The California Green Medal recipients have been announced for the fifth annual Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards. The California Green Medal recognizes the leadership of wineries and vineyards committed to sustainability and is presented by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, California Association of Winegrape Growers, Wine Institute, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers and the Vineyard Team. Four Green Medals are presented in the following categories: Leader, Environment, Community and Business. The recipients of the Green Medal Awards will be honored at a ceremony at the California Department of Food and Agriculture in Sacramento on May 1, 2019. The event will be held in conjunction with a Legislative Reception, celebrating California Wines Down to Earth Month in April recognizing the California wine community’s commitment to sustainable winegrowing.
Scheid Family wines is the recipient of the ENVIRONMENT AWARD, given to the vineyard or winery that best demonstrates Environmental Stewardship through maximized environmental benefits from implementing sustainable practices.
Scheid Family Wines, based in Salinas, California, holds sustainability as a core value. Scheid Family Wines strives for sustainability in the broadest sense of the word every day in all that they do. They installed a wind turbine that provides power to run the entire winery operation plus an additional 125 homes. Skylights were placed in the winery to provide a more pleasant work environment and reduce electricity usage. All the vineyards and the winery are Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE). They recycle and reuse 100% of the grape pomace and wastewater generated in their winery. In the vineyard, they invest in human assisted technology to ease the physical demands of pruning, increase safety, enhance the well-being of their employees and extend their careers. Scheid Family Wines believes that being a leader in the wine industry requires a deep commitment to environmental stewardship and the well-being of their employees and local community.
"The Green Medal recognizes the commitment and dedication to sustainability by California growers and vintners," said Allison Jordan, CSWA Executive Director. “The hardest part is selecting only four recipients from the many amazing applications received from vineyards and wineries of all sizes from throughout California. The judging panel was impressed by the breadth and depth of sustainable practices being used to conserve water and energy, maintain healthy soil, protect air and water quality, preserve wildlife habitat, and enhance relations with employees and communities, all while improving the economic vitality of vineyards and wineries.”
A panel of wine and sustainability experts judged the applications for the fifth annual California Green Medal. They include: Karen Block, Ph.D., Directory of Industry Relations, UC Davis Viticulture & Enology; Stephanie Bolton, Ph.D., Sustainable Winegrowing Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission; Renata Brillinger, Executive Director, California Climate Action Network; Anna Brittain, Sustainability Consultant, Napa Valley Vintners; David Glancy, Master Sommelier, San Francisco Wine School; Allison Jordan, Executive Director, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance; Cyril Penn, Editor in Chief, Wine Business Monthly; Kate Piontek, Vice President of Operations, Sonoma County; Mike Taylor, Director of Adult Beverages, Nugget Market Inc.; Ann Thrupp, Executive Director, Berkeley Food Institute at UC Berkeley; and Beth Vukmanic Lopez, SIP Certification Manager, The Vineyard Team.
Award sponsors are — Exclusive Media Sponsor: Wine Business Monthly; Gold Sponsor: Rivercap; Silver Sponsors: Farm Credit Alliance, G3, Marin Clean Energy and Protected Harvest; and, Bronze Sponsors: AG Unlimited and ETS Laboratories.
Visit: www.greenmedal.org for more information.
Apr 4, 2019 at 12:10 PMWe are pleased to share the most recent reviews from Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine in his latest issue #181-183. Ronn Wiegand is an international wine professional with 40 years of experience as a sommelier, wine journalist, wine critic, wine educator, wine judge, and wine consultant. He is a Master of Wine (1991) and Master Sommelier (1986)—and was the first person in the world to hold both titles.
Wiegand began writing about wine in 1981 and has published hundreds of articles in such publications as Decanter and Wine Spectator. He was wine columnist for both the San Francisco Examiner and the trade publication Nation’s Restaurant News for 5 years. Since 1988, he has been Publisher and Editor of Restaurant Wine, a subscription-only journal read by sommeliers and restaurant wine directors throughout North America. www.restaurantwine.com
RESTAURANT WINE®’S EVALUATION SYSTEM QUALITY ratings are:
★★★★★ EXCEPTIONAL quality for its type and style; a superstar (5 stars) within its price category. Merits an extra special effort to purchase. Very highly recommended.
★★★★ EXCELLENT quality for its type, style, and price. Among (4 stars) the very best of its type for its price. Highly recommended.
★★★ VERY GOOD quality for its type, style, and price. Has (3 stars) distinctive character and positive attributes.
