Ghosts, sustainability, and why balance matters more than trends | Wine Interview: Priyanka French Ghost Block Estate Wines

Priyanka French of Ghost Block Estate Wines joins the show to talk about her path from India to Bordeaux, Burgundy, New Zealand, and Napa Valley, plus how those experiences shaped her approach to vineyard-driven winemaking. The conversation covers organic farming, women in wine, mentorship programs like Batonnage and Wine Unify, and the legendary ghost story behind the Ghost Block vineyard in Yountville. Then Aaron and Joel review the 2024 Ghost Block Sauvignon Blanc, a surprisingly layered and playful Napa Sauvignon Blanc that completely rewrites their expectations for the varietal.This week:- Why Priyanka believes great wine starts with farming, not trends- The real ghost story behind Ghost Block Vineyard in Yountville- How Burgundy, Bordeaux, and New Zealand shaped her winemaking philosophy- A deep dive into Sauvignon Blanc picking decisions, fermentation, and textureWines reviewed:Ghost Block Sauvignon Blanc (Yountville, Napa Valley, California, 2024) $35, 13.5% ABVGhost Block Website: https://ghostblockwine.com/Ghost Block on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ghostblockwine/Support the show and help keep the wine flowing!Buy us a glass!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/cheers3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StopWastingYourWine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chapters00:00 Welcome to Stop Wasting Your Wine00:52 How Priyanka Fell in Love with Wine05:07 Learning Winemaking Around the World09:40 Breaking Into the Wine Industry14:43 Mentorship & Making Wine More Accessible19:33 The Ghost Story Behind Ghost Block23:45 Sustainability, Elegance & The Future of Napa Wine30:35 Ghost Block Sauvignon Blanc Tasting37:45 The Art and Science of Winemaking46:56 Review and Final Thoughts52:21 Pi Nope or ChardonnYay?!54:50 Where to Find Ghost Block Wines