About Cass Winery & Olive Oil
Steve Cass retired from a twenty-year Charles Schwab career in 1999 at 48, and after his wife Alice vetoed the around-the-world sailing plan following one stormy Mediterranean test run, he went looking for vineyard land instead. Scouting with pioneer grower Jim Smoot, he found pastureland in what is now the Geneseo District, and in 2000 planted the 145-acre Cass Vineyard to a dozen varieties, all certified ENTAV clones from the French government's certification agency. The winery itself was a Syrah-induced decision: on a 2002 golf-and-wine trip to Stellenbosch, South Africa, Cass and his builder Ted Plemons agreed over a bottle or two to become partners, posted an assistant-winemaker job listing at Stellenbosch University the next morning, and hired South African Lood Kotze, who ran the cellar until 2014.
The converted-barn tasting room opened in 2005 and grew into one of Paso's liveliest destinations: a full cafe with wood-fired pizzas, the shipping-container-pod Geneseo Inn, and Camp Cass activities running from horseback rides to axe throwing. The estate-grown Rhone and Bordeaux program earned Central Coast Wine Competition Winery of the Year in 2015, 2018 and 2020, the only winery to win it three times. Tastings run daily 11am to 5pm on Linne Road, dog and family friendly, with the fee waived on a two-bottle purchase. The vineyard rides altitudes of 900 to 1,200 feet that moderate the Geneseo District's heat, watered by a deep well drilled past a thousand feet, and true to the full name, the property's olive oil program rounds out the Mediterranean table.
A Schwab retiree's Syrah-induced Stellenbosch handshake, grown into a three-time Winery of the Year with a cafe, container-pod inn and summer camp for adults.
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A vetoed sailing trip,Alice Cass sank the retirement voyage after one stormy test sail, so Steve planted 145 acres instead.
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The Stellenbosch handshake,Cass and builder Ted Plemons founded the winery over Syrah in South Africa and hired their winemaker off a university job board the next day.
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Three-time Winery of the Year,the only winery to take the Central Coast Wine Competition's top honor three times, in 2015, 2018 and 2020.
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ENTAV-certified vines,all twelve estate varieties carry official French clonal certification.
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Camp Cass and container pods,the Geneseo Inn's shipping-container rooms and adult-camp activities make Cass a full-day destination.
"A Schwab retiree's Syrah-induced Stellenbosch handshake, grown into a three-time Winery of the Year with a cafe, container-pod inn and summer camp for adults."
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Featured Wines
Current Releases
Wines change with each vintage
For an accurate list of current-release wines and library bottlings from Cass Winery & Olive Oil, please check the winery's official website or contact the tasting room directly. El Pomar District producers typically rotate vintages and offerings seasonally.
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Cass Winery Walk-In
Taste the wines at Cass Winery & Olive Oil in the El Pomar District. Daily 11am to 5pm, walk-ins welcome.
From $15
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