© 1996 JDM Enterprises Just Be Cozby Jerry D. MeadOne of my favorite wine business success stories has to be that of Mitch Cosentino, a.k.a. "Coz," who was a wine salesman teaching wine appreciation classes at a community college in Modesto, when I first met him about 20 years ago.
A home winemaker, and a darned good one, Mitch coaxed a few friends into investing in a small commercial winery in a building not much larger than a garage. His first efforts were under the Crystal Valley brand and all of the wines were value-oriented. I remember writing what I thought was a clever headline, "The Other Winery In Modesto," drawing attention to tiny Cosentino/Crystal Valley in the backyard of Gallo. Those with really great memories may recall that Coz had considerable success (and won more than a few medals) for a "blush" bubbly called "Robin's Glow," made from Carignane instead of the more traditional Pinot Noir. A few years down the road, Coz started to buy better and better grapes, from famous regions like Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino, and when the wines got really good he put his own name on them and raised the price. Pretty soon, the tail was wagging the dog. The premium wines were getting all the attention, and paying the bills, and less and less emphasis was placed on Crystal Valley and everyday price. It was about this time that Coz found even more investors, bought a prime piece of land on Highway 29 in Napa Valley (right next door to famous Mustard's restaurant) and started making even better and more expensive wines and winning medals and high critical scores like it was automatic. Oh! And I should mention that Cosentino has this penchant for giving his wines fancy proprietary names. Cosentino 1995 "The Novelist" White Meritage ($16) A blend of 78 percent Sauvignon Blanc and 22 percent Semillon, it is richly aromatic, with an appley, smoky, earthy quality and no Sauvignon grassiness at all. More apple and some nutmeg spice in the flavor and toasty, smoky after-flavors. It is as woody as a good Chardonnay, but leaner and bone dry. Rating: 90/86 Cosentino 1995 "Napa" Gewurztraminer ($12.50) Very limited production (call the winery), but the wine is worth seeking out. Beautiful rose petal and spice perfume, with flavors of red grapefruit and rose hips and a dry but not astringent finish. Rating: 94/88 Cosentino 1994 "Russian River" Pinot Noir ($37) Ripe black cherry, plum and berry, all come through in both aroma and taste with some of that almost impossible to describe dying rose quality. Rich and ripe throughout with smoky truffles and mushroom complexity. It's one bold Pinot, but it's still a little pricey. Rating: 94/80 Cosentino 1992 "The Poet" Meritage Red ($25) Very special red wine. Collector's alert! It is 16 percent Cabernet Franc, 12 percent Merlot and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon. Berry flavor dominates along with some bittersweet chocolate, moving into a chocolatey creaminess and roundness in the mouthfeel. More of that earthy, smoky quality that is found throughout the line. Flavor intensity is the thing here, there is great depth and it just keeps coming. The flavors explode in your mouth and then just keep revealing new things one layer at a time. Rating: 96/84 BEST BUY WINE OF THE WEEKCosentino wines are available in many states, but every wine is limited in production and will usually be found in wine specialty stores or restaurants. For nearest retail outlet check with the winery: Cosentino Winery, Box 2818, 7415 St. Helena Hwy, Yountville, CA 94599 (707) 944-1220. LEGAL THEFTIt seems that a law was passed a few years back permitting the state's Department of Health Services to collect wine samples to be tested for lead content. Best we can determine, about $300,000 has been spent on testing about 2000 wines, to find four California wines in violation (but still safe according to federal standards) and 16 foreign wines in violation. The violators are subject to being fined by law, but none have been to date. And even if they had it would have only brought in about $20,000 in levies. State Senator Mike Thompson, who sponsored the legislation, is "outraged that a law I sponsored with the public welfare in mind is being abused to confiscate private property without reimbursement." The potential for abuse here knows no bounds. While one agent is confiscating (Health Services insists on calling it "taking samples") wines in Visalia, another could be picking up the exact same wine at another retail shop in Alameda. There are no checks and balances. And when I asked if I could see the results of the testing as a matter of public record, Regional Administrator Warren Crawford of the Food & Drug Branch of Health Services, said he could only provide numbers but no brand names...he's concerned about protecting the violator's reputations. A few questions: Why weren't the "samples" collected from the importer or producer to eliminate the possibility of duplication and to lessen the financial impact on the entity being relieved of the sample? (Confiscating one bottle out of thousands of cases from a producer is less hurtful than taking the same bottle from an individual merchant.) How do we know the wines are actually being tested and not used for party time by the agents? Why is the state testing for violations and then not punishing the violators as the law provides for? If a handful of foreign wines have a high lead content, why can't we know which brands so they can be avoided?
Wines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value.
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