Dear Friends,
After a long, wet winter we are slowly creeping into spring! With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22, I give thanks to the grapegrowers and winemakers who had the vision to protect and preserve Napa Valley in the name ofAgriculture.
The Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, or Ag Preserve as it’s called, was set up in 1968 by the Napa County Board of Supervisors and Napa County Planning Commission to protect Napa Valley as a wine growingregion.
Many vintners, such as Jack Davies of Schramsberg, and my mother Marilouise, were involved in developing and supporting the Ag Preserve, fully behind the notion that "agriculture is the highest and best use of the land." The concern was that without a mandate to protect agriculture, the Napa Valley would just become another giant, heavily populated housing development, which was already starting to happen in Santa Clara County, which turned into the Silicon Valley.
In fact, CalTrans had proposed a four-lane freeway all the way to Calistoga, which would have been devastating to people like my parents, who started Hanns Kornell Champagne Cellars near St. Helena in 1958.
Back then, agriculture was a lot more than wine grapes. I remember so clearly all of the prunes, walnuts and even cattle prospering across the valley. Actually, my first job was selling walnuts, prunes and peacock feathers in front of our tasting room. Remember, there were fewer than 65 wineries at the time!
Meanwhile, springtime bud break is happening throughout the Napa Valley, including in Mitsuko’s Vineyard in Carneros, where my Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes are grown. It’s a beautiful place this time of year, full of springtime’s growth and transformation. Piper, my mastiff, loves to chase the rabbits that are also there enjoying thE sun.
So as we veer into spring and think about Earth Day, let’s raise a glass of bubbles to all who fought for our land and led the way in creating a Napa Valley that is now renowned for making world‑classwine.
As we think about what could have been a very different Napa Valley, I thank you for your support in helping me to build my dream, Paula Kornell Sparkling Wine.
With sparkles,
Paula Kornell
SPRING 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."