Besides the perfect food pairing, there is only one thing that makes a full-bodied, supple, complex glass of wine all the better: the knowledge that it was grown and produced with the highest level of sustainability. Scheid Family Wines has sustainability in their DNA, since their start fifty years ago in 1972. In their own words, they’ve held firm to the belief that “growing the highest quality wine grapes and crafting the best wines possible can only be achieved through taking care of the land and our people.”
The Scheid commitment to sustainability led them to install a nearly 400-foot tall wind turbine in 2017. The wind turbine makes sense in the naturally windy Salinas Valley where they are located. You’ll see it if you travel to Greenfield, CA, a quarter-mile west of Highway 101. The Scheid wind turbine, with giant letters spelling “SCHEID” on the nacelle, not only brands their winery but it also generates 200% of the energy the vineyard and winery need to operate.
Heidi Scheid, daughter of Scheid Family Wines founder Al Scheid, says that “Sustainability is a mindset.” That mindset carries into all aspects of the vineyard’s operations. The vineyard uses electronic pruning shears to make work more efficient and less labor intensive and also recycles 100% of the winery wastewater in addition to seeds and skins. Vineyards are built to last and grape vines are “permanent crops” according to Heidi.
Scheid’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability is reflected in some of the third-party certifications they have earned including:
Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing is a statewide certification program that provides third-party verification of a winery’s commitment to continuous improvement in the adoption and implementation of sustainable winegrowing practices. Scheid achieved certification on eleven of their estate vineyards in 2014 and on their winery in 2018.
British Retail Consortium is arguably the most rigorous, internationally accepted standard for food safety. Scheid was first certified in December 2016 earning the highest grade of ‘A’. Since then, with each annual audit, Scheid has continued to achieve grade ‘A’ ratings and exceed the BRC’s rigorous standards.
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an internationally recognized system for reducing the risk of safety hazards and ensuring farm-to-table consistency and protection. Scheid became HACCP certified in January 2015.
Global G.A.P. Certification (Good Agricultural Practice) is an internationally recognized system that sets standards to ensure safe and sustainable agriculture and ensure product safety, environmental responsibility and the health, safety and welfare of workers. Scheid became the first Global G.A.P. certified vineyard in the USA in November 2015.
We at e-Mission Control join Scheid Family Wines in raising a glass to say “Cheers to fifty years!” We look forward to continuing to see you make a difference for the environment and for the communities around you. For more about Scheid Family Wines’ sustainability efforts, check out our video interview with Heidi Scheid.
To learn more about how e-Mission Control helps our partners reach their sustainability goals, read about our approach.