Portrait of Steve Cass
i. Biography
Steve Cass is the winemaker of Cass Winery in Paso Robles, and that title reads as the endpoint of a practical second act rather than a sudden turn. For twenty years, from 1980 to 2000, he worked as an office manager at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc, a background that suggests habits useful in wine: discipline, patience, and a tolerance for long timelines. In 2005, he became owner of the winery, taking on the full responsibility of work that depends on timing, judgment, and restraint.
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At a Glance - Role: winemaker. - Place: Paso Robles. - Earlier career: office manager at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., 1980–2000. - Ownership: began in 2005. - Wine view: "great wine can only come from great grapes. Period." - Working rule: "My job is to not f* up what mother Nature has produced." At the center of Cass’s approach is a vineyard-first ethic. Before he was tending Cass Winery in Paso Robles, he was thinking in practical terms about grapes, land, and the minimum structure needed to turn that into a working winery: hire a vineyard manager, find a property, grow grapes, and, later, add a tasting room.
That thinking places the raw material ahead of the finished bottle and keeps the emphasis on what the site gives before anyone intervenes. The philosophy itself is direct. Cass says, "great wine can only come from great grapes. Period." The line is plainspoken, but it frames the winemaker’s job as one of stewardship rather than control. His other rule is even more explicit: "My job is to not f* up what mother Nature has produced." Taken together, those two statements set the terms of his craft: protect the fruit, avoid unnecessary interference, and let the vineyard carry the weight.
Signature
Steve's signature wines include 20th Anniversary CASS wine. The bottle functions as a marker of continuity inside the winery he owns, and it reflects the same priorities that shape the rest of his work at Cass Winery in Paso Robles.
In Their Words “My job is to not f* up what mother Nature has produced.”
FAQ
Asked of Steve
Who is Steve Cass?
He is a winemaker whose career moved from Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. into wine.
What is Steve Cass known for?
His work centers on the belief that great grapes come first.
Where does Steve Cass work?
He works at Cass Winery in Paso Robles.
The Sunday email
Read about winemakers like Steve Cass in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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