SHOOTING STAR

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.?

"Shooting Star is our second label. We make all the Shooting Star wines here at our winery. Shooting Star functions for us for a number of different reasons. We do some really eclectic, slightly off-the-wall wines like our Blue Franc and Aligot?, for which we use the Shooting Star label. When we are dealing with new vineyards we often put them under Shooting Star until we get a winemaking grasp on the absolute best way to handle the grapes from these vineyards. We are always very conservative as to what will bear the Steele label. Throughout the winemaking year, we are constantly tasting all the different lots of wines that we produce. We regularly make quality cuts, saving only the superlative lots for Steele. Many of the lots gleaned from the Steele program in this process go to Shooting Star. The Shooting Star wines are all made from our normal vineyard sources and with our winemaking techniques. As such, the wines you see under Shooting Star represent excellent value. Usually around 25-45% of our total production (depending on the vintage) will end up under the Shooting Star label. Shooting Star gets its name from my middle name, which is Tecumseh, the American Indian chief. Back in the 1700s, on the night when Tecumseh was born, there was an incredible meteor shower. The elders in the tribe took this to be an omen, and pronounced that this baby would go on to be a great leader, which he did. Chief Tecumseh would always be introduced at tribal councils as 'Born under the sign of the Shooting Star.' " Jed Steele

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Cabernet Sauvignon
2002??????? $14.99
This wine has bold wild berry flavors that stands up to big tannins, providing a ying and a yang between acids and fruit. Notes of black currents and dried cranberry are complimented by toasty oak. Burnt caramel smolders in the background during a long lingering finish. The Cabernet Sauvignon has big bang for the buck.
2001??????? $14.99??????? limited

Pinot Noir
"In 1999 Lolonis Vineyards bought an existing vineyard in Redwood Valley that had some Pinot Noir planted in it. We were able to purchase some grapes from them for this wine. The vineyard is planted to an older clone and is heavily virused (which makes a spectacular display of fall color). For Shooting Star these grapes give us a style of wine which is light and fruity. Most Pinot Noir grapes from the North Coast of California are too expensive for Shooting Star, but because of the age and condition of the vineyard we were able to strike a bargain with Lolonis Vineyards." Jed Steele
2002??????? $12.99??????? limited
2001??????? $12.99??????? limited

Zinfandel
"It is our custom to take fruit that is lighter and less tannic and use it in our Shooting Star bottlings. Two of the vineyards that we get grapes from are located on the flanks of Mt. Konocti, the long dormant volcano that dominates the skyline of Lake County. This wine has great aromas of raspberry, and the flavors are also berry like. We age the wine in older French and American oak barrels and bottle it 7-9 months after the harvest to capture as much of the aroma and flavor of the grape as possible. These are not wines which need to be cellared nor should they be. Enjoy with good spicy foods, grilled meats or sausages." Jed Steele
2002??????? $11.99???????available
2001??????? $11.99??????? limited
2000??????? $11.99??????? limited

Blue Franc - SOLD OUT
"In 1975 I had the opportunity to travel to Austria and visit their wine-growing region on the banks of the Danube River. One wine that impressed me was a red wine made from the Blau Frankisch grape. This wine is very similar to the wines that I tasted in Austria 25 years ago. It has a medium body with great color and the flavor and aroma profile that is a cross between Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. We give the wine 3-5 months in older oak barrels. The absence of tannins makes this an easy wine to enjoy now and with a variety of foods. Given the whimsical label and great flavors, this is a wine for festive occasions especially outdoor events like barbecues and picnics." Jed Steele
2000??????? $11.99??????? limited

Chardonnay
"An embarrassment of riches is the only way to describe Shooting Star Chardonnays. We source Chardonnay grapes from so many great vineyards that when it comes time to blend the Shooting Star we have the luxury of having several wines from distinct appellations. This wine is a perfect example of how we make and bottle Shooting Star wines. Our first thoughts are always for Steele Wines. If we find some of the lots do not seem to have what it takes to be a Steele bottling but are still nice wines, we find a home for them in a Shooting Star bottling. As is our custom some of this wine was fermented French oak barrels. Most of the lots that comprise this blend had completed malolactic fermentation. We also blended a good portion of wine fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine is round and full with flavors of apples and peaches. It is a very classy Chardonnay and is a great value. If you are looking for a nice everyday wine, this should be a number one choice." Jed Steele
2003??????? $12.99??????? available
2002??????$12.99??? limited?????

Sauvignon Blanc
"We are always happy with the quality of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown at the Dorn's Las Lomas Vineyard. The vineyard is located on a bench comprised of volcanic soils above Kelsey Creek. The fruit is always full of fig and melon flavors without any of the grassy chracteristics that can be part of Sauvignon Blanc. We ferment the juice in stainless steel tanks to preserve the wonderful freshness and character of the grapes. This is the only white wine which we do not use any oak barrels for fermentation or aging. No malo-lactic fermentation is used and this helps retain the crisp acidity of the grape. We blended in 12% Semillion from the same vineyard and this gives the wine some extra richness." Jed Steele
2003??????? $11.99??????? available

Aligote - SOLD OUT
"Here at Steele we have always had a fascination for good but under appreciated grapes. Aligot? is a variety which is little known but widely planted. In France it is the other white grape in Burgundy, restricted to either the tops of hills or the colder valley locations. It was Washington State where cold winters are a fact of life that Aligot? has found a home. The Newhouse family has farmed the land south of Sunnyside Washington for generations and planted two acres of Aligot? in the 1970's. We barrel fermented the juice but used older oak barrels rather than the 30% new oak that we typically use for Chardonnay. The wine is crisp and clean, a wonderful food wine and one which should be very versatile." Jed Steele