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2016 CHARDONNAY, ESCOLLE ROAD VINEYARD, SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS ★★★+ To Be Released March 2019
A complex, toasty Chardonnay that is full bodied, very supple in texture, and long, with a woody finish. In aroma/ flavor, it tastes of pear, butterscotch, vanilla, pineapple, and spicy oak. Needs modest aging. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels. Partial ML. 100 cases. 14.8%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC, MONTEREY ★★★★
Very fine Sauvignon in a fairly delicate style. It is full bodied, crisp, long on the palate, moderately intense in flavor, and spicy and lingering on the finish. In aroma/flavor, it tastes of pear, white pepper, lemon, and tropical fruit, with a hint of lemon grass. 100% Sauvignon. Aged 6 months in stainless steel. 1,734 cases. 13.5%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2016 GRENACHE BLANC, SAN LUCAS VINEYARD, MONTEREY ★★★+
The 2016 is a very good wine: crisp, delicately flavored (grapefruit, white peach, pear, pineapple), and medium full bodied, with good balance and a medium long finish. 100% Grenache Blanc. Aged 6 months in stainless steel. Unwooded. 100 cases. 12.8%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2017 GRENACHE BLANC, SAN LUCAS VINEYARD, MONTEREY ★★★★+ To Be Released March 2019
The 2017 is delicious: full bodied, supple, and rich; a wine with subtle, delicate fruitiness (pear, lime, honeydew melon, dried fig), excellent balance, and a very long finish. Great value. 100% Grenache Blanc. 30% fermented on the skins. Aged 7 months in stainless steel. Unwooded. 132 cases. 12.8%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2017 ALBARIÑO, ARROYO SECO, MONTEREY ★★★+ Sold Out
A delicately flavored Albariño of very good quality. It is medium bodied, crisp, floral-and-fruity in flavor (lime, honeysuckle, lemon, white peach), balanced, and vibrant on the finish. 100% Albariño. Unwooded. 195 cases. 12.5%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2015 PINOT NOIR, DOCTOR’S VINEYARD, SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS ★★★★ To Be Released November 2019
The 2015 is in a ripe, complex style. It is very supple in texture, intensely flavored (cherry, plum, strawberry jam, spicy oak, black tea), and balanced, with a very long finish. Needs further aging. 3 day cold soak. Aged 18 months in oak barrels, 75% French and 25% other European. 150 cases. 14.5%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2016 TEMPRANILLO, SAN LUCAS VINEYARD, MONTEREY ★★★+ To Be Released September 2019
The Tempranillo is a very good version of the varietal: supple and complex, with fully body, light oakiness, good balance, and a long finish, tasting of plum, tobacco, rose petal, and oak. Can be aged further. Aged 18 months in 80% American and 20% Hungarian oak barrels. Unfiltered. 135 cases. 14.6%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2016 DOLCETTO, RIVERVIEW VINEYARD, MONTEREY ★★★★+ To Be Release May 2019
The Dolcetto is excellent: red-purple in color, distinctly flavored (plum, red licorice, blueberry jam, blackberry, herbs), well balanced, and medium long on the finish. Will benefit from modest aging. Aged 10 months in French oak barrels. 100 cases. 14.5%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2015 TANNAT, HAMES VALLEY VINEYARD, MONTEREY ★★★★+
The Tannat is a very impressive wine: fleshy, rich, and oaky, it is full bodied and quite powerful on the palate, with excellent depth, firm structure, and a very long finish, tasting of blackberry, cherry, black tea, clove, and spicy oak. Aged 18 months in 51% French and 49% Hungarian oak barrels. Unfiltered. 147 cases. 14.5%
SCHEID VINEYARDS, 2015 PETITE SIRAH, HAMES VALLEY VINEYARD, MONTEREY ★★★★★
The Hames Valley Petite Sirah is exceptional: an ultra-ripe, full bodied, intensely flavored wine that is fleshy in texture, balanced, and very long and mildly tannic on the finish. 100% Petite Sirah. Aged 18 months in Hungarian oak barrels. Unfiltered. 100 cases. 14.9%
Feb 1, 2019 at 8:26 AM
Scheid Family Wines was named "Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation" for 2018 by the Central Coast chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals at the annual National Philanthropy Day event held at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, CA.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals Monterey Bay Chapter was founded in 1993. Its purpose is to advance the professionalism of individuals working in all fields of development and fundraising, especially at the administrative decision making level, through local networking, education and training, and national and statewide lobbying efforts. The local Chapter offers workshops and programs in conjunction with the Community Foundation for Monterey County, hosts networking opportunities and offers a mentorship program.
Scheid Family Wines is very active within the Monterey County community. Each year, we donate over 300 cases of wine to local, non-profit organizations. We also organize the Annual Scheid Writing Contest, a writing contest that awards scholarships to local high school students.
