Cadence

Boutique Winery (Bordeaux-style Red Wines)cadencewinery.com

Cadence is a privately-held Seattle-based boutique winery founded in the mid-1990s, producing Bordeaux-inspired red blends from Red Mountain AVA vineyards. Owned by winemaker Ben Smith, the company distributes across 12 US states and through direct-to-consumer channels.

Company typePrivate
Founded1996
HeadquartersSeattle, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingHardware or Manufacturing

What Cadence does

Cadence is a privately-held boutique winery headquartered in Seattle, Washington, that produces Bordeaux-inspired red blends primarily from Red Mountain AVA vineyards. The company was founded in the mid-1990s by Ben Smith (winemaker) and Gaye McNutt and operates an urban winery facility in Seattle with grapes sourced approximately 200 miles east on Red Mountain from its estate Cara Mia Vineyard and other prestigious sites including Tapteil and Ciel du Cheval. Cadence uses an appointment-only model rather than operating a public tasting room.

The company's portfolio centers on vineyard-designate and estate wines: Bel Canto (a cabernet franc-led blend from Cara Mia Vineyard), Camerata, Tapteil Vineyard designate, and Ciel du Cheval Vineyard designate, with a second label Coda composed of petit verdot, merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon, plus a Coda Rosé. Critical reception has been strong, including a 98-point rating for Camerata from Jeb Dunnuck, retrospective features in Decanter, and Wine & Spirits Magazine's Top 100 Wineries designation in both 2021 and 2023.

Cadence operates as an owner-operated business with no institutional investors or parent company. Revenue comes through a hybrid wholesale-direct model: the winery distributes across 12 US states via independent regional wholesalers (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington) and through direct-to-consumer channels including an online store and mailing list. The competitive position rests on Red Mountain AVA terroir, brand reputation built over roughly three decades, and high critical scores within the Washington fine wine niche.

Cadence firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Cadence
Legal name: Cadence
Website: https://cadencewinery.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1996
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: Cadence is a privately-held Seattle-based boutique winery founded in the mid-1990s, producing Bordeaux-inspired red blends from Red Mountain AVA vineyards. Owned by winemaker Ben Smith, the company distributes across 12 US states and through direct-to-consumer channels.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Cadence industry classification

Industry

Product category: Boutique Winery (Bordeaux-style Red Wines)
NAICS: Wineries (312130), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
SIC: Beverages (2080)
akta.pro primary industry: Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)
akta.pro secondary industries: Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)

Keywords

Bordeaux blend wines
Estate winery
Red mountain wine
Cabernet franc wine
Boutique winery

Where Cadence is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Seattle
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Markets served

Cadence business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components: Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

EDA Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Cadence generates revenue through EDA software licenses and subscriptions for chip design, simulation, and verification tools. The company signals strong growth outlook for 2026 driven by AI integration across EDA and IP sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Cadence product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Cadence is a Seattle-based boutique winery producing Bordeaux-inspired red wine blends from Red Mountain AVA vineyards, including its estate Cara Mia Vineyard and sourced fruit from Tapteil and Ciel du Cheval. The winery operates by appointment only at its urban Seattle facility and sells wines directly to consumers as well as through regional distributors across multiple U.S. states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Coda: The second label of Cadence winery, containing barrels not essential to the estate or vineyard blends. Composed of petit verdot, merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon.

Products and services

Bel Canto 2022 A 92% cabernet franc / 8% merlot red Bordeaux-style blend from Cadence's estate Cara Mia Vineyard in Red Mountain AVA, offered through the winery by appointment and via the online store. Targeted at wine collectors seeking age-worthy, single-vineyard Washington red wines.
Camerata 2022 Single-vineyard Bordeaux-style red wine from Cadence's portfolio, sourced from Red Mountain AVA fruit, available by appointment and through regional distributors.
Tapteil 2019 Bordeaux-style red wine sourced from the Tapteil Vineyard on Red Mountain AVA, part of Cadence's single-vineyard lineup. Sold direct and through state-level distributors.
Ciel du Cheval 2018 Bordeaux-style red wine from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain AVA. Included in Seattle Metropolitan Magazine's 28 best Washington wines of 2021 and reviewed by Jeb Dunuck at 95 pts.
Coda 2024 Second-label red Bordeaux-style blend from Cadence, composed of petit verdot, merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon, offering a more accessible tier beneath the vineyard-designate wines.
Coda Rosé 2025 Rosé wine produced under Cadence's Coda sub-brand, extending the second-label portfolio beyond red Bordeaux-style blends.

