Our Vineyards

Discover the Terroir Behind Cakebread Cellars Wines

Our journey began with a 22-acre vineyard in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Over time, we’ve expanded to 17 estate vineyards totaling 1,600 acres across Napa and Anderson Valleys, with over 700 acres planted to vine. These vineyards span diverse microclimates and soils—from cool, fog-kissed hillsides to sunlit valley floors—each contributing unique character to our wines. This range allows us to craft wines of exceptional depth, complexity, and sense of place.

Vineyard at Cakebread Cellars with lush green grapevines on rolling hills under a clear blue sky.

Carneros Vineyards at Cakebread Cellars with lush green grapevines and rolling hills in the background.

Carneros Vineyards

Proximity to San Pablo Bay makes the Carneros appellation the coolest in Napa Valley, ideal for growing world-class Chardonnay. Our six vineyard ranches here offer the chilly, windswept conditions and shallow loam soils this variety loves, fostering refreshing acidity that is signature to our Cakebread Chardonnays.

Vineyard details

The Cuttings Wharf Road Vineyard is planted on a low ridge in the rolling plains of Carneros where vines take root in shallow, loamy soils, and six different high-quality French Chardonnay clones create diverse varietal expression. 

Tinsley Ranch is located in the southeastern area of the windswept Carneros appellation of Napa Valley. Fertile soils of Haire loam—typical of this region—and a long, cool growing season make this vineyard ranch ideal for developing bright, vivid Napa Valley Chardonnay. 

Milton Road Vineyard sits in the southern reaches of the Carneros appellation of Napa Valley. The wide variety of clone plantings and the range in ages of these vines help us achieve greater diversity in fruit. The Milton Road Vineyard is also home to one of our beehives from which we make estate honey. 

Foster Road Vineyard is the northernmost of our five Carneros vineyards, set right at the foot of Napa Valley. Gently sloping hills, a cool windy climate, and loamy soil yield Chardonnay wines of high quality. 

Ahmann Ranch was purchased in 2023 and marked the family’s largest vineyard acquisition in its history at 209 acres. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are planted on the property.  Cassidy Road Vineyard was added to our Carneros footprint in 2021. Once ago planted as an apple orchard, the land ran adjacent to a train depot where neighboring farmers loaded up their fresh produce for shipping. Today this special site is home to a variety of Chardonnay clones that deliver on our signature Chardonnay style and quality.

Suscol Ranches landscape at Cakebread Cellars with rolling hills and lush grapevines in Napa Valley during daytime.

Suscol Ranches

Our three Suscol Vineyards are located within the Vaca mountain range, southeast of the town of Napa, within prime proximity to the San Pablo Bay and its cooling influence.

Vineyard details

Arroyo Creek Vineyard sits farthest west of the vineyards and comprises of multiple exposures, allowing us to plant a diverse variety of grapes and clones, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

At our Suscol Springs vineyard, vines are planted amid rocky outcroppings overlooking the valley floor, and the site’s rocky, well-draining soils and cooler climate contribute balanced acidity as well as layers of complexity and depth of flavor to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah wines.

Planted later after the purchase of the site, Suscol Mountain sits just above the Suscol Springs vineyard. The incredibly high elevation, rocky soils and cooler climate results in fruit that ripens later in the growing season, with small berries that are full of concentrated flavor and tannin.

A lush vineyard view of Annahala Ranch at Anderson Valley Vineyards, taken from a wooden bridge at Cakebread Cellars, surrounded by green trees and rolling hills in the background.

Anderson Valley Vineyards

Our two Anderson Valley vineyards, Annahala Ranch and Apple Barn, sit on former apple orchards on the banks of Anderson Creek just north of Boonville, home to prime pinot noir conditions. These two ranches are planted to a wide range of clones and rootstocks for diversity and complexity.

Vineyard details

Annahala Ranch is closer to the coast and spends more time in fog, resulting in delicate flavors and hints of floral notes in the fruit. We farm dedicated blocks on this ranch for our White Pinot Noir and Rose wines. Along with growing Pinot Noir, we have also planted Sauvignon Blanc.

Apple Barn receives longer stretches of sunlight which produces bigger, bolder fruit. Despite being across the street from each other, these vineyards produce distinctly different flavor profiles.

  • Acres: Vineyard acres: 109; Gross acres: 286
  • Year Planted: 2001, 2002, 2007, 2016, 2022
  • AVA: Anderson Valley – Mendocino County
  • Grapes Produced: Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc
  • Weather: Cool
  • Soil Type: Boontling Loam, Talmage Gravelly Loam
Vineyard at Cakebread Cellars with rolling hills and winery buildings in the background, under a clear blue sky.

Winery Ranches

Our three winery ranches sit very close to the Cakebread Cellars winery and include the original 22-acre vineyard, Rutherford Ranch, purchased in 1972. The new 60 acres spans both the Oakville and Rutherford AVAs. All three of our Winery Ranches enjoy warm daytime temperatures and gravelly soils—ideal conditions for growing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Vineyard details

Rutherford Ranch vineyard surrounds the winery and sits between the Napa River and the Mayacamas Mountains.

Oakville Ranch lies just to the south, in the Oakville appellation.

River Ranch runs along the banks of the Napa River

  • Acres: Vineyard Acres: 47; Gross Acres: 68
  • Year Planted: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2017, 2021
  • AVA: Rutherford – Napa Valley
  • Grapes Produced: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • Weather: Cool
  • Soil Type: Bale Clay Loam, Yolo Loam
A lush Howell Mountain - Dancing Bear Ranch vineyard overlooking a scenic river and mountain landscape in Napa Valley.

Howell Mountain – Dancing Bear Ranch

Dancing Bear Ranch is located high on the slopes of Howell Mountain in northern Napa Valley, where vines struggle in rocky, shallow soils. Elevations range from 1450’ to over 1600’ above sea level, and offer a near 360 degree exposure, for great diversity in growing conditions. This isolated vineyard is home to turkeys, mountain lions, bobcats and of course, bears. To keep bears away from Merlot grapes (their favorite), Dennis Cakebread once hooked up a motion detector to a boom box. It didn’t work, but the resulting videos of the bears in action inspired the name of the property and its signature wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc all thrive here with some of the vines planted as early as 1999.

Calistoga - Maple Lane Vineyard at Cakebread Cellars with lush green grapevines under a clear sky in Napa Valley.

Calistoga – Maple Lane Vineyard

Our Maple Lane Vineyard is tucked against the hills of northern Napa Valley, just south of Calistoga near the Silverado Trail. Vines take root in the well-drained, fertile soils of the valley floor, where several varieties of wine including Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc find distinctive expression in this area of the Calistoga AVA.