“The four-day workshop brings together a select group of chefs, artisan food purveyors, and wine and food enthusiasts,” explains Cakebread Cellars president Bruce Cakebread, “and focuses on building a greater appreciation and awareness of what each brings to the proverbial (and literal) table.”

Chef Mukherjee joins the ranks of over 100 other notable chefs from all over the United States, Canada, China and now India, who have participated in the programme since its inception. It took place this year from 6 to 10 September.

Designed for chefs, the Workshop aims to increase the appreciation of wine and small artisan producers, and provides a unique opportunity for chefs and food purveyors to work together in a creative and educational environment. The workshop’s intensive schedule incorporated interactive wine and food seminars ranging from a comparative tasting of Cakebread wines with various spices and wild game, to artisan coffee and chocolate tastings.

Bruce Cakebread conducted an in-depth comparative wine tasting of library wines. Participants met artisan food purveyors and learned more about their products at an on-site Farmers Market and at their farms; visited Cakebread vineyards and picked grapes; toured the cellar with winemaker, Julianne Laks; toured the vineyards with viticulturist, Toby Halkovich, and attended seminars on the vineyard management technology used by Cakebread Cellars.

The highlight and culmination of the programme are two unforgettable harvest dinners planned and executed by the guest chefs. Each night, the dinners featured food products from the farmers market and wines from Cakebread Cellars’ own library that were chosen specifically to illustrate the art of wine and food pairing.

Participating guest chefs for 2008 besides Sujan Mukerjee were:
· James Boyce - Studio, Montage Resort, Laguna Beach, CA
· Jonathan Gushue - Langdon Hall, Ontario, Canada
· Rick Moonen - rm Seafood, Las Vegas, NV
· Scott Neuman - Oba Restarant, Portland, OR
·