Japan Trade Mission Trip Itinerary

Cakebreads celebrate 25th anniversary of harvest workshop with new cookbook

Some tickets are still available for Cakebread Cellars’ 25th annual American Harvest Workshop, scheduled at the Rutherford winery Aug. 18-20. 

Founded by Jack and Dolores Cakebread in 1973, Cakebread Cellars will host this special anniversary event next week, featuring 50 chefs and 20 local purveyors, all alumni of past workshops.

The celebration will include vineyard lunches, field trips for visiting chefs, purveyor seminars and a gala dinner for Cakebread wine club members and guests. The cornerstone of the program is the Grand Chefs’ Tasting on Friday, Aug. 19, a public walk-around tasting with dishes prepared by the attending chefs and purveyors, paired with Cakebread wines. Food and wine stations throughout the Cakebread grounds will give guests the chance to explore the winery lawn, garden and cellar.

Tickets are $75 per person and available at Cakebread’s online shop or by calling 1-800-588-0298.

As part of the Grand Chefs’ Tasting, purveyor seminars with limited seating are available for $25 per person (in addition to the general ticket price). Each seminar will begin at 4:30 p.m., and repeat again at 6:30 p.m.

Some of the chefs scheduled to take part in the American Harvest Workshop anniversary celebration include Michael Smith, Extra Virgin, Kansas City, Mo.; Rob Wilson-Montague, Laguna Beach; Kevin Taylor, Restaurant Kevin Taylor, Denver; Mark Miller, consultant, Santa Fe, N.M.; Mark Liberman, Black Sheep Butchery, Sacramento; Sujan Murkherjee, Taj Bengal, West Bengal, India; Scott Gottlich, Bijoux, Dallas; Jonathan Cambra, Castle Hill, Newport, R.I.; Wally Joe, Acre, Memphis; Oliver Saucy, Café Maxx, Pompano Beach, Fla.; Walter Pisano, Tulio Restaurant, Seattle; Ken Vedrinski, Trattoria Lucca, Charleston, S.C.; Jesse Llapitan, The Palace Hotel, San Francisco; Goose Sorenson, Solera, Denver; Bruce Hill, Picco, Larkspur; Rick Moonen, RM Seafood, Las Vegas; Tom Wolfe, Wolfe’s of New Orleans; David Everett, The Trellis, Williamsburg, Va.; James Boyce, Boyce Restaurant Concepts, Huntsville, Ala.

Every year, as summer quietly melts into autumn, Dolores and Jack Cakebread, winery chef Brian Streeter and the staff at Cakebread Cellars welcome chefs, farmers and foodies alike to a truly unique collaboration of food and wine.

It’s a weekend of cooking, tasting, talking and sharing at the family-operated winery that’s been an integral part of the Napa Valley wine scene since 1973.

NTA, USTOA Leaders to Begin Japan Mission | Leisure Group ...

Japan’s tourism infrastructure is nearing a full recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. But while airports, bullet trains and attractions are up and running at full speed, tourist arrivals continue to lag behind. Overall visitation in May was down 50 percent from 2010.

Japan tourism will receive a shot of support from a team of U.S. travel professionals visiting the earthquake-damaged island nation from June 21-26. “Rediscovering Japan—USTOA/NTA Mission 2011” is a delegation of leaders from two associations—the U.S. Tour Operators Association and NTA. It will meet with Japanese tourism officials, visit popular destinations and assess overall travel conditions. By putting travel professionals on the ground, the entire industry can better understand the current situation, according to NTA chairman Cathy Greteman.

“It’s one thing for tour operators to hear from Japanese officials that it’s safe to visit Japan, but the same message will carry more weight when it comes from their colleagues,” said Greteman, who owns Star Destinations in Carroll, Iowa.

The delegation’s itinerary includes tours of Tokyo and Mount Fuji, along with signature Japanese experiences: a cooking class after visiting the Tsukiji fish market, dinner at Kanga-An Temple, a cruise on Lake Hakone and a geisha performance at one of Kyoto’s oldest tea houses. In addition, the group will meet with the president of the Japan National Tourism Organization and other tourism officials.

Rediscovering Japan is not the first mission undertaken jointly by the two associations. “I traveled with a USTOA/NTA delegation to Egypt and Jordan this spring, and I know for certain our visit had a positive impact on restoring tourism to the region,” said Terry Dale, president of USTOA. “We owe it to our members and to the affected destinations to help get the story out—accurately.”

The world focused on the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami—and a threat to a nuclear power plant—but news of the nation’s recovery has not garnered as much attention. Japan is open for tourism, though, said Satoshi Asano, director of the Japan National Tourist Organization’s New York City office.

“Japan is absolutely safe, enjoyable—and as fascinating as ever,” Asano said. “We have benefited from the support of tourism partners worldwide, along with a heroic effort from Japanese citizens. I am confident the NTA-USTOA delegation will have a positive experience.

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