Some winemakers are drawn to a place. Dan Kosta was drawn to a grape. Growing up in Sonoma County — surrounded by fog-draped ridgelines, morning-quiet vineyards, and dinner tables where wine was always poured — he fell under the spell of Pinot Noir before he had the words to explain why. That early fascination never left him. It only deepened.

Today, Dan leads a portfolio of three distinct wine projects — Admire, Convene, and Grail — each one a chapter in a story that has been building for decades. Together, they form the Dan Kosta Wine Group: a collection bound not by formula, but by an unwavering belief that Pinot Noir, when treated with patience and precision, can achieve something close to transcendence.

A Foundation Built on Ambition and Craft

In 1997, Dan co-founded Kosta Browne Winery with Michael Browne — a venture that would redefine what California Pinot Noir could be. The recognition that followed was extraordinary: Wine Spectator named Kosta Browne’s 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir the top wine in the world. But for Dan, the accolades were never the point. They were confirmation that his instincts — rooted in the terroir he had studied since childhood — were sound.

When that chapter closed, Dan did not slow down. He turned toward something more personal: a portfolio of wines that could tell the full arc of his journey, from the accessible beauty of coastal Pinot Noir to the rarefied heights of single-vineyard expression. Three labels. One relentless pursuit.

Three Labels. One Philosophy.

The Dan Kosta Wine Group is designed as a progression — an invitation to travel deeper into the world of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a guide who has spent a lifetime mapping the terrain.

Admire — Where the Story Begins

Admire Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is the entry point — though “entry” undersells it. These are wines shaped by the same rugged, marine-cooled vineyards that made Sonoma Coast a benchmark for the variety. The label distills Dan’s lifelong connection to this landscape into an approachable, expressive wine that rewards both the trade buyer looking for reliable quality and the consumer discovering Sonoma Coast for the first time.

Convene — Where the Story Continues

Convene is the product of a deep and enduring collaboration between Dan and winemaker Shane Finley, whose partnership stretches back to the Kosta Browne years. Working together across multiple vintages, they have developed a shared sensibility for what separates a good wine from a truly memorable one. The result is a curated selection of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay drawn from the most distinguished appellations in California — wines that reward the trade with provenance and story and reward the guest with something genuinely rare.

Convene also has a home: the Convene Wine Lounge at Bacchus Landing in Healdsburg, where hospitality is woven into every pour and the winemaking philosophy is on full display.

Grail — Where the Story Becomes Legend

Grail represents the culmination of everything Dan has learned, sourced, and sought. These are single-vineyard wines — hand-selected, meticulously crafted with Shane Finley, barrel by barrel — drawn from what Dan considers California’s equivalent of Grand Cru sites. Production is intentionally limited. Quality is unconditionally paramount. For sommeliers, collectors, and trade partners seeking wines that anchor a list and ignite a conversation, Grail is the answer.

A Portfolio Built for Partnership

The structure of the Dan Kosta Wine Group is deliberate. Admire provides volume and accessibility without sacrificing character. Convene offers a middle tier with genuine prestige, strong story, and versatile pairing applications across both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Grail anchors the top of any list where provenance and rarity matter.

Across all three labels, the thread is consistent: Sonoma County roots, a winemaker’s lifetime of relationships with exceptional vineyard sources, and a standard of quality that was set at the very beginning and has only risen since. Whether you are building a by-the-glass program, a cellar selection, or an allocations list, the Dan Kosta Wine Group offers a range of entry points — and a single, compelling story to tell.

The Journey Continues

Dan Kosta has been chasing the perfect expression of Pinot Noir since before most people in today’s wine industry poured their first glass. He is still chasing it. That restlessness — that refusal to settle — is what makes these wines what they are: not the product of a formula, but of a life devoted to a single, endlessly fascinating grape.

We invite you to explore each label on its own terms, and to follow the story wherever it leads.