And Meeting Jack & Delores Cakebread Was A Highlight of the Week
I dare say that Napa/Sonoma is one of the loveliest places on earth. If it were not for the extreme heat in the summer I would live there in a heartbeat. Beautiful gardens, majestic hillsides and delicious wines and fine cuisine—is there anything else that really matters?
On a recent spring week, when the calendar was almost clear, I decided to just throw caution to the wind, and join cooking instructor Hugh Carpenter at his week long cooking program in Napa. What a fantastic decision that was, and with the Bluegrass music blaring as I left Oakland Airport in my rental car—–I was off for one heck of a delicious adventure.
The weeklong cooking adventure included numerous private estates where we cooked all day long, and the highlight, as you can imagine, is when Delores Cakebread invited us up to her home to see her garden. She had just entertained her Garden Society group and felt that the time was just right to share it with the culinary team that had assembled in their private cottage with full-scale kitchen.
As you can imagine we jumped in our car without hesitation and so enjoyed this special trip to the hilltop!
I love a cooking program that includes lots of cooking. I could care less about shopping and touring. I want to cook. And this program focuses on just that. What fun!! We visited wineries, and restaurants and met Chefs galore!! What fun….
Sunday
5-9 PM Reception and dinner at the lovely home of Hugh & Teri
Monday
9-1 Cooking Class at Cakebread Cellars
4-6 Garden tours with Jonathan Plant (Napa Valley floor-ranch style
Home and then up Oakville Grade to a French Cheateau
Tuesday
9-1 Cooking Class at Beaulieu Estate (Du Puis Home)
5-6 Garden tour with Freeland Tanner and his wife at their home!
Wednesday
9-1 Molly Chappellet Garden, Winery Tour and Lunch (Including a personal book signing with Molly
5-6:30 Jack Chandler’s home and garden tour-wine & cheese
7:00 Dinner at Catahoula Restaurant
Thursday
9-1 Cooking Class and lunch at Cakebread Cellars Impromptu tour of Dolores & Jack Cakebread’s Home!
4:30-6 Appetizers, wine and garden tour at Spottswoode Estate
Friday
8 St. Helena Farmer’s Market
9-1 Cooking class and lunch at Trefethen Winery
1-2 Trefethan garden tour with David Alosi
7:00 Graduation, lovely dinner & stand up act by Hugh Carpenterat Pine Ridge Winery and Caves
I love Cakebread wines!