meet danielle
What has the last 10 years taught you about your respective winery and Napa as a whole?
In the last 10 years, I have learned that Napa Valley is resilient, ever-changing, and an exceptional place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa also has the best restaurants and food scene!
At the same time, I learned that our community in the Napa Valley is extraordinarily resilient. Many wineries lost vintages of wine, vineyards, and property to these fires. Grape growers lost all that they invested in their vineyards in these vintages. Relationships between wineries and grape growers were stressed and tested. Once the smoke cleared, we were able to come together, mend, and grow stronger.
With so many opportunities in the Napa Valley to make wine, why did you seek out your Winery and what has motivated you to stay for a decade?
I was immediately drawn to CADE because of it’s Gold LEED Certification and Certified Organic vineyards. CADE’s commitment to the environment was something not many wineries were doing in 2005. When I started in 2012 I wanted to be a part of something that would protect the Napa Valley for future generations. I stayed with CADE for 10 years because there is also a commitment to quality that I had not experienced before. We don’t skimp on the things that matter. From how we farm our vineyards to how we make the wine… we are always aiming to make the best wine possible. The stakes are high, the expectations are high, but that is what makes it challenging and rewarding as a winemaker.
What are some of the biggest changes you have seen happen in your career?
The wine industry has truly embraced technology in the last 10 years. From how we irrigate vineyards to juice/wine chemistry, it is another tool in a winemaker’s tool belt that helps us make great wine. Winemaking is no longer about a “recipe” of how we do things. We can use various technologies to make minute-by-minute decisions on a wine. We can shape and guide a grape into a great glass of wine by making adjustments along the way. These tools allow us to “see” things that we can’t taste or smell.
Of your many accomplishments, what are you most proud of?
My family, my son Blake, and the fact that I can turn grapes into wine!
What advice do you have for aspiring Winemakers trying to break into the industry?
Don’t give up! If you want to work in the wine industry then keep trying. Submit your resume. Believe in yourself. Show your passion. It may not happen today…but it can and will happen!
What is your favorite wine to make?
Cabernet Sauvignon, always and probably forever.
What is your favorite wine that you have ever made (including vintage) and why?
The 2016 CADE Estate Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. I was pregnant with my son Blake during the 2016 Harvest so I will always remember my daily walks in the vineyard sampling grapes. I might have walked a little slower, especially on our hillside vineyards, but overall I was grateful that I was able to do it! We also bought 13th Vineyard in 2016 which was an exciting and challenging project to take on during harvest and while 7 months pregnant!
What are you looking forward to in the next 10 years?
I look forward to making some amazing wines for CADE from our Estate Vineyards. I also look forward to learning more about our vineyards, how to grow great grapes, and embracing new technologies and research that can help me make great wine. I am also excited to be a Mom and watch my son grow and experience new things in life.
10 Year Anniversary Reserve
Winemaker Dinner & Release Weekend
August 26 - 27
CADE Estate Winemaker Dinner
Tickets available this summer