The Scheid Writing Contest was originally created by Al Scheid in 1984 for his high school alma mater, Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio. He launched the contest as a way to give back to the community and provide assistance to motivated high school students who wanted to attend college. Four years later, convinced that the local schools in the Salinas Valley could benefit from the contest, Al brought it to King City High School. Greenfield High School—built on land that was formerly vineyards owned by Scheid—was added to the program in 2001.
Al has always believed that being able to communicate ideas effectively is the key to success. He created the writing contest to give students the opportunity to fully delve into a subject. Each year, the winners are chosen based on their ability to research and write a 3-5 page essay on a given topic. Separate scholarships are awarded for each grade level. Past topics have included Guantánamo Bay and interrogation techniques, the Ground Zero mosque, the impact of social media on society, the death penalty, immigration reform, global warming, the USA Patriot Act and its effect on an individual’s right to privacy, the use of military tribunals in terrorist cases, and the pros and cons of the Electoral College.
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary in Monterey’s Salinas Valley, the program has donated more than $320,000 to scholarships for local high school students.
Nov 20, 2018 at 10:41 AM
We are utterly thrilled to introduce our second bottling of Appassimento Cabernet. Arguably the most important red wine grape in the world, a distinguished Cabernet Sauvignon is one of life’s great pleasures. We choose our Cabernet sites carefully: warm days with lots of sunshine, cool nights to preserve the balance of the fruit, well-drained soils, and gentle slopes. Our Appassimento Cab is made in a style similar to northern Italy’s celebrated Amarone in which the grapes are allowed to dry slowly on the vine, which intensely concentrates the flavors and leads to a lavish richness that is almost port-like. It has been a very dear project of Director of Winemaking, Dave Nagengast.
The grapes were sourced from our estate San Lucas Vineyard and specially farmed for this Old World style of wine. Made in a style similar to northern Italy’s celebrated Amarone, it displays a lavish richness that is almost port-like. Appassimento, or the drying of the grapes, is an ancient technique that promotes dehydration in the grapes so that a higher concentration of sugar develops inside the berries. To achieve this, we cut the canes when the grapes were at 22° brix. Cutting of the canes doesn’t allow any water to move into the berries and doesn’t allow sugars to move out. We left the clusters hanging on the vines for an additional three weeks until they reached 33° brix. It is not possible to produce an Appassimento-style wine every vintage, but ideal harvest conditions allowed for the extended drying time needed for this unique wine.
The result is worth every extra step in the process: a wine of tremendous depth and complexity. This is a full bodied and brooding beauty with generous aromas of dark plum, dried fig, cedar, coffee and cloves. On the palate, loads of dark candied fruit give way to a decadently rich mouthfeel finish with surprising elegance. Drinking beautifully now, this is one to lay down for a decade or more. Again, this wine has been produced in a limited quantity of just 100 cases. Reserve club members will receive it in their shipment, and all club members are welcome to order it until it’s gone!
May 4, 2018 at 12:26 PMJosh Raynolds of Antonio Galloni's Vinous made a recent trip to Monterey and the Santa Lucia Highlands. Here's what he had to say about the two Scheid Pinot Noirs that he tasted during his visit:
Jan 11, 2018 at 4:38 PM
An elegant cheese board makes for the perfect appetizer – with a quick visit to your local cheese shop or specialty cheese section and a few minutes to assemble, you have an appetizer that is a definite crowd-pleaser. Pair different styles of cheeses with different wines to accommodate red and white wine drinkers and include a variety of dried and fresh fruits, cured meats, and nuts to round out the selection. A few fresh rosemary sprigs make for a beautiful holiday-ready garnish. Pair with a large format bottle for extra effect!
The perfect cheese board includes a wide variety of cheeses, fruits both fresh and dried, cured meats, and nuts. Start by choosing one cheese from each of the following categories:
Young and Fresh – this includes fresh cheeses like mozzarella and riccotta, but goat cheese is the most wine-friendly of this category. Try both spreadable goat cheese and the harder and more pungent aged crottin style. Pair young and fresh cheeses with rosés, sparkling wines, dry white wines, and low-tannin reds like Pinot Noir.
Soft, Medium-Aged – this includes cheeses that are still soft but are aged for a few months like Brie and Camembert. These cheeses are some of the most versatile on a cheese plate, pairing well with both white and red wines and with a variety of fruits as well. Not too soft and not too strong, these cheeses still have enough flavor to stand up to a wide range of wines.
Semi-Hard, Medium-Aged – Emmental, Gruyere, Jarlsburg, Monterey Jack and young Cheddar make up this category. Medium-bodied whites like Pinot Blanc, Viognier, and white Rhone Blends and fruit-forward, lighter-bodied reds like Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Zinfandel pair well with these cheeses.
