The Prisoner Wine Company is located off legendary Highway 29 in the heart of the Napa Valley. After the winery started around 20 years ago, it quickly developed into a cult brand in the most famous growing region in California. With complex blends from some of the best and most unusual grape varieties in California, the brand has quickly gained expert status when it comes to cuvées. The extraordinarily provocative label designs of the bottles have further increased the status of the cult brand. Wine lovers who like to drink unconventional cuvées from the USA can hardly avoid the PWC.

An unconventional winery

The philosophy of the winery from California's Napa Valley can be expressed in three words: bold, unconventional and not limited by tradition. Since their first vintage, the winemakers at The Prisoner Wine Company have ensured that their wines offer a mouthfeel and texture-defined experience of the highest quality. Prisoner wines are generous in flavor and balanced on the palate. The production approach of the winery is also unconventional. It does not have a single vineyard of its own on which it cultivates grapes itself. Instead, the brand buys the grapes for its cuvées from a variety of small growers in California who grow unique cultivars. The brand is constantly forging new relationships with winters across the state.

Exceptionally artistic labels

Not only is the name of The Prisoner Wine Company unusual, the labels on the wine bottles are also designed a little differently than other wineries. The Napa Valley winery's entire brand mission is based on a sketch by 19th-century Spanish artist Francisco de Goya. The sketch, given to founder Dave Phinney by his parents when he was 12, served as a "visual protest against the injustice and brutality of the Spanish War of Independence". The California winery continues to draw inspiration from the drawing, using it as a constant reminder never to be constrained by rules and traditions. The Prisoner bottles are adorned with particularly artistic labels. A wolf's head can be seen on the new Merlot "Thorn". The model was the three-dimensional work of art made of wire by the Portuguese artist David Olivera. The label once again took inspiration from Spanish artist Goya's paintings when designing the labels for the 'Blindfold' cuvée.

A cuvée specialist

The Prisoner Wine Company is all about blends. Since its inception, the brand has been known for its unique blends. The brand's flagship, the "Prisoner", a red blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Charbono, quickly became a huge success. In terms of taste, the Prisoner is a typical representative of the Napa Valley growing region. Distinctively fruity taste with aromas of red and black fruits, fine coffee nuances and intensive toffee notes. Velvety soft tannins ensure a smooth finish of the red cuvée. In addition to some red cuvées, the unconventional brand also brings out blends of white grape varieties. The white cuvée called "Blindfold" is a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne and exudes wonderful fruity notes of tangerines and honeydew melon, mixed with the aroma of marzipan and roasted hazelnuts.

From indie label to mainstream

The Prisoner Wine Company is one of California's youngest labels. The story goes back to 2000, when well-known winemaker Dave Phinney released 385 cases of the first cuvée under the extraordinary brand name. The wine brand developed at breakneck speed from an unnoticed indie label to the mainstream, not only because of its distinctive name, but primarily because of its excellent cuvées. Dave Phinney is no longer involved with the brand today. In the meantime, the young wine label has become one of more than 100 brands in the Constellation beverage group. And the production volume of today's mainstream label can no longer be compared to the earlier indie days. Today, The Prisoner Wine Company produces more than 150,000 cases of wine a year.

An architecturally impressive winery

Winerys have become the most important figureheads of wineries over the past few decades. Accordingly, many wineries today shine with impressive and luxurious wine cellars and tasting rooms. When it comes to uniqueness and luxury, the PWC Winery in Napa Valley is undoubtedly in the premier league of Californian wineries. Since 2016, a 40,000 square meter winery designed by architect Matt Hollis from San Francisco has been located south of St. Helena, which has nothing in common with classic wineries. Rather, the Prisoner Winery exudes the aesthetic charm of industrial architecture. Despite this, the stylish mix of metal surfaces and design elements never feels cold and unfriendly. In the traditional tasting room, visitors to the Winery experience a comfortable lounge experience, in which the fine wines from the bottles with the artistic labels can be particularly well enjoyed.