Kosta Browne

Kosta Browne Winery is one of California’s most celebrated Pinot Noir producers, based in Sebastopol in Sonoma County and renowned for its single-vineyard wines. The winery was founded in 1997 by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne, who began by pooling their restaurant tip money to purchase Pinot Noir grapes and produce a tiny inaugural vintage using second-hand equipment and a single oak barrel.

The partnership formally evolved in 2001 with the addition of Chris Costello, whose financial support helped establish Kosta Browne as a commercial winery. Early success and critical acclaim quickly transformed the brand into a cult California producer, with demand far exceeding supply. Today, much of the winery’s production is allocated through a highly sought-after mailing list, known for extended waiting periods and limited access to its top single-vineyard bottlings.

A major turning point came in 2009 when Vincraft acquired a majority stake in the winery, enabling Kosta Browne to move from leased facilities into its own winery in Sebastopol. That same year, the winery introduced the One Sixteen Russian River Valley Chardonnay, the only non-Pinot Noir wine in the portfolio, alongside the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, which was later named Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” in 2011.

Ownership changed again in 2015 when private equity firm J.W. Childs Associates acquired the winery, before Duckhorn Vineyards purchased Kosta Browne in 2019. Despite its growth, the winery remains synonymous with small-lot, terroir-driven Pinot Noir from California’s premier cool-climate vineyards.

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