GREENFIELD — Scheid Family Wines is celebrating its 50th anniversary with special events throughout the year in its tasting rooms located in Carmel-by-the-Sea and at its estate winery just off Highway 101 between Greenfield and King City.
Based in Monterey County, the family-owned and operated wine company farms more than 3,000 acres of vineyards located along a 70-mile spread of the Salinas Valley in the Monterey AVA.
Al Scheid, founder and board chairman, recognized the untapped potential in Monterey County in 1972 and was one of the region’s vineyard pioneers.
Beginning as an operation that sold 100% of its wine grapes to other wineries, the company has now become a vertically integrated grapes-to-glass family business focused on global and exclusive wine brands, with sales of more than 700,000 cases of wine annually.
“Achieving our 50-year milestone could not have happened without a tremendous amount of courage and hard work,” said Scheid, who celebrated his 90th birthday last month. “A company’s success comes down to its people, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team that has set a standard of excellence that has gotten us to where we are today.”
Quality, innovation and sustainability are the pillars of Scheid’s strategy.
In 2020, Scheid launched Sunny with a Chance of Flowers, an innovative zero sugar, low alcohol, low calorie brand that is available in retail stores throughout the country. Its estate vineyards are certified sustainable and the entire winery operation is powered by 100% renewable wind energy generated by a 400-foot wind turbine, which also supplies enough excess energy to power 125 homes in the local community.
Scheid Family Wines also achieved organic certification of its 85-acre White Flower Vineyard in 2020 and farms a significant portion of its estate vineyards using organic farming methods.
In addition to Sunny with a Chance of Flowers, Scheid Family Wines’ globally distributed portfolio includes Scheid Vineyards, District 7, Ryder Estate, Metz Road, VDR and Stokes’ Ghost. The company also produces many regionally circulated brands and distributes imported wines through its partnership with PH Imports.
Speaking to the future, Scheid added, “We will continue to evolve, looking for ways to expand our portfolio and grow our business. With the leadership and innovative spirit of our talented team, I know that all we’ve achieved in the first 50 years is just a prelude to what comes next.”
