The Prisoner Founder and Winemaker Dave Phinney’s deep respect for the vineyards is rooted in an early attempt to make a sophisticated wine from a difficult site. Although he was frustrated by a situation that had him using every tool at his disposal and still coming up short, he learned lessons that inform his vineyard selection process now. "I came away from that experience with the unshakable belief that if you put your emphasis on the vineyard, what follows is much easier,""The vineyard is everything." Most of Phinney’s time is spent exploring vineyard sites, meeting with growers and selecting the fruit that will be vinified and blended into The Prisoner. His method for vineyard selection includes assessing the site, soil, varietal, grower and provenance, or the history, of the vineyard. "Sometimes one of these aspects is enough, other times it's a combination of a few of these elements," he says. looks can be deceiving, so you have to trust in the track record of a vineyard as opposed to what you see.

Occasionally you step into a vineyard and can't get to your phone fast enough to call the grower and lock up the grapes. Those experiences are one of a kind." View all The Prisoner Wine Company Wines Related Links: Shop our most popular wine from Napa Valley Shop our top rated wine from Napa Valley It's hard not to think of Napa Valley when thinking of California wines. The region is, after all, the one that brought world recognition to California wine making. The area was settled by a few choice wine families in the 1960's who bet that the wines of the area would grow and flourish. The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980's, when vineyard lands were scooped up and vines were planted throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, from large conglomerates to small boutiques to cult classics. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux Blends. Whites are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Notable Facts Within the Napa Valley lie smaller sub-AVAs that lend even more character specifics to the wines.

Furthest south is Carneros, followed by Yountville, Oakville & Rutherford. best wine kits ukAbove those two is St.-Helena and finally, just granted an AVA, Calistoga. best wine for christmas turkey dinnerThese areas are situated on the valley floor and are known for creating rich, smooth Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. buy wine las vegasThere are a few mountain regions as well, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs. 50 best red wines for christmasThose include Howell Mountain, Stags Leap and Mount Veeder. cheap red wine in spainWines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from more time in the bottle to evolve and soften.best wine to bring as gift

Shop our most popular wine from California Shop our top rated wine from California It's not rare to see a wine's country of origin listed as "California." A country into itself in the wine world, California makes enough varieties and styles to match many European wine countries. It produces a diverse range of wines that span the quality spectrum. The most famous of the California wine regions is Napa Valley, and these wines are certainly outstanding – but it's not as broad and diverse as its larger neighbor, Sonoma County. Down south, Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley is well-known for its Rhône blends, as well as cool-climate varieties like Pinot and Chardonnay. The Central Coast, the largest California AVA, has many different microclimates that lead to a wide range of wines with many sub-AVAs.More Hospitality Industry Guides Ithaca & Tompkins County Research Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Events Use these databases to gather statistics about wine, including production, sales, etc.

Mintel Academic Includes several relevant reports, such as Wine (US), Wine Tourism in North America, Wine (UK), Champagne and Sparkling Wine (UK), and Still, Sparkling & Fortified Wine (UK). Business Source Complete Search for "wine industry profile." For every wine-producing country in the world, Datamonitor reports identify market size, analyze the competitive landscape, and forecast market performance. Business Insights, Essentials Search for Wine and select Market Share Reports. Sample titles include Top Wine Makers Worldwide, Wine Production By State, Top Table Wine Brands, and Top Wineries.trends in advertising expenditures; wine operations and industry data; and wine consumer demographics. Final Grape Crush Report These resources also provide statistics and facts about the wine industry. Click the catalog record to determine which library these print materials are located in. The U.S. Wine Market. Profiles the performance of the U.S. wine market. Reports wine consumption by type and origin;

wine volume consumption by state; brand data and analysis; and wine market trends. The Business of Wine: a Global Perspective. Concise overview of the business side of the global wine industry which includes distribution, marketing, and competition. Includes numerous statistics such as production, consumer consumption, and land under vine cultivation. National Agricultural Statistics Survey: California Grapes. California Crop and Livestock Reporting Service. Reports annual grape acreage in California by type of grape and by location, from 1991 through 2012. The Beverage Information Group's Wine Handbook. Sections include national trends and statistics, market data, suppliers, advertising and promotion. Additional Beverage Information Group publications include Beer Handbook (HD9397 U5 J62), Liquor Handbook (HD9352 L57) and Wine and Spirits Industry Marketing and Brands (HD9351 J65). IMPACT: The U.S. Wine Market. Coverage includes economic review, consumption statistics, distiller and brand analysis, sales expenditures, advertising expenditures, forecasts and projections, and international wine market data.