The Story Behind the Wine’s Name

Bosun’s Mate (Dry Red Bordeaux Blend)

These words that you are reading and the person who gathered them, this wine you see before you—a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon that will grace your special meal or family gathering—this wine’s tale that you have chanced upon would never have been told, if not for a Bosun’s Mate.

A Bosun’s Mate saved my father’s life. During the Night Battle of Guadalcanal, their ship the Cushing, was gravely damaged and would soon sink. My father, James Prejean, was badly wounded as was the Bosun’s Mate. The Bosun’s Mate had the presence of mind to calm another panic-stricken sailor. Then the Bosun’s had this sailor retrieve two powder barrels and tie each of the two wounded men to their own barrel and heave both over the side into the water.

My father was in the water for hours but survived. I never knew what happened to the Bosun’s Mate, but because of him my father had a family, a career and eventually Prejean Winery. I am here and have those same things because of these men. I can write these words that can touch you because of these two men.

It is important to think about what might have been, but it just as important to consider what might never have been.

Tom Prejean