Tasting room
For the opening of the new tasting lounge in St. Helena, Chrissy Wittmann and her winemaking team crafted new tasting-room only wines, including Erased, a blanc de blancs sparkling wine and Syndrome, a rose. ABOVE: Adjacent to The Prisoner Wine Co.’s new tasting lounge is The Makery, a private wine tasting gallery that features the work of eight innovative local craftspeople.
RIGHT: Winemaker Chrissy Wittmann’s lineup at The Prisoner Wine Co. includes the original red blend, The Prisoner, The Snitch, Blindfold, Saldo, Thorn and tasting-room only wines ERASED and Syndrome. THE TASTINGS >> This is not a traditional standingroom bar, but a lounge with reservation-only seated tastings. Choose from The Line-Up ($45), which features five wines and a complimentary pairing (an impressive charred eggplant dip on our visit); The Makery Journey ($65), a tour and tasting of the five wines held inside The Makery gallery; or The Makery Experience ($125), an assortment of chef Brett Young’s small seasonal bites each paired with a limited-release wine.
THE WINES >> Winemaker Chrissy Wittmann’s wines are showing beautifully, including the original inky zinfandel-based Prisoner blend ($49); Blindfold ($32), a chardonnay with bright minerality; and Cuttings ($55), a dense, velvety cabernet sauvignon. But the reason to visit is to sample the new wines, which are only available on property and to wine club members. Among them: Syndrome ($30), a crisp, drink-yearround rosé with luscious watermelon and strawberry flavors, and Headlock ($60), a big, rich and memorable charbono.
A WORD ON THE MAKERY >> If you’re an art or design buff, pay the extra $20 to do your tasting inside the studio, paying particular attention to the arresting pottery of Amanda Wright, with its bold black curves and zippers, as well as the installation by Agelio Batle, whose full-sized graphite skeleton should grace the next bottle of Prisoner wine.
DETAILS >> Open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with the last reservation available at 5 p.m.
— Jessica Yadegaran, Staff