Who is David Phinney?

A creative thinker, iconoclast and tirelessly hard worker, Napa Valley-based winemaker Dave Phinney may not be a household name among wine drinkers, but many of his wines sure are.

Did Orin Swift sell the prisoner?

When you combine excellent wines with creative labeling you are bound to grow fast and now his full time job is with Orin Swift. The “Prisoner” label was their flagship wine (in 2010 Dave sold just the Prisoner label to Huneeus Vintners – also owners of Napa’s Quintessa Winery).

How much did Dave Phinney sell the prisoner for?

The wine soon had a cult following and Phinney sold the Zinfandel blend and a few other labels in 2010 to The Prisoner Wine Company for $40 million. The Prisoner Wine Company was then bought by Constellation in 2016 for $285 million and case production increased to 165,000.

Is Orin Swift a real person?

Hosted by Brittany Palmateer and Molly Schuster of Empire Merchants North, the evening was as much informative as it was delicious. The hosts explained to diners that Orin Swift the man simply just does not exist.

When did Dave Phinney sell?

2010
In 2010 Phinney sold the Prisoner, at that time an 85,000-case brand, to Huneeus Vintners for $40 million.

Where is Orin Swift from?

The history of Orin Swift Cellars dates back to 1995 when on a lark, David Swift Phinney took a friend up on an offer and went to Florence, Italy to spend a semester “studying”. During that time, he was introduced to wine, how it was made, and got hooked.

Why is it called 8 Years in the Desert?

The name 8 Years in the Desert gets its name from a sentence Phinney recently served in varietal purgatory. After selling The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners in 2008 (he later sold its parent company, Orin Swift Cellars, to E&J Gallo in 2016), he signed a non-compete, agreeing not to make Zinfandel for eight years.

Who Makes 8 Years in the Desert wine?

Orin Swift
Orin Swift – 8 Years in the Desert.

How much did Gallo pay for Orin Swift?

But he first made his name with wine brand Orin Swift, which he founded in 1998 and sold to E & J Gallo in 2016 for a reported $100 million.

Who Makes 8 years in the desert?

Orin Swift Cellars
8 Years in the Desert is a California Red Wine from Orin Swift Cellars in Saint Helena, California, USA. While this wine is classified as a Zinfandel by some stores, Orin Swift Cellars calls it a Zinfandel Blend.

Does Dave Phinney still make Orin Swift?

But he first made his name with wine brand Orin Swift, which he founded in 1998 and sold to E & J Gallo in 2016 for a reported $100 million. Phinney still makes the wines, as well as Orin Swift’s.

Who did Orin Swift sell to?

Charmed by both the wines and their maker, in the summer of 2016, E&J Gallo snapped up Orin Swift, now a 100,000-case brand, as part of its premium push.