident and decided we had to check it out. We had a great 'walk and sip' tour paired with different tastes at different stations throughout the very large operation. It was a bit more interesting that the usual sit and sip as we got to see the inner workings. Our host was very knowledgeable about the goings on as well as the history, and the reds were especially tasty!

Booked my reservation back in May of 2017 for a November trip. They not only had the booking (with no credit card, nor guarantee) but also had notes about my conversation with Linda.

There were 4 of us on the tour, but my father-in-law was not able to go on the tour with the rest of us. So what did they do - Lionel escorted him upstairs to a private room and gave him a private tasting while we went on the BEST tour of our entire trip. I'm sure it helped that the weather was beautiful too. But Yvonne did a fabulous job walking us around and explaining Cakebread. This place is nothing but CLASS, CLASS, CLASS!

On a scale of 1-5 they get a 10! Thank you Cakebread family. While other wineries are out hustling bottles of wine like used car salesman, you are creating customers for life.

This came recommended by our vrbo owner so we picked it on a day we had a driver for tastings and tours. Driver said to sure make a reservation so we did. We arrived and they did not have our reservation despite a confirmation I had received and it was uncomfortable. They agreed to get us in to the next tasting and tour so we sat down to wait, only to be told the seating was for club nembers only (despite 20 open tables). The tour was 20 min long and the pours were about 2 tablespoons of wine (cost $35 per person). I don’t go to Napa to get intoxicated, but I expect more when it is that costly. Wish we would have skipped this and gone elsewhere.

We visited Sonoma and Napa; Cakebread Cellars was definitely one of our favorites. Nice wine, lovely property, friendly and professional staff. We found nothing not to like.

Cakebread was a great experience in a beautiful setting with excellent wine and service. All around this was one of our favorite visits in wine country. This is why we flew from Virginia across the country to Napa. Many other wineries didn't live up to our expectations, but this one did! We did the Red Wine tasting and it was more than we even expected. We got a short tour around the winery and had a sit-down tasting with just 3 other couples in a beautiful setting. We never felt rushed and fully enjoyed each and every wine. Our server was very informative. I wish I remembered his name but that was over a week ago now amidst many other wineries we visited. He was wonderful! It was an intimate tasting not to be missed!

My husband and I have been visiting Napa Valley for decades. We used to visit back in the day when tastings were free and the tasting room was a simple, small space. Over the years wine tasting has become big business with most wineries charging between $25 and $75 per person per tasting. It adds up fast!

When you go wine tasting, you are looking to not only drink some wine, but to learn about wine. Depending on your knowledge level, the tasting host will either give you general beginner wine information, more detailed information about the wine, and progress onto the winemaker and specific processes of the wine you are drinking. In any event, the tasting host should be educating you about something having to do with wine or the winery.

On a recent visited the “Rutherford” area of Napa valley three wineries were visited. Sequoia Grove, Cakebread and Inglenook. Sequoia was the best. The tasting host was super nice and very informative. Once she realized we knew something about wine, she then proceeded to tell us about the winemaker and winery. Cost for tasting was $25 per person for current release.

Next stop was Cakebread. By far the least favorite and in my opinion, can skip this winery. It was a waste of both time and money. I had the $40 tasting of the reds. The issues I had were 1) The grounds are not grand compared to other Napa wineries, 2) The reds were “young” and therefor didn’t taste very good at all. This can sometimes be helped by offering tasters food (often cheese) or letting the wine air before tasting. This winery doesn’t do this so your tasting experience is bad. (Also, the tasting pour was the smallest of the three!) 3) The tasting host didn’t offer any insight to the wine, winery or wine maker. Instead he kept talking about Bourbon and stereo equipment. I couldn’t wait to leave.

Our last stop was Inglenook. I had the regular tasting costing $45 per person – but this comes with cheese/bread to help the tasting. The grounds and chateau of the winery are spectacular! Nice to visit even if you don’t do a tasting. The chateau has on the second floor movie memorabilia from Francis Ford Coppola (who purchased the winery decades ago). The wines were nice and having food to accompany the tasting helped the reds taste better. I was especially impressed with the Rubicon and I wasn’t surprised to see it sells for over $200 per bottle. The host was pleasant and provided education about the winery, wine maker etc…

This place is actually better than I thought it would be. Because we had three military IDs and we all got a free tasting and tour. The wine was a lot better than I thought it would be. The inside, with the egg like shells of where they keep the wine is so creative and cool. Service was great. The tour was awesome! I would go back again!