For all the Pelissa-Hoxsey family has built in Napa Valley—celebrated wine labels, a long-running custom-crush facility, and a century of organic farming—it’s Yount Mill Vineyards that best captures who they are. Yount Mill isn’t a single plot, but a collection of working vineyards, each with its own soil, exposure, and expression. Spanning more than 500 acres, it forms the foundation of many of Napa’s most respected wines, including those bearing the family’s Ghost Block, Oakville Winery, and Elizabeth Rose labels. The family also sells roughly three-quarters of their fruit to other wineries, many of which rely on Yount Mill’s organically grown grapes as the cornerstone of their own programs.

Each of Yount Mill’s vineyard blocks carries a story. Blockhouse Vineyard takes its name from George Yount’s Kentucky-style blockhouse, where he planted Napa’s first grapevines in the 1830s. Mill Race Vineyard honors Yount’s original gristmill, which once drew settlers and farmers to the valley. Rock Cairn Vineyard pays tribute to the Wappo people, who built stone cairns nearby as gestures of goodwill and safe passage.

The Pelissa Vineyard, located behind the family’s production facility in Oakville, produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and dry-farmed Zinfandel—the latter used in the Ghost Block Zinfandel that proudly carries the Pelissa name. And the MorgaenLee Vineyard, named for Andrew’s daughter, grows Sauvignon Blanc.

“Yount Mill Vineyards and ZD Wines have been working together for over a decade,” says Brandon deLeuze, winemaker and partner at ZD Wines. “What initially brought our family businesses together was our long-held commitment to certified organic farming. Over time, our partnership has flourished for many reasons, but most importantly because of the fantastic wines coming from their vineyards.”

Suzanne Groth, president and CEO of Groth Vineyards, adds, “The Hoxsey-Pelissa family and Yount Mill Vineyards are exceptional neighbors. With four generations of family stewardship guiding their vineyard, they are a natural partner for us, now continuing our own story into its second generation as a family-owned and operated winery.”

“The wine world is always evolving,” says Yount Mill Vineyards president Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko. “But working across generations provides perspective. In an industry that often looks for quick fixes, our family history reminds me daily of the value of time. We’ve been doing this a while, and that longevity keeps us grounded. On my recent trip to the country of Georgia, the birthplace of wine, I was struck by how ancient traditions are still thriving centuries later. It was heartening to see how deeply the roots of this craft can run.”

Within the valley, Yount Mill Vineyards is an “if you know, you know” name—its influence running like an underground spring: steady, sustaining, and essential. It represents more than a source of fruit; it is a living link between five generations of farmers who have helped shape Napa from within.

In the next installment, we’ll turn to the cellar and explore how the organically farmed grapes of Yount Mill are transformed at Napa Wine Company into wines that reflect not just a place, but a philosophy handed down through generations.

For more information: yountmillvineyards.com