The Cosentino Winery motto “Never Enough Wines” pretty much sums up how I feel about wine as well and when I find a great label or two that I like, I can’t wait to share it with anyone and everyone. Some of my current favorites are from the Cosentino winery in Napa Valley. Cosentino has been steadily growing in quality and reputation over the last few years and are considered among many, myself included, to be some of the finest wines made in the world, and what I love even more is the winery’s distinctive Chicago connection.
It all began when Mitch Cosentino started making his first wines in the corner of a Wine Distribution warehouse in 1980, in Modesto, California. By 1981, his first vintage was released under the labels of “The Cosentino Wine Company” and “Crystal Valley Cellars”. The first several wines produced and released by Cosentino in the early 1980s were made from small lots of grapes that Mitch acquired from some of the leading growers of California’s North Coast counties such as Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Sacramento Counties.
Cosentino rapidly gained recognition for his innovative wine making abilities and uniquely crafted wines. Mitch was a pioneer in introducing new varietals into the California wine market and became a leader in creating new wine blends that would eventually become commonplace in the industry.
It was in 1991, as Cosentino continued to produce multiple award winning and internationally recognized wines, that he met a young couple from Chicago who had just enjoyed a bottle of Cosentino wine, that meeting would soon change all three of their lives forever.
Native Chicagoan’s Edie and Larry Soldinger, were introduced to Cosentino Winery on a trip to Napa Valley in 1991 when they shared a bottle of Cosentino Winery’s “1986 Cabernet Franc”. They were so impressed with the wine that they sought out to find Mitch the very next day and to learn more about his winery.
Both Edie and Larry immediately recognized the potential of Cosentino Winery and they believed that they could provide an element that would help Cosentino Winery grow to keep up with its increasing demand and reputation. By 1992, a deep relationship had evolved and Mitch Cosentino became partners with Edie and Larry, and together they began to take Cosentino Winery to its next level.
Ever evolving, Cosentino enlisted former Chicago artists and designers Karen & Tony Barone to create a newly redesigned tasting room which has been called “the new standard for all future tasting room designs.” Due to the popularity of its tasting room Cosentino recently asked the Barones to design a new “Signature Room”, for special events & Ultra cool V.I.P. tasting. The room has large-scale classic figurative murals that the Barones created in warm Earth colored sepia tones of cut-out wood. In fact it was in these very tasting rooms that I had the opportunity to taste some of my first Cosentino wines. I recently had the opportunity to taste several Cosentino wines and want to share with you two of my current favorites, one red and one white.
Cosentino Winery has become widely recognized for its role in the development of California’s “Meritage” style wine, Bordeaux – inspired blend that has become a staple throughout the Napa Valley with the 1989 release of “The Poet” a 1986 vintage that became America’s first designated and licensed “Meritage” wine. Cosentino’s vintage 2005 Poet, a Meritage Red which was released in May of 2008, is one of my current favorites. This is a wonderfully deep ruby colored red with a hint of clove; it’s a 
bright balanced wine in both depth and richness and has a youthful tart cherry complexity of spice and currants. This wine is wonderful when paired with a lamb or veal chop and is an excellent red wine to accompany a hearty stew on cold Chicago winter nights or a favored snack of cheese, figs or walnuts.
The vintage 2007 Novelist is a wonderful, highly aromatic white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. It was released in October of 2008 and has a fresh lemon blossom and honeydew melon bouquet, its tangerine and lime citrus flavors are well-balanced by the palate’s dried herb and creamy texture. There is a hint of blood orange and brioche that meld in a zesty and expansive finish. The Novelist would be a wonderful accompaniment to pastas in light cream sauces, herb rice and other grain-based dishes and is an excellent wine for snacking with apples, pears and a wonderful cheese.
Both of the wines featured are in stock at your favorite Binny’s Beverage Depot or can be ordered online. You can visit Binny’s on the web at www.binnys.com for a location nearest you or by phone at 888.942.9463. For more information on Cosentino Winery you can find them on the web at www.cosentinowinery.com
