When Napa Valley winemaker Paula Kornell released her inaugural Brut Rosé in March, she was celebrating more than just a new addition to her small portfolio.

She was toasting her success in having any wine at all, after her partnership with Vintage Wine Estates collapsed the previous year (the partnership covered sales and distribution). The behemoth corporation suddenly filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2024, leaving Kornell and some 30 other wine and spirits brands across California, Oregon and Washington unprepared and facing the auction block.

Some big names, like Sonoma County’s B.R. Cohn, Kunde and Viansa wineries, were quickly snatched up by new owners. But Paula Kornell Sparkling Wine, established just eight years ago and producing less than 20,000 cases annually across three wines, was a bit too boutique to be in the spotlight.

“It really was a shock to the whole wine community that it fell apart,” she said. “Vintage (Wine Estates) bought so many brands, and then I don’t think they put the love and care that all the brands needed. It shows that consolidation is not always for the best. These days, you need to have a great story to sell your wines and, in this marketplace, you really need to have the right (marketing and distribution) bandwidth behind it.”

Kornell tried not to panic during the transition.

“I will say that I was blessed with the fact that I had worked 10 years with Robert Mondavi, and they were a great marketing and sales organization,” she said. “I’m so glad I had that education there, because without that, I don’t know if I would have survived.”

Then, in November, Kornell found new partners, Mike and Jenny Farmer of Calistoga.

Mike Farmer, formerly the president of commercial operations at Builders FirstSource supplies and materials company, now serves on the board of directors for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

After nearly 20 years as a labor and delivery nurse, Jenny Farmer now serves on the board of Hope Scarves, an organization dedicated to raising funds for metastatic breast cancer research and patient support.

It was serendipity — the Farmers had been Kornell’s very first customers when she launched her inaugural vintage, a 2017 Napa Valley Blanc de Noir. The trio had bonded over their shared love of wine, dogs and commitment to charitable work. Kornell was the president of the board of directors for Napa Valley Vintners and served on the boards of Napa Humane and Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa.

“They (the Farmers) came to my home in St. Helena to drink bubbles with me,” she said. “I call my house Château Drool since I have three dogs. And they have bulldogs.”

The Farmers helped Kornell finish and launch her fourth sparkling, the California Brut Rosé.

A personal and professional turning point

Losing her affiliation with Vintage Wine Estates was as much a personal loss as it was a professional one. Kornell’s father, Hanns Kornell — a third-generation German winemaker and Dachau concentration camp survivor — moved to New York in 1939, then hitchhiked to California, eventually leasing a winery in Sonoma in 1952.

Seven years later, he and his new wife — opera singer and doctor Marilouise Rossini — purchased the historic 1895 Larkmead Winery Estate in Napa Valley. They renamed the sprawling property Hanns Kornell Champagne Cellars, where they showcased the Méthode Champenoise sparkling style. (In 1992, the estate was purchased by Frank Family Vineyards.)

Paula Kornell always knew she would be in the wine industry. Born in 1959, she got her first job at 10, selling prunes and walnuts from her grandmother’s orchard and feathers from the family’s peacocks in front of the Hanns Kornell tasting room.

Her career trajectory led her to numerous roles at her parents’ winery, traveling the world and further training at prestigious hotels and wineries. Along the way, she met Vintage Wine Estates co-founder Pat Roney.

In 2014, she established a consulting business, Kornell Wine Company, yet quietly dreamed of creating her own label to share the sparkling wines she loves.

“I’d known Pat since the Hanns Kornell days, and when he suggested we do something together, it seemed like a great opportunity,” she said. “And it was. I was given an incredible opportunity to start my own brand, thanks to the boost that Pat gave me. Vintage (Wine Estates) truly left me alone to design and create what Paula Kornell Sparkling is today. It’s just so sad that they went under.”

But Kornell now believes the change propelled her toward greater happiness.

“Mike and Jenny are such great friends and they were aware of all the trials and tribulations I was going through. They kept saying they wanted to help, and sure enough, now they are my new partners. So, I am really very, very lucky.”

