As Monterey's largest family-owned grape growers and winemakers, the Scheid family may not be the first to see their name in the flesh, but their grapes are used by many of the region's most notable wineries.
The Scheid Vineyards series is a rare wine from the Scheid family, one of the few in the United States to generate its own wind power and to be committed to sustainability, and which can usually only be purchased by visiting the tasting room.
<Limited Quantity> Grüner Veltliner accounts for approximately one third of the grapes grown in Austria and is also widely planted in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but its cultivation area in California is estimated to be just under 40 hectares.
We first planted Grüner in 2010 because that's what our winemaking team wanted, and they're wine nerds.
Gruner has an exquisite balance of spicy minerality and pop acidity, is very fragrant, and goes well with food, making it a must-have wine for wine enthusiasts.
That wish came true, as 2021 marks the ninth vintage of this delicious variety.
Aromas of green pear, citrus and quince with hints of pineapple and lemon blossom.
Medium bodied with balanced acidity and a lingering tropical fruit finish.
68% Riverview, 32% Mesa del Rio Grüner Veltliner means "green grapes from the village of Weltlin in Tyrol" and refers to the Valtellina in northern Italy, but it is also likely to have originated in Austria.
We grow Grüner in two vineyards: Mesa del Rio and Riverview.
Mesa del Rio is an exceptional vineyard, perfect for this variety, with the maritime influence of Monterey Bay and a long growing season that provides a climate similar to the specialty regions of Austria.
Located in the hills overlooking the Salinas River near the town of Soledad, Riverview enjoys mild weather and coastal fog.
The grapes are hand-picked, whole-cluster pressed, and lightly squeezed to produce the juice.
The juice was then allowed to settle at low temperature to remove excess pulp, allowing for a clean fermentation while preventing stress to the yeast.
To enhance the estery aromas of the fruit and preserve the varietal aromas, the wine was fermented slowly at extremely low temperatures in 100% stainless steel tanks, and then aged in stainless steel for a further four months.
The result is a refreshing, fruity wine bursting with citrus and lively acidity.
Scheid Vineyards founder, Al Scheid, first purchased 15 acres of land on the outskirts of Greenfield, California in 1972.
At the time, wine grape growing was in its infancy in Monterey County, but Al was attracted to the region's winemaking potential.
So they consulted with Professor A.J. Winkler, an authority on grape cultivation at the University of California, Davis, who had created a climate region distribution map for grape cultivation in 1960, and gradually purchased land within Monterey County, which covers regions from Region I to Region IV, and planted grape varieties suitable for each region.
Founded by Al, Scheid Vineyards grew steadily and continued to grow with the addition of his son Scott in 1986, grape growing specialist Kurt Gornick in 1988, and his daughter Heidi in 1992.
The company now owns 12 vineyards (totaling 1,600 hectares) in the Salinas Valley, which stretches 112 km from north to south, from Region I to Region IV.
The company also built a state-of-the-art winery with a production capacity of 1.8 million cases, as well as a smaller winery for handcrafted wines, and continues to produce world-class Monterey wines.