Hard, Aged – Aged Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan, Asiago. Pair these cheeses with bold reds and full-bodied white wines. The aging process concentrates the flavors of the cheese meaning they can hold their own against bold red wines. Look for cheeses aged longer than six months.
Dec 1, 2017 at 3:54 PMTry these simple Thanksgiving recipes with Scheid wines this holiday!
RED WINE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Yield: 8-10 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Scheid Cabernet Sauvignon
1.5 cups white granulated sugar
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 orange peel zest
1 cinnamon stick
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine sugar with red wine in a saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Add cranberries, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Bring the mixture back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir often to help break down the cranberries. Remove from stove and allow to cool to room temperature prior to serving. Leftovers may be refrigerated.
CRANBERRY BRIE TARTS
Yield: 12 servings
Total Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
12 mini phyllo cups (in the frozen section)
6 teaspoons creamy brie
6 teaspoons cranberry sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the frozen phyllo shells on a baking sheet, and fill with a ½ teaspoon of brie. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the cups are golden and the cheese is melted through. Top with ½ teaspoon cranberry sauce and serve immediately with a glass of Scheid Dolcetto!
Nov 22, 2017 at 10:53 AM
Here at Scheid, we adore Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but we’ve also been known to work with a plethora of slightly more obscure grape varieties, and we feel proud to be able to show off the wonderful diversity of the Monterey growing region. The many varied soil types and micro-climates of Monterey County allow us to produce close to 40 different varietals in all. Our newest darling is Dolcetto, which hails from the famed Italian region of Piedmont (Piemonte). The name translated, means “little sweet one,” which doesn’t refer to the sugar content, but rather is an endearing moniker for this much loved yet lesser-known variety. The moderate climate and coastal fog that define our estate Riverview Vineyard provide a favorable local site for what is one of Northern Italy’s premier varieties.
Our inaugural vintage exudes dense, dark fruit and a medium body made for early enjoyment. Flavors of ripe black currants and red cherries lead to a hint of pepper and finish with juicy, supple tannins. The 2015 growing season delivered a stellar vintage in terms of quality although yields were down in almost all of our vineyards. Despite a lighter crop from one of the earliest seasons on record and a fourth year of drought, quality was high across the board. A mild winter caused early bud break and was followed by protracted bloom, and cool, cloudy weather in May—impacting berry set and contributing to smaller grape clusters and crop size. The silver lining to the lower yield was the exceptional quality, with vivid, intense flavors. The wine is part of our November Vin’s Club release and small quantities will be available in our tasting rooms. With just barely over 100 cases produced, this “little sweet one” will disappear rather quickly. Visit us soon to try this limited bottling before it’s gone. Salute!
Nov 1, 2017 at 10:32 AM
As a family-owned winery, we are committed to sustainability throughout the operations at Scheid Vineyards. From our founding in 1972, we’ve held firm to the belief that this can only be achieved through following the three E’s of sustainability: Environmentally sound practices, social Equity and Economic viability. When the land is respected and the people who farm it and live in our community live well, true sustainable quality can be attained.
All 4,000 acres of our estate vineyards are officially certified by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. 100% of our wastewater is recycled and all our grape must is composted and spread as nutrition in the vineyards. We use 100% drip irrigation and low impact farming methods. We even have 250+ owl boxes to control rodent populations naturally. Our commitment to environmental stewardship and equitable treatment of our employees is woven into the fabric of Scheid Vineyards. We are dedicated to adhering to sustainable farming practices every day and investing in our workforce through real, meaningful programs.
Installing a new wind turbine is yet another facet of our desire to be good stewards of the environment. In July, we erected a huge wind turbine on our estate property in Greenfield. The windmill’s blades reach 396 feet into the sky and will generate 100% of the power needed to run the winery and bottling operations—185 megawatts annually. It’s the perfect power source for the inexhaustible winds of the Salinas Valley and a new reason to feel great about pouring yourself a second glass of your favorite Scheid wine!
Aug 1, 2017 at 4:12 PMAfter you've enjoyed the wine, try this easy DIY to repurpose those beautiful wooden engraved wine boxes!
Materials
Wooden wine box
Plastic liner or trash bag
Coco liner (optional)
Activated charcoal
Cactus or succulent soil
Variety of succulents
Decorative rocks or pebbles
Instructions
1. Line box with plastic to protect it from moisture damage.
2. Add coco liner to prevent water from pooling at the bottom of the box.
3. Add a layer of activated charcoal for drainage and filtration.
4. Fill with soil. Cactus or succulent soil is best but any soil will do!
5. Trim excess plastic and add a variety of different succulents.
6. Add layer of decorative rocks or pebbles and admire your work!
Love this DIY project? Share your photos with us on Facebook and Instagram!
Jun 20, 2017 at 3:25 PM
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