By Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor
I received some samples in the mail from someone pitching a story about charitable wines for the holidays. I honestly did not give it my full attention, mostly because I was rather distracted by my own worldly woes.
I then dug into my e-mails and found that I have received a ton of information about KOZ wines. KOZ wines is a collaboration between Grammy Award-nominated jazz saxophonist Dave Koz and Whole Foods Markets. 100 percent of Dave's proceeds benefit the Starlight Children's Foundation. Previously I've written about Humanitas Winery and One Hope Wines, both of which have deep ties to humanitarian charities. KOZ does go one step farther, but that is because famous jazz saxophonists probably do not need to make wine in order to make money.
These wines are all made by Vinum Cellars, a company which makes about ten wines under their own label. Below are my notes from the KOZ wines that I received:
2008 KOZ Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley - This was a pleasant wine for drinking, but not much else. There was a fatness to the wine that made it something of a Coca Cola wine. You can drink it, and it tastes good, but there is not much else to it. On the nose there was some gooseberry and asparagus, both of which came out in the taste.
2007 KOZ Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Napa Valley - There is some real heat here, as there should be in a wine that has a 14.7% Alc. For me this wine was rustic and a little rough edged. There was definitely some fruit, blackberries and cranberries, but there is a woody dryness that just sucks away the fruit in the middle.
2007 KOZ Red Alto Blend, El Dorado - My favorite wine of the group. A wine with a mostly Syrah base, blended with Grenache, Mouvedre, and Petite Syrah, this wine really brought out the fruit. This was round and succulent, with fleshy red cherry pushing its way out of the glass. With good length and a nice balance, this wine makes you feel good both on the palate and in the fact that you are really giving to a children's charity.
