Jed steele biography

An Integral Part of Lake County’s Past, Present, and Future

Jed Steele’s pioneering roots in Lake County winemaking sprawl across the North Coast wine region and span five decades.

Jed began his winemaking career working in the cellar at Stony Hill Winery in Napa Valley before obtaining his master’s degree in enology from UC Davis in He spent the next eight years as the winemaker and vineyard manager at Edmeades Winery in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley before a phone call altered the course of his life and career, leading him to Lake County.

Creating Appeal With A First Lady’s Palate

Fetzer winemaker Paul Dolan was on the other end of the line, urging Jed to join a startup winery in Lake County called Kendall-Jackson.

That resulted in a meeting between Jed and Jess Jackson, owner of the fledgling winery. The pair huddled over hamburgers at the Gaslight Grill in Lakeport. “I was very impressed with him,” Jed recalls.

Soon, Jed set off on an adventure that is still unfolding.