DRAFT 1, DECEMBER 11, 2001

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Contact: Shawna Estrada or Nevena Orbach

Investor Relations The Orbach Co., Inc.

Scheid Vineyards Inc. 818-904-0500

831-455-9990

SCHEID VINEYARDS ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT CHANGES

SALINAS, Calif., December 20, 2001/PRNewswire/ --Scheid Vineyards Inc. (Nasdaq: SVIN) announced today that effective January 1, 2002, Scott D. Scheid, President and Chief Operating Officer, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer. The CEO position is currently held by Alfred G. Scheid, who will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board. Kurt J. Gollnick, Vice President of Vineyard Operations, has been promoted to Senior Vice President and will take over Chief Operating Officer responsibilities from Scott D. Scheid.

Scott D. Scheid, who was named President in March of this year, joined Scheid Vineyards in 1986 as Vice President. He has been serving as its Chief Operating Officer since 1997. Prior to joining the company, he was an options trader with E. F. Hutton & Company in New York. A graduate of Claremont Men’s College, he currently is a Director, serves on the Executive Committee and chairs the State Government Affairs Committee of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers. He has previously served as a director of Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association.

Kurt J. Gollnick joined Scheid Vineyards in 1988. Prior to joining the company, Gollnick was Vineyard Manager for Thornhill Ranches of Santa Maria, California for seven years. He is currently President and Director of the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association and also serves as a Director of the Wine Institute representing Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. He has also served as a Director of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers from 1989 to 1997, and is a Past-President of the Central Coast Grape Growers and the Monterey Grape Growers Association.

NEW POSITIONS AT A GLANCE:

Alfred G. Scheid- Chairman

Scott D. Scheid- President & Chief Executive Officer

Kurt J. Gollnick- Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Scheid Vineyards Inc. is a leading independent producer of premium wine grapes and operates approximately 6,000 acres of vineyards, primarily in Monterey County, California. The Company sells most of its grape production under long-term contracts to wineries producing primarily premium quality table wines, and the Company also produces a small amount of ultra premium wine under its own labels. Scheid Vineyards’ website address is www.scheidvineyards.com.