Kornell is the daughter of legendary sparkling winemaker Hanns Kornell. She worked closely with her father at the family winery Kornell Champagne Cellars, established in 1958 and among the first in California to produce sparkling wine using the traditional method.
Through a range of wines, Hanns Kornell helped generate domestic interest in sparkling wine – at that time called Champagne by most American producers. Her experience and knowledge gained through her father’s tutelage, as well as her mother’s love of sharing stories, food, and wine, are the stimulus behind Paula Kornell sparkling wines: a focus on authenticity and tradition from grape to bottle.
“This is truly a dream realized,” says Paula. “Carrying on the family tradition is something I’ve thought about and worked towards for some time and I believe that my parents would be proud to see the legacy finally come to fruition.”
Vintage Wine Estates, a family of independent wineries and producers throughout Napa, Sonoma and the Pacific Northwest, will partner with Paula to bring the Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine to market.