March 18, 2014 – Wine sipping Today Show host Kathie Lee Gifford has teamed up with Monterey County’s Scheid Vineyards to launch a new wine label called Gifft featuring two local wines—a chardonnay and a red blend.
“The name comes from her last name and her belief that every day should be enjoyed like a gift,” said Heidi Scheid, adding that the New York celebrity was almost spiritual in her desire to produce an affordable luxury wine.
“She’s one of the most completely genuine, most authentic people I’ve ever met,” says Scheid.
Gifford and the Scheids were introduced about ten months ago by a mutual friend and found they had similar values. The star made several trips to California to visit the vineyards and help with blending and label design.
“She was pretty specific about what she wanted,” says Scheid. “For chardonnay she doesn’t like overblown, overly oaky wines. She wanted something clean, crisp and refreshing—the kind of wine we like making and Monterey County grapes are good for that.”
For the red blend, the TV star sat down around a table with the family and experimented with different flavor profiles. “We spit, but she didn’t,” says Scheid, adding they came up with a juicy, luscious, fun to drink blend. It uses 100% estate grown grapes, including 42% merlot, 25% petite sirah, 12% syrah, 10% petit verdot, along with small percentages of other red and white grapes.
Both screwtop wines retail for $19.99 and are available for purchase online. They will be stocked at Star Market in Salinas beginning next week, but are mostly slated for distribution in the New York metropolitan area.
Gifft is a 50-50 partnership between Scheid Family Wines and Gifford, with 10% of sales slated for a still undetermined charity.
Gifford used her morning TV show slot to plug the new label today as the brand’s website went live. “I was born in Paris, so maybe a love of wine comes naturally,” she says.
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At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