Quantifiable outcome

Up to 75% compression of advanced chip design cycles
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use Cadence

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Cadence technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Cadence partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

Samsung FoundrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026Cadence is collaborating with Samsung Foundry to build silicon prototype demonstrations on the SF5A process, enabling chiplet development targeting physical AI, data center, and high-performance computing applications.
ArmcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 January 2026Cadence leverages Arm's Zena Compute Subsystem for next-generation edge AI processing in automotive, robotics, and drones applications within the chiplet ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Cadence competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

L'Ecole No 41: Third-generation family-owned Walla Walla winery specializing in Bordeaux-style blends from estate and Red Mountain-sourced fruit — directly comparable Washington boutique producer.
Woodward Canyon Winery: Family-owned Walla Walla winery focused on premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends — comparable boutique scale and premium Washington positioning.
DeLille Cellars: Woodinville-based Washington winery specializing in Bordeaux-style blends from Red Mountain and other AVAs with strong critical reputation — directly comparable in style, sourcing region, and premium positioning.
Leonetti Cellar: Founding Walla Walla/Red Mountain premium winery producing Bordeaux-style blends with cult-list allocation economics; same boutique scale and Washington wine category as Cadence.
Betz Family Winery: Boutique Woodinville winery producing Bordeaux-style red blends from Washington fruit, including Red Mountain sourcing — similar scale, similar varietal focus, similar small-lot model.
Figgins Family Wine Estates: Parent entity of Leonetti Cellar producing premium Bordeaux-style wines from Walla Walla and Red Mountain — comparable boutique producer with cult-list economics and similar terroir focus.
Andrew Will Winery: Small Vashon Island winery focused on Merlot and Bordeaux blends from Champoux and Ciel du Cheval vineyards — directly comparable as a Washington boutique producer sourcing from Red Mountain-area vineyards.
Quilceda Creek Vintners: Family-owned Washington State winery specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends from Red Mountain and other top AVAs — a directly comparable boutique producer with cult-list demand and trophy reviews.

Broad incumbents

Duckhorn Vineyards: Napa-based premium producer specializing in Merlot and Bordeaux-style blends with a national footprint and DTC tasting room strategy — comparable as a benchmark boutique-to-mid-scale premium Bordeaux-style producer with similar channel structure.
Chateau Ste. Michelle: Washington's largest and most established winery, producing a broad portfolio including Bordeaux-style wines and sourcing from Red Mountain — provides the dominant incumbent benchmark for the Washington premium category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Cadence financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Cadence leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Cadence funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Cadence M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cadence

What does Cadence do?

Is Cadence a public or private company?

Cadence is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Cadence founded?

Cadence was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Cadence based?

Cadence is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.

How does Cadence make money?

One revenue line is on record: EDA Software Licenses and Subscriptions.

Who are Cadence's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are L'Ecole No 41, Woodward Canyon Winery, DeLille Cellars, Leonetti Cellar, Betz Family Winery, Figgins Family Wine Estates, Andrew Will Winery and Quilceda Creek Vintners. Broad incumbents are Duckhorn Vineyards and Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Does Cadence have an API?

No public API is recorded for Cadence.

What industry is Cadence in?

Cadence's product category is Boutique Winery (Bordeaux-style Red Wines). Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAB, Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands, with a secondary code of THAFALAE, Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms). Its NAICS code is 312130 and its SIC code is 2080.