Steele Wines

Steele and Shooting Star Wines was founded in 1991. Prior to that time, winemaker/owner Jed Steele was the founding winemaker, general manager, and VP of Production at Kendall Jackson for the first nine vintages of that company. Prior to his adventures at Kendall Jackson, Jed worked for 10 years for Edmeades, then a small independent winery in the... Anderson Valley of Mendocino County, as winemaker and vineyard manager. Jed began working in the wine business at Stony Hill Winery in the Napa Valley in 1968. From mid-1991 until mid-1996, Steele Wines co-leased a small winery in Lake County. In June of 1996, Jed purchased the old Konocti Winery between Lakeport and Kelseyville in Lake County. The winery is located on Highway 29, exactly one hour driving time from downtown Calistoga, driving north-northwest, 45 minutes directly east of Hopland in Mendocino County, and one and a half hours from Santa Rosa, driving north-northeast. For a winery the size of Steele/Shooting Star, Jed produces a wide array of individual wines, many in very small quantities. Steele Wines' largest production items are, in order: Steele California Cuvee Chardonnay Steele Carneros Pinot Noir Steele Pacini Zinfandel Steele Pinot Blanc These 4 wines represent approximately two-thirds of the winery's total production. Steele Wines also produces, but in relatively small quantities: 7 Single Vineyard Chardonnays 5 Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs 3 Single Vineyard Zinfandels Pinot Gris Viognier Cab Franc Merlot Late Harvest Chardonnay Many Shooting Star wines produced could probably be sold under Steele, but the winery is very conservative in determining which wines/lots will carry the Steele label.Read More