The Prisoner Wine Company

02.04.2025

April days bring not only a fresh spring breeze, but also new energy, even in the world of wine. Nature has already fully awakened from its winter sleep and just as the fauna and flora around us are awakening, so are our palates, which crave something distinctive, with a novel character. The Prisoner Wine Company's wines are just that - bold, unconventional and with a story that defies all convention and tradition. In the same way that we might see April as a transition between spring and summer, The Prisoner Wine Company stands on the cusp of innovation and respect for the traditional craft of winemaking. This month, we bring you a closer look at a winery that is breaking the rules and rewriting the definition of modern winemaking.

What defines The Prisoner Wine Company?

The Prisoner Wine Company is named after the winery's flagship wine made in 2000 by winery founder Dave Phinney. He then sold the winery in 2010 to Huneeus Vintners, who own Quintessa Winery based in Rutherford. The company expanded the brand considerably and eventually sold it to the current owner, Constellation Brands, in 2016. Constellation Brands also includes the wineries Saldo, Unshackled, Blindfold and Domaine Curvy. Let's now introduce the individual wineries whose wines you will also find in our portfolio.

Blindfold

From the dark and provocative world of The Prisoner Wine Company, a new white wine was born that explores light, vibrancy and elegance. Blindfold wine was created to awaken your senses.

The main idea behind this project is to produce elegant white wines with lower alcohol content with an approach that is typical of The Prisoner Wine Company. Absolutely precise work with grapes sourced from cooler Sonoma County yields characterful wines that are meant for either everyday drinking or as a great partner to your menu.

Blindfold specializes in making white blends that combine different grape varieties from different regions of California. It aims to push the boundaries of traditional winemaking and offers unique flavor profiles that appeal to wine lovers looking for new and unusual experiences. With this approach, Blindfold complements The Prisoner Wine Company's portfolio and brings innovative and bold white wines to the market. The wine label is as unusual, innovative and bold as the winery itself.

Saldo

The name Saldo comes from an Italian word meaning "to join" or "to weld". It reflects the winery's approach to creating premium wines, with an emphasis on Zinfandel, which was launched nearly 20 years ago and has helped the winery revive an overlooked California varietal. Since then, other great wines have been launched - a red blend, Chenin Blanc and Shiraz. The brand's philosophy is to use grapes from different regions of California, such as Dry Creek, Lodi and Amador, where Zinfandel is traditionally grown. The Zinfandel we offer is a deep ruby color with expressive aromas of licorice, black pepper, cherry and sweet spice. The onset of the wine is very full but fresh at the same time. On the palate the wine is beautifully refreshing but velvety for its fullness with a lovely trace of chocolate. The finish is spectacular and long with typically fine soft tannins.

Domaine Curry

At the heart of the Domaine Curry brand is a celebration of the strong women who have shaped the Curry family legacy, paying tribute to the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and daughters of Ayesha and Sydel and generations to come. The inspiration for the brand was the desire to create a legacy for their daughters and nieces, while highlighting the importance of women and minority representation in the wine industry. In 2023, Domaine Curry was acquired by The Prisoner Wine Company, allowing the company to expand its reach and offer its wines to a wider audience. Their highly regarded wines include Founders Red Blend, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon which reflect a commitment to high quality and craftsmanship. With the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, you'll appreciate the full Cabernet style that is also very balanced and harmonious.

The Prisoner

At the beginning, the idea was to produce a complex blend of California's best and most unusual varietals to permanently change the idea of what a red cuvée can look like. Over time, a number of blends have emerged that break the rules, with provocative label designs that are designed not just to impress and shock, but also to help make a difference. Recognized by fans and critics alike as one of the boldest and most innovative brands on the market, red wine blends have been at the forefront of the resurgence of California's luxury red blends and have achieved cult status in just 25 years.

The brand's name and main label were inspired by the classic etching and aquatint (a special printmaking technique where an image is etched or engraved into a metal plate) The Little Prisoner (original Spanish: El pequeño prisionero) by 19th century Spanish painter Francisco Goya. Goya was inspired by the Spanish Civil War, which took place between 1808 and 1814. Goya made three prints during and after the end of the war, between 1810 and 1820. These prints depict three men imprisoned in various degrading positions and reflect Goya's critique of the injustice and brutality that prisoners commonly encountered during this time. Le Petit Prisonier depicts a bearded prisoner in flimsy clothing, bound by heavy chains and leg irons, with his hands clasped together as if praying or begging for forgiveness.

Unfortunately, the United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, with nearly two million people in state and federal prisons, local jails, immigration detention centers, and other detention facilities. This is due to a range of unjust practices and policies that disproportionately affect brown and black people and people living in poverty.

The Prisoner Wine Company (and its parent company Constellation Brands) is committed to promoting justice and reforming the prison system.

