Travel & Adventure – Prager Winery & Port Works ? ?
Prager Winery & Port Works ? ?
We had a few beautiful days to spend in Napa during the month of January. Our inspiration you ask? Seventy degree weather in the middle of winter! Frequently I forget that Napa Valley is just over an hours drive from the San Francisco Peninsula (approx. 70-miles). So, my partner in crime and I packed a small overnight bag and headed to the wine country!
As we entered Prager Winery & Port Works we found ourselves surrounded by lush green gardens. Not the manicured, stately gardens of Domaine Carneros, rather, the kind of gardens surrounding a sweet country cottage far, far away. The dirt road leading to the winery is very narrow and easy to miss, so keep your eyes peeled as you approach on highway 29.
Prager Winery & Port Works, located in the famous growing region of St. Helena, is family owned and operated by three generations of the Prager clan. Upon entering the charming old wooden cottage tasting area, we were warmly greeted by our taste master John Prager, son of the founder.
The tasting room walls and ceiling are adorned in currency from around the world with personal messages scribbled on them. During our tasting, Brian and I attempted to count just how many countries were represented therein, but became delightfully distracted by the absolutely Voovacious selection of wines we were sipping. John treated us to a delicious selection of six wines, four ports (2010 Port, Royal Escort, Aria White Port, and the Noble Companion 10-year Old Tawny), a 2009 Petite Syrah and the Sweet Claire’s Reisling.
John carefully explained the complex characteristics of each of the wines we would be tasting, walking us through the various pressing processes, bottling, aging, etc. Each of the wines we tasted was a unique experience on the palate, which made it difficult to decide upon just one bottle to take home. So, we ended up with both a 2009 Royal Escort Port as well as the Noble Companion 10-year Old Tawny Port.
Prager Winery & Port Works offers a wonderfully unique, eclectic Napa Valley experience. We truly enjoyed talking to the friendly, knowledgeable family behind these delicious wines along with the welcoming, relaxed tasting experience we had at Prager’s. We will definitely be back as soon!
Thank you to everyone at Prager Winery for their dedication to innovative, creatively crafted libations…
To read the full story of our visit to the Napa Valley wine country, please click here.
1281 Lewelling Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574. Call for reservations Ph# 707 963-7678
