The Prisoner Red Blend.
TAKE NO PRISONERS A women-led winemaking team at The Prisoner Wine Company continues a tradition of crafting blends that aren’t shackled to traditional winemaking. Written by Chloe Gellar / Photography courtesy of The Prisoner Wine Company
This is not a conventional winemaker story. From its inception, The Prisoner Wine Company has aimed to do things differently. Company founder Dave Phinney began his winemaking career in 1997 in the humblest of ways by working the graveyard shift as a temporary harvest intern at Robert Mondavi Winery. Just a few years later, Phinney released The Prisoner's flagship red blend, and it wasn't just what was inside the bottle that drew quick and widespread acclaim. Understanding labeling as an essential factor attracting the consumer's eye, Phinney chose an arresting etching of a prisoner drawn by the famous artist Francisco de Goya to make the flagship stand out on the shelf, thereby establishing a tradition of nonconformist wines with unconventional packaging. This renegade spirit has persisted even after Phinney sold the company, now owned by powerhouse Constellation Brands. Today, The Prisoner Wine Company boasts a female-led winemaking team headed by Director of Winemaking Chrissy Whitman and, under her, winemakers Niki Williams and Molly Zook. Chrissy and Niki both took circuitous routes to arrive at The Prisoner Wine Company. Chrissy was working at an independent environmental chemistry lab analyzing soil and wastewater samples when she was asked to cover an absent co-worker in the lab's wine division. Niki's love for agriculture came from growing up in a central Illinois farming community. Working at a European travel agency and visiting top wineries in both France and Italy was the "aha" moment that set her on a path to meld her appreciation for wineries and love of agriculture into a career. SL had the pleasure of interviewing both women to learn more about their unique career paths and how their outside-the-box backgrounds are a perfect fit for the Prisoner brand. SL: Chrissy, we can't say that we blame you for going from wastewater to wine! What was it that initially piqued your interest in winemaking? 44 slmag.net
Chrissy: After filling in for an absent co-worker in the wine division, I was hooked. I then steered my career in the direction of wine and became a wine chemist at Meridian Vineyards. After some great mentorship by their winemaking team, I looked to fully commit to my career in winemaking. I returned to Cal Poly for an M.S. in Agriculture with a concentration in Food Science. From there, I did some custom crush work making wine for other clients, which was eye-opening. Then, after nine years at Wild Horse Winery on the Central Coast of CA, I took the position as Director of Winemaking at The Prisoner, which has been the best ride so far. SL: How has your scientific background influenced your winemaking? Chrissy: Winemaking is the perfect marriage of art and science. Although I never considered myself artistic, I have learned over the years how creativity and science can work hand in hand. It takes specific chemical knowledge to make blends tactically, but the creative, artistic side comes in when assessing what creative touches we can give the wine to appeal to our fans. SL: Niki, how did you end up leaping from central Illinois to working for a European travel agency? What was it that prompted you to expand your horizons? Niki: I was lucky to be raised as a Midwest farm kid, spending lots of time with my grandparents and parents in their fields, pastures, gardens, and kitchens. Even though I will always feel connected to the family farm, I was born with an adventurous spirit and a hefty dose of wanderlust. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Illinois Wesleyan University. I then moved to Chicago to pursue a Master of Arts in Theatre at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Instead of writing plays – my original intention – I started acting, and I was lucky to land a day job at a European travel company. This led me to frequent
