St. Helena hospitality salon offers a different way to experience wine

The Prisoner Winery Co. has created a new way for people to experience wine.

The St. Helena winery noted for its red blends has launched a new hospitality space for its Saldo brand, an intimate lounge for indulging in unique varietals, exquisite cuisine and stimulating conversation.

Saldo Salon, which opened earlier this month inside the winery, is described as a gathering place to activate each of the five senses.

The brand’s name comes from the Italian translation of “Saldo,” which means “I join,” according to Robyn West, Prisoner’s director of hospitality.

Entering the salon, as West described it, feels like walking into a record player the moment the needle hits the vinyl. It’s an experience she said is different from most wine locales where the guest is guided through tastings.

“We really focused on the consumer journey with our brand and where that takes them,” she said. “So if that means you come in, sit on the couches and share a glass of wine communally or engage in one of our meals, it’s just really the individual journey with the wine.”

St. Helena-based Erin Martin Design drew inspiration from the idea of a tradition salon, or gathering place. It’s seemingly simplistic yet intricately curated.

“While the Salon is arranged in three distinct sections, it operates harmoniously as one large continuous space that is meant to be a hub for connection and conversation,” said Elise Stocksdale, an interior designer with the firm.

Saldo’s three rooms resemble spaces in a home with furniture, fine art pieces, homelike décor, dazzling light fixtures, vivifying plants and a diamond-patterned stitched-leather fireplace.

The space brings a sense of warmth and comfort — a familiar feeling yet originally brand new.

Visitors may notice subtle nods to the Saldo brand — the high glossed black structure with red beams on top mirrors the simple black bottle with red, typewriter-style font on its label.

“I think the journey is through the wine, but wine is so experiential that it’s also important that those conversations take place,” West said. “You know, a glass of wine over maybe a book they’re thumbing through, or over an album we’re playing or a communal conversation.”

Guests may come in pairs or solo. “It’s really intentional to create community and invite people to engage in whatever topics that come up in the room,” she said.

At the winery, guests can book Prisoner experiences as well as Saldo’s.

“I think the response to it has been exceptional and it’s a really great test model for both our company and the valley to say, ‘Hey look, you can make this a campus, right? You can come here now for two experiences rather than having to go winery to winery. So it’s really interesting to see how our consumers engage as well,” West said.

Visitors can taste Saldo’s growing selections, including the sought-after Red Zinfandel, a skin-contact Falanghina sourced from Lost Slough Vineyard, a Carignan from Alexander Valley and more.

The salon offers a traditional bar tasting, a chocolate and wine pairing, and an authentic yet original culinary pairing.

Saldo’s reimagined culinary experiences provided by chef Brett Young reflect his constant exploration of different dishes.

“My thought behind everything I do is: What can we do that’s different?” Young said.

Saldo’s Wine and Culinary Experience pairs varietals with Mexican cuisine using locally sourced ingredients and incorporating flavors from cultures around the world.

Though traditional Mexican food is often paired with a cold beer, at Saldo, guests will discover the wine’s ability to elevate Mexican cuisine. Saldo varietals pair with the aguachile oysters, kampachi tostadas, chicken mole tamales, Alaskan halibut tacos, watermelon avocado salad, smoky pinto beans and fresh salsas.

The kitchen makes everything by hand and works together to incorporate family recipes and share traditions.

“I want to really celebrate Mexican cuisine. I think sometimes it gets overlooked as something that can’t be taken with the same regard as Italian and French cuisine in terms of quality of product and technique,” Young said.

With a 12-hour processed ham hock stock for the beans, a mole recipe with honey nut squash, and handmade tortillas and tamales with heirloom corn from Masienda, Young is dedicated to providing the highest quality.

Young also incorporates alternatives when planning menus so each meal can be gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan.

“Wine’s a very personal thing,” West said. “I’ve been asked many times in my career in the wine industry what’s my most favorite wine I’ve ever had.”

Her answer is always the same: a glass of wine she drank 20 years ago while visiting Italy for the first time.

“I sat in a piazza and I have no idea what I drank,” she said. “But it was that feeling of being in a space I had wanted to be in for so long.”

You can reach Intern Emma Molloy at emma.molloy@pressdemocrat.com.