This Napa Winery is Ready to Discuss Prison Reform

The moment I crossed the threshold of the slate-colored facade into the stylish, wood-and-metal lounge, I sensed this wasn’t going to be your standard Napa wine experience—a feeling that was confirmed halfway through our tasting. After pouring their bold red blends into our glasses and sharing the usual tasting notes and terroir details, our sommelier skillfully steered the discussion toward the significance of prison reform.

Indeed. Prison reform. At a wine tasting.

While unconventional, this is precisely the type of conversation you can expect at The Prisoner Wine Company, a Napa winery that has worked for years to make the luxury wine scene more inclusive by appealing to a broader and more diverse audience. In 2022, it launched the Corrections wine collection, aimed at raising awareness and funds for prison reform.

How a cult wine transformed into a vehicle for social justice

Despite its name, The Prisoner Wine Company hasn't always been actively engaged in social justice matters.

Veteran winemaker Dave Phinney launched The Prisoner Wine Company’s inaugural wine release in 2000, which was later purchased by Constellation Brands in 2016. Both the brand name and its flagship wine, The Prisoner, were inspired by an 1810 etching by Francisco Goya titled Le Petit Prisonnier. After its debut, the winery quickly attracted attention for its distinctive name and striking wine label, which featured a reinterpretation of Goya’s artwork. The flagship wine received critical praise and established a reputation as a flavorful and innovative red blend, leading to its current popularity and broad distribution.

However, it was only recently, following the Black Lives Matter movement and the team’s introspection regarding the injustices faced by incarcerated individuals—particularly brown and Black men—that the decision was made to use the winery’s popularity as a platform for change.

Bukky Ekundayo, general manager and VP of marketing at The Prisoner Wine Company, emphasizes that the winery has always been about progress through art. Recently, they shifted their focus beyond just making luxury wine more inclusive and accessible, realizing they could create a more socially progressive narrative with their brand, inspired by their provocative artistic heritage.

This evolution culminated in the launch of the Corrections wine collection in 2022, aiming to spotlight issues within the criminal justice system. Each bottle is adorned with a bag that showcases statistics intended to ignite discussions on prison reform.

To enhance the collection, they collaborated with Los Angeles multimedia artist Chris Burnett. Known for his impactful illustrations addressing social issues in outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post, Burnett's designs for Corrections use chaotic elements to symbolize anger and the desire for change, while motifs of flowers and hope convey growth and resilience of those incarcerated.

From the sales of the collection, $25,000 is being donated to Rubicon Programs, a Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to combating poverty and aiding communities harmed by the U.S. justice system. Their initiatives include providing vital services like career training and healthcare for those who have been formerly incarcerated.

In its inaugural release, only 300 cases of Corrections were crafted. Ekundayo reveals that her team aims to make this an annual tradition, collaborating with different artists and partners each year. The 2022 collection can be purchased online for $225 and features three bottles: one malbec, one viognier, and one tempranillo.

Creating an inclusive wine tasting experience

Beyond the Corrections release, The Prisoner Wine Company is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the luxury wine sector, exemplified by its St. Helena tasting room, which has been welcoming guests since 2018.

Ekundayo states, "You don’t need to be part of the 'wine drinking elite' or have extensive knowledge of varietals to enjoy our wines." I completely relate; attending a tasting can feel daunting when you're just starting to grasp the basics or unsure of the right words to describe a wine. At The Prisoner Wine Company, the team engages drinkers where they are, tailoring conversations to their existing knowledge and interests. Guests will also see diversity among the staff, as they recently announced a partnership with Rubicon to create a second-chance employment program aimed at hiring formerly incarcerated individuals, fostering a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.

The food and wine pairings are crafted to appeal to a broader range of tastes by taking culinary cues from global cuisine. By pairing curry with zinfandels or cabernets, soup dumplings with robust red blends, and hearty vegan dishes with wines typically suggested for steak, they demonstrate that wine can complement all kinds of food.

Visiting the winery

Reservations are necessary to visit The Prisoner Wine Company. Guests can select from a standard tasting, a chocolate and wine pairing, a wine and food pairing, or a dim sum and wine experience offered on Fridays and Saturdays—definitely recommended. Don't miss their Friday DJ nights, which often transform into vibrant dance parties.