About Us
FORGING A PATH INTO NEW TERRITORY
Interested in exploring new winemaking opportunities outside of Napa, Dennis Cakebread of Cakebread Cellars ventured north into Washington state in 2012.
He connected with industry friends and networked with an incredible community of passionate winemakers and professionals who helped him understand Washington’s incredible wine scene and get the family’s new winery up and running.
One day, while taking a break from blending, Dennis stepped outside and noticed a road sign for the Historic Mullan Road. A little research revealed it was the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains from Montana and into Washington state, connecting Ft. Benton to Ft. Walla Walla. Today, Mullan Road Cellars celebrates adventure, exploration, and discovery, as well as the Cakebread family’s first journey into a new wine region outside of California.
If you only have flutes, and are trying to build an orchestra score, what kind of music could you write?
—Dennis Cakebread
Our first wines were red wine blends from the Columbia Valley and were a great way for us to understand the nuances of eastern Washington’s unique terroir and how special the Bordeaux grape varietals are from here.
In 2017 we went embraced the soon-to-be-recognized Royal Slope AVA. Working with extraordinary partners at Stillwater Creek Vineyard and Solaksen Vineyard, we shifted our focus to producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon.
Early in 2023 we welcomed two new team members to Mullan Road Cellars: winemaker Sally Johnson and VP of Operations for Cakebread Cellars, Aaron Fishleder. Together they’ve been instrumental in helping us continue to evolve our winery and push our viticulture and winemaking practices to new heights.
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Dennis Cakebread, Founder and Proprietor
Dennis Cakebread, chairman of the board of Napa Valley’s renowned Cakebread Cellars, brings more than 35 years of wine expertise and passion to Mullan Road Cellars. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (GO Bears!), Dennis spent his early years working as a CPA and CFO in the financial services industry before joining his family in Napa at Cakebread Cellars in 1987, where he spearheaded the sales and marketing teams and finance.
Over his career, he has built lasting relationships with trade partners and wine enthusiasts alike and was a leader in the movement to update direct-to-consumer shipping laws for wineries.
Drawn to the quality of wines being made in Washington state and having close connections with the wine community in Washington, Dennis started Mullan Road Cellars in 2012. Dennis continues to enjoy the friendships developed and the unique differences between eastern Washington and Napa Valley grape growing and winemaking, and loves drinking the wine we make using vineyards on the Royal Slope. Life is good.