Paula Kornell Sparkling Wines, paulakornell.com

The post When Vintage Wine Estates Collapsed, Paula Kornell Paved Her Own Path appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Giving back always feels good. But donating to a great cause while listening to a two-time Grammy award winning-performer – world class wine in hand – that’s the kind of charitable giving that strikes a chord, at least in Wine Country.

Since it began nearly a quarter century ago, the Music Festival for Brain Health has raised almost $300 million (including grants from U.S. Government agencies and private organizations.) Every penny of the event’s expenses are underwritten by sponsors, so all proceeds go directly to brain disorder scientific research and treatment programs across the United States.

Last year, when Lyle Lovett performed at the festival, approximately $6 million was raised to support the research and treatment of physiological brain disorders. This year, Jennifer Hudson is set to take the stage in Rutherford on Saturday, September 15.

The daylong festival begins with a scientific symposium surrounding brain disorders followed by a wine tasting reception. Participating wineries include: Abreu Vineyards, Bryant Estate, Colgin Cellars, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Gargiulo Vineyards, Kosta Brown Winery, Scarecrow, Screaming Eagle, Vineyard 29, Williams Selyem, and many, many more. Hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Victor Scargle, Culinary Director of The Boisset Collection, will be served during the wine tasting.

In the afternoon, R&B artist Jennifer Hudson takes the stage for an intimate performance. (In addition to being a Grammy-winning recording artist, Hudson is also an Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actress, and award winning author.)

A VIP post-concert dinner will be served as the sun sets. Staglin Family Vineyard wines will be paired with a menu created by 3-Star Michelin Chef Christopher Kostow of The Restaurant at Meadowood and The Charter Oak in St. Helena.

Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy is scheduled to attend, along with Congressman Mike Thompson, and Congressman John Garamendi.

The 24th Annual Music Festival for Brain Health, takes place Saturday, September 15, at Staglin Family Vineyard, 1570 Bella Oaks Lane, Rutherford. Tickets are sold out, but there is a waiting list for tickets. music-festival.org

There’s no shortage of local events where you can have fun while doing good:

The Santa Rosa High School Foundation 23^rd Annual Golf Tournament takes place Friday, September 14, at Oakmont West Golf Course. Check-in at 11:15am, Shotgun start at 12:45pm, $150 per golfer. srhsf.org

The 26^th Annual Hands Across the Valley will be held on Saturday, September 29, from 4pm to 10pm at the Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena. The event includes a walk-around-tasting of offerings prepared by popular Napa Valley chefs, restaurants and winemakers, silent and live auctions, and a VIP dinner. Hands Across the Valley has raised millions for programs including Meals on Wheels, The Table, and The Salvation Army. General admission tickets cost $125. handsacrossthevalley.com

The Safeway Open Golf Tournament takes place October 4^th through the 7^th at the Silverado Resort & Spa. The Safeway Open Concert Series lineup includes performances by Sammy Hagar & the Circle, (Thursday, October 4^th) Young the Giant, (Friday, October 5^th) and Billy Idol (Saturday, October 6^th). 100 percent of all ticket sales support fire relief in Napa Valley. Tickets start at $30. safewayopen.com

Put November 4, 2018 on your calendar. The Heritage Turkey Sunday Supper will be held from 3pm to 7:30pm at Atwood Ranch in Glen Ellen. The event benefits local youth agriculture programs including: Sonoma County 4-H Heritage Turkey Project youth farmers, Slow Food Russian River, Sonoma County Farm Trails Agriculture Scholarships, and the Worth our Weight Culinary Internship program. Dinner will be prepared by a star-studded lineup of local chefs the likes of Daniel Kedan of Backyard, John Stewart and Duskie Estes of Zazu Kitchen + Farm, Bryan Jones, recently retired Executive Chef at St. Francis Winery, WOW Executive Chef Robb Ledesma, and Pastry Chef Condra Easley of Pâtisserie Angelica. There will also be a silent auction, and guests can purchase turkeys from the Sonoma County 4-H Heritage Turkey Project. Tickets are $100. slowfoodrr.org/projects/heritage-turkeys/

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