Dear Friends,
Of the many, many reasons I love living in St. Helena, near the top is the Cameo Cinema on Main Street. A quintessential community hub, it shows new releases as well as special wine and food-related films all year round. I was proud to say that each of this year’s Academy Award nominations, I saw at the Cameo!
I love going to the movies, watching on the big screen in a darkened room surrounded by friends and neighbors. It truly is almost a weekly tradition! There’s nothing better. Nothing except enjoying glasses of Paula Kornell sparkling with popcorn and other movie snacks while taking in a special event, film festival or Oscar-caliber gems like this year’s Oppenheimer, Maestro or Poor Things.
Well, one thing might be better…truffled popcorn.
Cameo calls itself the Biggest Little Theater in Wine Country and it is definitely that. Founded in 1913, it is the oldest continuously operated single-screen movie theater in America, which is amazing.
It seats 140 movie-goers with Dolby sound and serves Napa Valley wine and beer. Since Cathy Buck took it over about a decade-and-a-half ago, it has also become a lovely place to enjoy Napa Valley’s legendary hospitality. The Cameo remains a beacon of hope and chutzpah against the consolidation of movie theaters going on everywhere else.
One such special event is the Napa Valley Fork2Film Festival I recently attended that celebrates the best in food, wine and agriculture through films from around the world.
I was particularly excited to see the documentary on Julia Child (called Julia) about her incredible career, highlighted by the publication of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in 1961, which has since sold 2.5 million copies. That’s a lot of happy home chefs. Other great gems I had the opportunity to see were Coldwater Kitchen, Alcarras and The Taste ofThings!
So let’s raise a glass to Julia, to the Cameo, to the majesty of movie-making and community gathering places, and to bubbles and popcorn, the Rogers and Astaire of my world, effervescently light on their feet and perfectly in tune.
With sparkles,
Paula
Fall Sparkling Duo
The Paula Kornell Sparkling California Brut made its debut in 2017 and soon earned the #5 spot in Wine Enthusiast's Top Wines of 2020. Made predominantly from Chardonnay with a percentage of Pinot Noir, the grapes that go into the wine are certified sustainable.
Pair it with my Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs from Mitsuko's Vineyard, a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, awarded 90 points recently from wine critic Lisa Perrotti-Brown in The Wine Independent, who said, "the palate has impressive vivacity with fine, frothy bubbles."
to learn more and follow along on Facebook and Instagram @paulakornellsparkling.