Cosentino Winery

7415 St. Helena Highway, Yountville, CA 94599

Website: http://www.cosentinowinery.com/

I have been visiting Napa and Sonoma for 10 years and have visited a lot of wineries.  I am always trying to find a new, surprising experience. When I walk into each new winery I try to distinguish what is different about this one?  This time on my latest trip to Napa the winery that really excited me was Cosentino. I didn’t know anything about the winery in advance. My husband and I had driven by it lots of times on our trips through Napa.  The small chateau-like structure covered in ivy is located in Oakville right next door to Mustards Grill. This time we decided to stop in before our dinner reservation at Mustards. The winery is rather unassuming in comparison to some of the other giants in Oakville like Robert Mondavi, Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel, and Opus One.

Cosentino was founded by Mitch Cosentino who started Cosentino Wine Co. in 1980 outside of the Lodi region.  He started the Napa winery in 1990. Since that time the winery has changed hands to Vintage Wine Estates, who also owns Swanson, Girard, and Clos Pegase in Napa.  Cosentino offers drop-in tastings. A benefit is that it is open a little later than many other wineries. They offer private tastings by reservation and also host private events.

Cosentino’s outdoor patio

Besides the pretty ivy covered facade, this winery has a very inviting outdoor patio.  As we walked up to the tasting room our host Joey greeted us and welcomed us to the winery.  The first thing that caught my eye was the big stone fireplace and comfy couches. At the opposite end of the patio was a fountain. In between there were wooden benches plus multiple tables and chairs.  There were also several large umbrellas to shield the sun on a hot day. Although it looked very relaxing, it was a pretty chilly day in the middle of February, so we opted to go inside. I can see the patio being a big draw in warmer weather.  The tasting room reminded me of a little boutique with a couple of cafe style tables and chairs. The tasting bar is long enough to accomodate 4-5 small groups at once. There was another room off the main tasting room with more cafe style tables and a small tasting bar.

Cosentino Tasting Room

The hospitality our host Joey provided was super.  He educated us on the winery, the wines, and made us feel like valued guests.  I was pleasantly surprised by the prices of their wines, especially their flagship wine “The Poet”.  I was expecting a much higher price tag for the premium quality. Nowadays it seems like prices in Napa are trending upwards of $100 for a high quality Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux style blend.  In addition I learned an interesting fact about “The Poet” – it was the first designated Meritage wine when it was released in 1989. Meritage is a term used today for a red blend typically made from at least 2 of the Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, or Malbec.  Lots of wineries now offer their own Meritage blend. My husband and I were so impressed by the overall experience that we joined the wine club. A couple weeks after returning home we received a handwritten thank you card in the mail. I’m really looking forward to being a club member and visiting again.