View As PDF - Wine Country This Week

WINE COUNTRY NEWS | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEK
Prager Winery & Port Works
Three things you need to know about Prager Winery & Port Works
just south of St. Helena. To start with, it is utterly, unashamedly
charming, housed in a carriage house dating back to 1865. The second
is that it’s a family owned and operated winery with pretty much two
(or is it three now?) generations involved. And third, they make Ports
that are unique, almost addictive, and exceptionally well crafted,
something that has been true since that first harvest in 1979.
Prager patriarch Jim and his wife Imogene took a route not many
people with aspirations in making fine Napa Valley wines followed:
they decided to specialize in making Port. At the time this was hardly
a common practice, and though more wineries attempt it these days,
Prager stands alone.
They’ve been specializing in the production of various styles of
Premium California Ports. They currently offer Vintage, Tawny and the
famous Aria White Port and also a Petite Sirah Port, plus a nicely aged
Petite Sirah wine that could be aged for ten
years if you are patient (hint: buy at least two
and drink one with friends and age the rest), as
well as a Late Harvest Riesling dessert wine
called Sweet Claire that has a clean, crisp finish,
something not often found in dessert wines.
24
The winery also carries a very
popular Chocolate Port Drizzle, Port
filled boxed chocolates, caramelized walnuts and three distinct vinegars
for the discerning gourmet. Needless to say, the chocolates and
walnuts pair perfectly with Port.
Of course, you can try these offerings in their rustic tasting room
which manages to balance fun, memorable tastes and a seriousness for
what they make and what they pour in equal measure, never letting
one dominate. It is a well-rounded and unique time, as the faces on
your fellow visitors will quickly attest.
While Jim and Imogene may not be at the winery quite as often as
they once were, they still remain involved and, it would seem, as
enthusiastic as ever for the adventure that they happily and optimistically
began since that first crush over three decades ago, and the world
of wine, and the Napa Valley are all the better for it.
The Prager tasting room, where you will taste five premium Ports
and wines (and keep the glass), is open daily from 10:30 a.m. until
4:30 p.m. They are located at 1281 Lewelling Lane in St. Helena (next
to the Harvest Inn). For more information, call (707) 963-7678 or
1-800-969-7678, or go to www.pragerport.com. You can also find
them on Facebook.
www.WineCountryThisWeek.com