Silverdale, WA 13.2% alc. (Purchased on 6/28/13)
83% Sauvignon Blanc 9% Semillon 8% Riesling Nice package came plugged with a “corkburger”, which really doesn’t bother me a bit. But it seems like an excellent candidate for a screwtop (to preserve the wine’s freshness). Back label says it’s produced and bottled by Lake and Vine in Kelseyville and that 2,026 cases were produced. I could find no information about the wine or winery on the web.
I tasted this wine at a GO in-store tasting before buying two bottles. Brilliant pale straw with the tiniest bit of spritz when first opened (though the spritz disappated quickly). Very aromatic nose of grass/hay and herbal greens with some spice. Plenty of sweet fruit on the front of the tongue through mid-palate with more grassy, herbal qualities as well as underripe pear and some lemony citrus. Reminds me of some of the early Napa and Sonoma Sauv Blancs from the 70’s and 80’s (think Kenwood, Grgich Hills, Matanzas Creek). There seems to be a possibility of slight residual sugar, perhaps from the Riesling.
A refreshing, uncomplicated, but very tasty wine and perhaps (by GO standards), a bit overpriced. Acidity and texture are nicely balanced with the fruit. Very cleanly made and fine summer quaffing material.
The magical world of wines from Grocery Outlet 
Team “Go Get Me More” has enjoyed this wine.
Simple, lean, crisp, and for our tastes, better than most GO Whites. Don’t think it’s over priced at all.
Just received an email from the Silverdale, WA GO. This very tasty white has just been marked down from $7.99 to $3.99. I’ll be grabbing me some. I thought it was overpriced at $8, but at half that they’re nearly giving it away!
TTB lists the producer as Steele Wines in Kelseyville.
Forgive me, but I’m old and slow, aelfunk…what does TTB stand for? And that’s interesting because I’d have never guessed it as a Jed Steele wine. Steele was longtime winemaker for Kendall Jackson and longtime consultant for Ch. Ste. Michelle here in WA state before opening his own winery with the Steele and Shooting Star labels. A very reputable winemaker. Here’s a link: http://www.steelewines.com/
Good work aelfunk, I was leaning toward Wildhurst since they have a history with GO and the 5 cent sale at BevMo. I still don’t know how to find wine producers labels on this tobacco alcohol Gov site and Steele doesn’t show producing Sauvignon Blanc.
I’d be very interested in how one can access that kind of information on the TTB web site (e.g., that Steele Wines is the producer of Lake and Vine wines). I’ve often had questions about who the “real” producer is behind a particular wine label, but I’ve never figured out how to use the TTB site to answer that question.
Me too, Tom. And I’m assuming (because I’ve yet to hear back from aelfunk) that based on the comments of you and others, TTB is the used-to-be BATF (federal alcohol regulators’) website?
TTB is the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which falls under the Dept. of the Treasury. The TTB web site (ttb.gov) says: “Our mission is to collect Federal excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and ammunition and to assure compliance with Federal tobacco permitting and alcohol permitting, labeling, and marketing requirements to protect consumers.”
BATF is under the Dept. of Justice. According to its web site (atf.gov), “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seeks to reduce alcohol smuggling and contra-band cigarette trafficking activity, divest criminal and terrorist organizations of monies derived from this illicit activity and significantly reduce tax revenue losses to the States.”
I used the TTB’s COLA registry – https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/publicSearchColasBasic.do
Here’s the Lake & Vine Sauv Blanc: https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/viewColaDetails.do?action=publicDisplaySearchBasic&ttbid=13010001000212
All producers must attain label/bottle approval before bringing a wine to market and you can get a fairly good idea who is making your wine by referencing the registry. Mind the “Date Completed” criterion – this is the approval date, not the vintage.
Steele isn’t marketing this wine so it’s obviously a second label that they do not want associated w/ their brand (not sure why, the price point is in line with their offerings). I suppose it’s possible someone else is making this wine under Steele’s permits. The Lake & Vine red blend says “produced and bottled…” so I have to think this is being made in Steele’s winery.
Whoa! does this mean that one could set up a site that would allow us to quickly find out who makes what wine using our freedom of information act?
Thanks very much, aelfunk. I think this will help answer a lot of questions that I have about the wines I see at G.O.
Thanks for all the great info, aelfunk! I worked for some time in a similar field (alcohol) with state government. So of course we had lots of labeling requirements too. I never checked the fed websites ’cause I already had enough work to do.
Near the bottom, both the red and sauvignon blanc won bronze medals at this competition.
http://www.riversidewinecompetition.com/2013/results/All_Awardslist.php?export=print
Thanks, Buster, and I mean that kindly. It lists the “winery website” as Pacific Highway Wines and Spirits, a “sales and marketing agency for fine wines and craft spirits from around the globe. The agency was formed in December 2012 as Robert Oatley Vineyards and WineSource International merged U.S. operations.
From the Western Cape of South Africa to Alto Adige, nestled beneath the Italian Alps, to Sonoma County’s Russian River to the beaches of Margaret River to the rolling hills of the Appalachian trail our wines and spirits have a sense of place and reflect the families that tend to the soil.”
The brands currently listed in their portfolio include Foppiano but not Lake and Vine.
I think this wine costs less in the California stores. The red seems to be a big hit in Berkeley, I’ve not tasted it.
My recollection is that it has been the same price near me in CA.
You are right, $7.99 in Berkeley. At that price I’ll stay away, I still have some of the 2006 Chalk Hill to drink (BTW, that wine is drinking beautifully right now).