Cosentino Winery Closes Its Doors

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Nov 18th 2010 at 1:02AM

Last week I mentioned Mitch Cosentino's new wine project with golfer Fred Couples but I was unaware of the troubles that have befallen Cosentino Winery. Wines & Vines reports that he 70,000-case winery in Yountville, California closed its doors on November 11 and is now for sale. Mitch Cosentino, who began making wines in 1980 is no longer involved with the company. In 1991 Cosentino partnered with Larry Soldinger, a Chicago CPA, and his wife Edie. Soldinger bought the controlling stake in the parent company, Cosentino Signature Wines PLC, from Mitch Cosentino in 1992 and became operating chairman. Cosentino was no longer involved in the management of the company, but served as its winemaker until recently. In a statement on the Cosentino Winery website Soldinger praised Mitch Cosentino saying in part: "Thank you Mitch, for your leadership, passion and total dedication in the making of our incredible wines. There is no doubt that you have made some of the finest wines in the world."

The building on Highway 29 could be attractive to a number of wine companies including Bill Foley, the winery-gobbling billionaire who recently bought Eos winery in Paso Robles. Foley Family Wines owns a number of wineries in Napa Valley.

Tags: bill foley, cosentino winery, mitch cosentino, napa valley wine, wine