CAST Wines: A Unique Blend of Community and Innovation

Over the last 14 years, I’ve had the opportunity to tell the story of innovation within the wine industry, gaining insights into various approaches to winery beginnings. While family-owned wineries and those acquired by larger corporations or wealthy individuals are common paths, some wineries take the road less traveled. CAST Winery stands out as one such winery.

Jack Seifrick and his wife, Ann, chose an unconventional starting point. Their story unfolded through frequent trips to California’s wine country, shared with a close-knit group of friends from Dallas, nurturing their love for wine and growing their collection. With a thriving career in commercial real estate, Jack also founded and successfully sold two community banks. As their daughter went off to college, a perfect opportunity emerged for them to redirect their focus and start a new venture.

They took a fresh perspective on funding. Jack took a distributed ownership approach, where numerous stakeholders invested in the vineyard and became shareholders. It mirrored the community engagement seen in successful community banks. It secured the necessary capital but also fostered a sense of shared ownership and support within the community, ultimately contributing to the sustainable growth of the winery. The winery currently has 50 limited partners who helped buy the property, hire a consulting winemaker and team, and set up the business.

About CAST Wines

Based on their experiences in wine country, Jack and Ann were certain that Sonoma, and more specifically, the vicinity of Healdsburg, was the