"I didn't care about the money, I wanted my life back, " Phinney says. There is no winery in Napa Valley like the Prisoner Wine Co. Amid all the valley's visually redundant wineries, the Prisoner stands out as starkly modern — a sleek, horizontal monolith on Highway 29 in St. Helena. The Prisoner Red Blend Red Wine by The Prisoner Wine Company. "Then it got serious.
"I was like, screw it. The Prisoner Wine Co. Currently, we are not able to service customers outside of the United States, and our site is not fully available internationally. In 2016, The Prisoner was sold again, this time to Constellation Brands, who paid $285 million to Huneeus, who had grown it to 170, 000 cases at $35 per bottle — and the price has only gone up since. It's one of the most powerful wines in existence: Last year its flagship red blend was the third-best-selling wine over $25 in the U. S., according to data analytics firm Information Resources Inc. Its success has spawned copycat brands, all aiming to capture the Prisoner's viral combination of dark, edgy labeling and rich-tasting red wine. Winner of Vivino's 2018 Wine Style Awards: Californian Red Blend. "It was a happy accident at the beginning, " Phinney recalls. By the time Phinney sold The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners for a reported $40 million in 2010, only a decade after those first 385 cases, he was making and selling 85, 000 cases a year. The Prisoner Napa Valley Red Blend Red Wine Bottle750 ml. Three Bottle Gift Box. "There were a lot of vineyards I didn't know if I would get fruit from again, " he says.
"I figured if 10% of people hate me, I must be doing something right, " Phinney says of the reception to the wine, adding that his father-in-law — the owner of Whitehall Lane Winery — was adamant he was going to ruin his career. Tempranillo, best known as the principal red variety of Spain's Rioja, can also be found in small plantings in the Southwest where hot grown conditions favor the grape. Please enjoy our wines responsibly. When he got back, the RS had fermented out; he has no idea how. Wine is actually produced in all fifty states across the country, with California leading the way by an enormous margin. "People wanted to start selling us grapes, but it was never a recipe. Wrapped in tissue and in a black gift box. 2019 THE PRISONER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 375ML HALF BOTTLE. In California, Italian varietals such as Barbera, Gignolino, Primitivo, and Nebbiolo and esoteric Rhone varietals like Cinsault and Carignano can be found. He took it to his brother, a computer whiz and graphic designer, who threw it on a bottle, shortened the name, and well, magic happened. Country Home Small Slate Board.
"But it went to being very intentional. The Prisoner is now the most recognized Napa Valley red blend, leading the resurgence of interesting blends by incorporating Zinfandel with the unlikely mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Charbono. By 2000, The Prisoner was born. For three hundred years now, the United States has been leading the New World in wine production, both in regards to quantity and quality. From the most recognized Napa Valley red blend comes a distinct, new wine. Made in the same iconic style as The... More Details. His fan base was built on The Prisoner and there are very few brands out there that I have witnessed that can say the same. That's because everyone was clamoring for it.
It wasn't that he didn't want to spend the money on good grapes from well-known appellations or thought Cabernet was inherently more meaningful than a blend. Phinney wanted to honor California as a whole, especially the historic nature of its field blends. Since 1930, Publix has grown from a single store into the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States. But, the next time you travel to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia—make sure you visit the store "where shopping is a pleasure" during your stay. The surrounding Tuscan villas, faux chateaux and palatial farmhouses feel prudish by comparison.
Listening to his Walkman as he labeled, Phinney's vision for the wine went from a small side project to an obsession. A purity of fruit is evident, featuring aromas of raspberry, blueberry, and crushed violets. Featured in Top 25 Californian Red Blend wines in California right now.