Jesse Krimes Collaborates With The Prisoner Winery On ‘Corrections’ Label”

When Jesse Krimes was arrested for cocaine possession in 2009 and spent a year in solitary confinement while awaiting his trial, he never dreamed that his prison time (ultimately 6 years) would result in one of the most unique and attention-catching art collections in the world.

Today, Jesse’s art creations have been featured in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and more recently, adorn wine bottles of The Prisoner Corrections series. This special reserve wine is part of a limited collection offered by The Prisoner Wine Company, and 5% of every bottle sold goes back to the non-profit that Jesse Krimes created upon release from prison, The Center for Art & Advocacy.

To learn more about this, I first met with Jesse Krimes in a Zoom interview, and then drove to the Prisoner Winery in Napa Valley to meet the two winemakers responsible for crafting this compelling red blend: Chrissy Wittmann and Todd Ricard.

Jesse Krimes – Advocating for Prison Reform With Art

“I created this series when I was in solitary confinement. I had been erased from public view, so this was a means to fight back as an artist,” Jesse told me in the interview.

“I had to work with the materials I had, and one was prison-issued soap. If you look at a bar of soap, it’s a material that is designed to cleanse, purify and sanitize,” he continued. “One of the meanings of ‘penitentiary’ is to cleanse, so soap has the underpinnings of what prison is supposed to do.”

Therefore, Jesse used newspaper clippings of offenders and adhered them to bars of soap with hair gel and toothpaste. The result is a stunning collection of 292 miniature portraits, each on a small bar of soap. Jesse then mailed them discreetly out of prison by hiding the soap in carved playing cards.

“I layered 21 cards together with toothpaste, then cut a small hole in the middle using the interior connector of a Triple A battery,” he explained. “That way I could nestle the soap portrait inside.”

This unique art series was ultimately called Purgatory, and the outer playing card case is featured on the label of The Prisoner 2022 Corrections, a wine that retails for $100 per bottle. “The Prisoner is doing strong work of using their wine labels to get a message out to the world and to advocate on behalf of people who are incarcerated,” stated Jesse.

He added, “There are so many things about our prison system that don’t make sense. A lot of people are innocent. Did you know that nearly 2 million people are incarcerated each year in the U.S., and every 2 people in our country has a direct family member who was incarcerated in jail or prison at least once?”

To address some of these issues, Jesse decided to establish the Center for Art and Advocacy, which provides $20,000 grants to formerly incarcerated artists and connects them with art curators. Each year, six new artists are funded by the program. In addition to giving 5% of all wine sales to the Center, The Prisoner Wine Company also made a $75,000 donation to support justice-impacted artists.

“The Prisoner is using its massive customer network to reach out to people in their homes to bring art and these important messages to them,” stated Jessie. “What is powerful about this collaboration is that it allowed me to reach a much broader audience.”

Did you know that nearly 2 million people are incarcerated each year in the U.S., and every 2 people in our country has a direct family member who was incarcerated in jail or prison at least once?”

Wine Tasting Visit At The Prisoner Winery In Napa Valley

After talking with Jesse, I was excited to visit the Prisoner Winery in Napa Valley to meet the two winemakers who craft the wines, and to taste The Prisoner 2022 Corrections, celebrating the Purgatory art series.

Located on Highway 29 in Napa Valley, the winery is fittingly designed to look partially like a prison. It is a long, dark grey building with a black steel structure at the entrance and a modern, futuristic look. Inside the prison-grey décor continues, but with tasteful embellishments of arched black steel beams in a two-story contemporary atrium and tasting salon. To complement the tasting experience, the Culinary Director, Chef Brett Young, offers up a range of food and wine-tasting options, with the most unique a ‘wine and dim sum’ 5-course pairing menu.

Chrissy Wittmann, Senior Director of Winemaking, and Todd Ricard, Director of Winemaking, invited me to relax on a sofa in a living room/tasting lounge, featuring a two-story fireplace covered with brown leather.

“This is our third year to make The Prisoner Corrections wine,” stated Chrissy, “and the customer response has been incredible. We are nearly sold out.”

She explained that many Prisoner customers like the wine not only for its high quality and bold flavors, but because it stands for a cause. “We are a platform to help bring to light the plight of incarcerated people and prison reform issues,” she said.

“We love making this wine. It makes us proud to work here because it stands for a cause, and allows us to be very creative in our winemaking,” added Todd Ricard.

Indeed, the origin of The Prisoner brand, created by winemaker and founder Dave Phinney in 2000, was to embrace creativity and fight injustice, especially within the U.S. prison system. The original label was inspired by the artist, Francisco Goya’s, sketch of ‘Le Petit Prisoner,’ which Phinny received as a gift when he was aged 12. Constellation, parent company of The Prisoner, purchased the brand in 2016.

“Phinney wanted to celebrate the old field blends of California, where different grape varieties were ‘blended in the field.’ So each year the grape varieties and/or percentages that go into The Prisoner are different,” Todd continued.

For example, for the 2022 The Prisoner Corrections, the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. It is a very rich and plush red blend with ripe plum, blueberry, and spice on the nose and palate. Velvety and long, it takes on nuances of toast, herbs, and a streak of wild berries. Truly delicious.

“Our customers like the fact that our wines have bold flavors, are ready to drink now, and don’t have to be aged. However, they also age very well for people who want to stock their cellar,” said Chrissy.

Chrissy helped to open The Prisoner Winery when she arrived in Napa Valley nine years ago. Shortly afterwards, Todd Ricard joined her on the winemaking team.

Next, we tasted The Prisoner 2021 Corrections, where the label was also created by Jesse Krimes. It is an amazing wine label portraying Jesse’s massive 15 by 40-foot artwork of 39 prison bedsheets with newspaper art. Entitled Apokaluptein, the label is reminiscent of a Salvador Dalí painting.

This red wine is a blend of Petite Sirah, Malbec, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Merlot. It is darker and more intense with rich blackberry notes, followed by hints of blueberry, figs, and a touch of white pepper on the finish. Just like the 2021, this wine is 15.5% alcohol, and is ripe and ready to drink now. However, all of the 750ml bottles have sold out, but there are still a few magnums left at $150 each.

Chrissy described how, each year when they make The Prisoner, they are not sure what the final blend will be. “We scout for the best grapes across California, with a focus on historic field blends, but it always changes. You should expect the unexpected from us.”

The Prisoner Wine Company also produces four additional brands besides The Prisoner. These include Blindfold, Unshackled, Saldo, and Domaine Curry. All are available to sample and purchase at the winery and online.