When Dan Kosta’s semi-eponymous winery Kosta Browne was sold in 2018, he felt the need to keep busy and stay working. But he resolved to do it on his own terms. Leaving what is considered by many to be a benchmark for Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley and beyond, he simply could have eased into retirement but instead chose to start from scratch with a new brand.
With his recently launched Convene by Dan Kosta, he has shown that lightning can strike twice in the same place. A native of Sonoma County, Kosta grew up among vineyards and has had a lifelong affinity for Pinot Noir. He and Michael Browne started their brand in 1997, and it quickly became a darling of wine media and consumers alike.
In 2011 Wine Spectator named Kosta Browne 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir as the best wine of the year—the only Pinot Noir to ever take the top spot. Following in Kosta’s previous project’s footsteps, Convene has already begun to rack up accolades. Its first two releases, 2021 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and 2021 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir have already received 97 and 95 points from a major scoring publication.
Although Kosta made wine in the early days at Kosta Browne, he now manages daily operations at Convene and acts as the face of the brand, leaving the day-to-day winemaking to Shane Finley, who he has worked with since 2006. While Kosta discusses vineyards, blends, and overall winemaking philosophy with Finley, he believesthat his own time is best spent representing Convene.