White Hope

When Americans go out to dine and are in the mood for a Sauvignon Blanc,they more often than not ask for a Cakebread Cellar.

Written by Debesh Banerjee
March 29, 2009 02:15 AM IST

2 min read

When Americans go out to dine and are in the mood for a Sauvignon Blanc,they more often than not ask for a Cakebread Cellar. The Napa Valley brand,which figures among the top five wines requested at American restaurants according to the annual poll conducted by Wine and Spirits Magazine,is hard-selling the whites in India. President Bruce Cakebread flew down from California to suggest,A younger sauvignon blanc would be a perfect appetiser wine and an older sauvignon blanc would pair well with a lightly cooked paneer dish or a grilled fish. And the 51-year-old doesnt let the Old World vs New World argument get under his skin. The bottom rule is to ask yourself,whether it tastes good or not, he says,sniffing a glass of his Chardonnay 2007.

His portfolio of wines in India is limited to four,with prices ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000,but Cakebread plans to fly down more cases from recessionary America. We also have premium wines like Pinot Noirs and Reserve Cabernets with only 500 cases of annual production. When the time is right we will introduce them here, he says.