Supporting Prison Reform

Limited Edition - Corrections Wine Series

In 2022, the company debuted a limited edition Corrections wine series, collaborating with a different artist each year. The aim is to raise awareness of a system where discrimination and inequality is more prevalent than anywhere else. By combining art and wine, Corrections seeks to change perceptions and narratives, spark important conversations about ending mass incarceration and the urgent need for reform, and ultimately create demand for change. It also represents hope that we can make progress and right the wrongs of the past. While the obstacles to reform are systemic, The Prisoner Wine Company believes change is possible.

For the 2024 vintage, the winery collaborated with Jesse Krimes, a Philadelphia-based artist and curator whose work has been exhibited at MoMA PS1, Palais de Tokyo, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others. Proceeds from this program were donated to Krimes' foundation, The Center for Art and Advocacy, which empowers artists impacted by the criminal justice system and works to change the narrative around criminal justice. The wine label features a detail of one of his most famous works, Apocaluptein:16389067, which was created while he was in prison and shows how media shapes social power and control.

Financial Support

The Prisoner Wine Company (along with Constellation Brands) also financially supports the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization dedicated to ending mass incarceration and racial inequality in the criminal justice system. They have also supported Rubicon Programs, an organization that provides services to people released from prison, including career counseling and health care.

Second Chance for Released Prisoners

Finally, the company plans to create a second chance program that would employ 2-3 people with a prior prison record, with no previous experience in the wine industry required. This program would involve a rotation between winemaking and hospitality.

Brave and innovative wines

But now let's turn our attention to the individual vineyards and wines of The Prisoner. Current director Chrissy Whitmann and her team work with over 100 growers in Northern California, both small family-owned vineyards and larger wineries. By the way, Chrissy Whitmann got into winemaking in a very unconventional way. She originally studied ecology and systematic biology. Chrissy found her love of wine while analyzing soil and wastewater samples in the lab. She worked for a time as a laboratory enologist and then returned to California Polytechnic State University where she completed her Master's degree in Agriculture.

Major suppliers include:

The Solari family vineyard in Calistoga produces small but great tasting Zinfandel berries.
Korte Ranch is a special small vineyard in St Helena.
Tiedeman Ranch in Youthville, which produces excellent Zinfandel.
York Creek, Spring Mountain in St Helena, this vineyard produces wines that are richly coloured, full of spice and dark fruit flavours.
Mattern at Talmage Bench in Mendocino County is a biodynamically farmed vineyard, an extremely warm site, ideal for Zinfandel.
Apparicio Sutter, Creek Region in Amador is a Goblet style vineyard. This is an old world style of pruning that allows the grapes to hang freely, get plenty of air and bathe in perfectly filtered light.
Grist Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley provides great growing conditions for Zinfandel.
The Sangiacomo Vineyard of the Carneros and Sonomoa area has a great Viognier from a west slope vineyard in Sonoma that adds floral notes to the wine.
The Rodgers Vineyard in Yountville adds intensity and a floral component to the Viognier.
Located in the Mayacamas Mountains, Obsidian Ridge Vineyard grows full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with soft tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is a distinctive new red wine blend that aspires to the same iconic position as The Prisoner Red Blend. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petite Sirah varietals aged for 15 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. Dark ruby colour with a very dark centre. Layered aromas of ripe cherries, ripe plums and vanilla along with baking spices. A full-bodied and powerful wine with traces of the aforementioned fruit and seductive acidity. All together, it leads to a beautiful and long finish.

A wide network of suppliers allows The Prisoner Wine Company to create unique blends of wines with diverse flavor profiles that reflect the diversity of California vineyards.

The Prisoner is now Napa Valley's most acclaimed red blend, leading to a resurgence of interesting blends with the inclusion of Zinfandel with the previously unlikely combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Charbono. Aromas of black cherry and ripe plum are layered with vanilla and sweet spice. Concentrated dark fruit notes culminate in a fresh, full-bodied flavor and lingering finish.

If you're more attracted to white wines, try the excellent Chardonnay, which will especially appeal to lovers of powerful, characterful wines. Aromas of ripe yellow apples, crème brulée and vanilla. On the palate it is very full and layered, with traces of ripe pineapple and toasty barrel acidity.

The Prisoner Wine Company represents not only an innovative approach to winemaking, but also a strong voice in the fight against social injustice. It combines historical inspiration with modern winemaking, using grapes from carefully selected vineyards throughout Northern California. In addition to producing highly regarded blends, he is committed to supporting prison reform and helping former prisoners. By collaborating with artists and non-profit organizations, he spreads awareness of inequalities and contributes to positive change. As a result, The Prisoner Wine Company is more than just a winery - it is a symbol of the connection between art, history and social responsibility.

4.4.2025