SPARKLING HARVEST IS HERE

Dear Friends,

Despite the heat of early September, the happy news is that the 2022 harvest for my Paula Kornell Sparkling Wine has gone off without a hitch. This is mainly attributed to the fact that sparkling wine grapes are harvested relatively early in the season vis-à-vis grapes for still wines and that the picking crews have been able to pick in the cool of the night.

Our friends in River Junction, where our grapes for the Brut are sourced, report that they started picking grapes for Paula Kornell on August 1,just a few days later than last year’s first pick. Our sustainably farmed vineyard grower always looks forward to picking for sparkling wine every year.

“The grapes are always first to be harvested every year, so the harvest team is always excited to start,” our grower tells us.

All in all, the harvest has gone great on the farming side. Mother Nature tried to intervene with frost, hail and the continued drought, but thankfully the vineyard in River Junction has been unaffected and has a great source of water from the San Joaquin River nearby. We could not ask for a better, more uniform crop.

In Carneros, where I source the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for my Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs, winemaker Robin Akhurst tells me we had good fruit set from the start and a pleasant growing season, with the vines showing healthy canopy growth and very little stress. The fruit came in clean and the numbers from tank were exactly where we like them, so all-in-all it’s been another successful harvest for sparkling wine. Excited to share with you soon.

Meanwhile, here in St. Helena it has been a true pleasure introducing my bubbles and the creatures of Chateau Drool to so many of you during your visits to Napa Valley. As always, please let me know when you plan to be in town.

As we release our third vintage, I take pause to thank you for your support in helping build my dream, Paula Kornell sparkling.

With sparkles,

Paula

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. The perfect introduction to Paula Kornell, it has all the elegance, refinement and freshness that one would expect from the best bubbles, racy in acidity, with lasting refreshment. Aromas of lemon pith, fresh peaches, just-ripe apricots, toast, acacia and honeysuckle fill the nose, following through on a lively, lengthy palate. This wine is ideal for a Sunday afternoon in the garden or picnic with friends, approachable and highly enjoyable.