US: Vintners' ghost stories mix wines and spirits
US: Vintners' ghost stories mix wines and spirits
Oct 10, 2011 6
(AP) - As the crisp bite of fall turns vineyards into a kaleidoscope of russet and orange, the Napa Valley's spooky side comes out to play with tales of mysterious noises and ghostly sightings.
Not a believer? Not a problem. Skeptics can enjoy the valley's real-life "ghost wineries," relics of the pre-Prohibition industry that are haunted by history if nothing else.
The term "ghost winery" refers to places that were started in the mid-to-late 19th century, a time when the California wine industry was booming, but were abandoned in the early 20th century. It was a crash brought about by the triple threat of an outbreak of the vine disease phylloxera, the Great Depression, and, of course, the failed experiment to ban alcohol that was analyzed in the recent PBS documentary "Prohibition" directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.
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