Winery celebrates six years of wind-powered energy
Winery is the sole vineyard in Monterey American Viticultural Area harnessing wind power
– As Earth Month begins, Scheid Family Wines commemorates its sixth consecutive year of reliance on renewable wind energy to power its operations. Established in 1972, the family-owned winery stands out as the sole vineyard in the Monterey American Viticultural Area (AVA) harnessing wind power to curtail carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2023, the winery’s towering 400-foot, 1.85-megawatt wind turbine churned out over four million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable wind energy. Of this, 2.6 million kWh sufficed for winery and bottling operations, while the surplus, ample to energize 125 local residences, flowed into PG&E’s grid. Since its installment in 2017, the turbine has yielded a cumulative 25.6 million kWh, slashing CO2 emissions by over 17,000 metric tons.
Benefiting from the region’s consistent winds, the turbine capitalizes on Monterey AVA’s climatic conditions. The interplay of warm air ascending the Salinas Valley and cooler ocean breezes channeling through mountain ranges sustains winds, peaking at nearly 30 miles per hour.
“At Scheid Family Wines, we’re proud to say that our wines are 100% powered by wind,” said Executive Vice President of Scheid Family Wines Heidi Scheid, “Making the switch to renewable energy over six years ago is just one of the many things we continue to do to reduce our carbon emissions.”
Scheid Family Wines specializes in estate-grown wines sourced from sustainable vineyards and grower partners across the Central Coast. Employing eco-conscious farming practices, the company embraces organic cultivation, water conservation, pest management, energy efficiency, and wastewater recycling for vineyard irrigation.
Since 2014, the winery’s estate vineyards have held sustainable certification, followed by its winery in 2018 under the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing program. With over 600 acres of organically certified vineyards in the Monterey AVA, Scheid Family Wines claims the title of the largest certified organic winegrape grower in California’s Central Coast region.
The brand portfolio includes Scheid Vineyards, Sunny with a Chance of Flowers, VDR (Very Dark Red), Grandeur, Fog & Light, Metz Road, District 7, Ryder Estate, and HOXIE. Scheid Family Wines caters to more than 30 international markets and ranks as one of the leading providers of nationally distributed exclusive brands.
For more information about Scheid Family Wines, visit their website at www.scheidfamilywines.com.
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