Cadence Winery
Owners – Benjamin Smith & Gaye McNutt
1. What is your/your family’s story around your winery?
We discovered a shared passion for wine when we met in Seattle in the early 1990s. This passion grew into a desire to showcase and produce exceptional wine focused on the unique terroir within Washington state. In the whirlwind year from 1997 to 1998, we bought 10 acres on Red Mountain (that would ultimately become Cara Mia Vineyard), started Cadence winery, and got married to one another.
2. How long have you been making wine in Washington state?
2022 will be our 24th commercial vintage.
3. What is your favorite part of being a part of the Washington state wine community?
The esprit du corps in our industry is incredible. We have so many good friends we would never have known otherwise. We all taste each other’s wines, walk each other’s vineyards, and build on our mutual successes at home, nationally, and abroad.
4. What do you think the future holds for Washington state wine? Where are we headed or what trends are you seeing?
We will continue to develop new and exciting vineyard sites as well as refine the incredible sites that have already been planted. An example of that is the work we are doing at Cara Mia Vineyard, where we are planting new rows in the middle of our current rows that will provide additional shade for our fruit in an increasingly warm climate. We’ll also see refinement of clonal selections, rootstock, and management practices to produce even better fruit.
5. What is your favorite wine and food pairing?
We love the Cadence 2006 Bel Canto, our Cabernet Franc blend, paired with juniper berry crusted, sous vide rack of venison. The combo is pure heaven!
Vineyard Manager – Justin Lyon
1. What is your/your family’s story around your winery?
I started growing grapes right after college in 2011. I currently work for my father-in-law, Dick Boushey, managing the Boushey Vineyards in Red Mountain for several clients.
2. How long have you been making wine in Washington state?
2022 is my 12th season growing grapes in Washington state.
3. What is your favorite part of being a part of the Washington state wine community?
My favorite part of the Washington wine growing community is the relatively small network of people who do this for a living. Most of us know each other very well are always ready to lend advice or help each other out.
4. What do you think the future holds for Washington state wine? Where are we headed or what trends are you seeing?
I think we’re going to continue seeing growers and vintners working closely with one another to not only match sites with specific varieties but also aligning those varieties with the varying winemaking styles we have across the state.
5. What is your favorite wine and food pairing?
Pasta carbonara and Syrah
Crew Leader – Raquel Placido
1. What is your background, how did you come to work at the vineyard?
A friend of mine invited me to work alongside them at Boushey Vineyard. I didn’t have much experience of wine before I joined this crew, but I have been excited to learn over time.
2. How long have you been working in this capacity?
I have been working as crew leader at Boushey for two years.
3. What is your favorite part of being a part of the Washington state wine community?
I have come to discover that everyone in the industry shares the same high level of passion and dedication for what they do and I love being a part of that.
4. What do you think the future holds for Washington state wine? Where are we headed or what trends are you seeing?
I think that the region has proven itself to be incredibly successful and will continue to grow and thrive.
5. What fact can you share about your job that wine-drinkers might not know?
When and how to prune the grapevines can affect the quantity of grapes and ultimately the quality of the grapes.
