Scheid Vineyards

in 1972, Al Scheid planted his first vineyards in Monterey County, even though the region was new wine country at the time. But Al would not be dissuaded from his dream, seeing his fascination with viticulture and the untapped potential of the region. 

Al Scheid named the winery Monterey Farming Corporation in 1972. At the time, the Harvard-educated founder was still an investment banker and entrepreneur. The vineyards served him as a tax-saving model, as the tax law at the time allowed investors to offset losses made against income. Not exactly a storybook start for a winery, but Al Scheid lives by Mark Twain's motto: "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Many years later, Scheid Family Wines owns 11 estate vineyards in the Salinas Valley - these are planted with over 40 grape varieties on a total of 1,600 acres.