
How many of us have wished we could take our dreams and turn them into reality? Centennial Colorado residents David and Pat Cocetti have done just that. They took their dream of manufacturing
premium Napa and Sonoma Valley wines and started Cocetti Wines. Now, they are celebrating 25 years of producing those wines.

For many years, David vinted a homemade wine from Colorado chokecherries and gave it as gifts to family and friends. The mystique of the process soon had Pat and the children, David, Dena and Denise, all involved in crushing, bottle preparations and bottling. Pat had to cope with the musty smells from the basement, but producing homemade wine became a family project. It was a time to learn, discuss and enjoy the process. They learned about the art of wine processing, the history of wine evolution and the wines of the world.

In 1981, with the help of family and close friends, David decided to produce commercial wines from California's Napa Valley. David met Tom Cottell, who provided valuable information about grape growers, facilities for crushing, bottles, labels, and corks and the BATF approval process. With proper due process of law Cocetti Wines was born and became a negociant of commercial wine from Napa Valley.

The initial products selected by David were two popular white wines, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The red wine varietal chosen was Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, followed in 2002 by their excellent Sonoma Zinfandel. Both red varietals are aged in French oak casks for a period ranging from 18 to 24 months.

The distinctive character for Cocetti Wines has always been the label and its meaning. A delicate design with a chapel in the center is dedicated to the family heritage of winemaking. The chapel was built by David's great-grandfather and grandfather in northern Italy. It was there that grandfather and grandmother met. They came to Colorado at the turn of the century to start a new life in the new world. The chapel still stands today and is a functional church to this day. Recently, the entire family of 12 kids and grandchildren, visited this small chapel. Pat and David also renewed their wedding vows there in the Fall of 2006.

Marketing the wines has always been a special talent of Pat Cocetti. Pat personnlay introduced the Cocetti label to wine buyers, restaurants and wine shops. The Cocetti label has been awarded several medals and has won accolades from wine writers. The Cocettis produce, and will continue to produce, premium wines from California, while remaining Colorado-owned. Cocetti Wines are available from Colorado distributor, Continental Divide and Texas distributer, Ranger Beverage.