Ghost Block

In the early 1980s, after a summer day of working in his grandfather’s vineyards, our current owner, Andy Hoxsey, was in his mid 20s, enjoying a cold beer at the legendary local Yountville bar, Pancha’s.  There, he began a conversation with a retired veteran, who asked Andy if he farmed that vineyard next to the Yountville cemetery. He replied, “yes sir, I do.” The veteran, who may have had one too many beers, proceeded to tell Andy about the ghost he had seen leaving the Pioneer Cemetery walking up the hillside through that very vineyard, which he referred to as the cemetery field, towards the top of the Yountville hill. The veteran told Andy that ghost was the spirit of George C. Yount (founder of Yountville, who planted the first grapevine in Napa Valley in 1839), who haunted that vineyard and made his way to the top of the hill to overlook the town he founded. That next morning Andy went to trademark the name “Ghost Block.” Thus the two legends were born, the ghost of George C. Yount and Ghost Block Vineyard.