Reviving a Napa Valley tradition begun by her father, pioneering winemaker Hanns Kornell of Kornell Champagne Cellars, Paula Kornell carries on the family legacy in her own inimitable way with Paula Kornell sparkling wines.

Growing up on a Napa Valley vineyard meant Paula was always at the table with family and friends. Her father loved bringing home guests for impromptu dinner parties, and her mother, Marilouise, loved cooking simple, beautiful food and trading stories as the wine flowed.

The launch of her own wine brand in partnership with Vintage Wine Estates brings Paula full circle. No longer the little girl who sold prunes, walnuts, and peacock feathers in front of the family tasting room, she is a consultant and community leader with 30-plus years of experience in the wine industry. As principal of Kornell Wine Company, she has consulted with esteemed wine brands and appellations throughout Napa and Sonoma Counties.

Deeply connected to her community, she chaired the 1992 Napa Valley Wine Auction, now known as Auction Napa Valley, and served as a co-chair in 2005 and again in 2019. She was 2009 President of the Board of Directors for the Napa Valley Vintners, filling a position her father held 45 years earlier. She is currently on the boards of Napa’s Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation and Napa Humane.

Paula creates camaraderie through hospitality. It’s in her genes. Her home is open and easy going, with flowers cut from the garden, homemade jam in the pantry, and rescue dogs and chickens all around. Each glass she pours her guests is a celebration of the everyday beauty and bounty of Napa Valley.

We look forward to welcoming Paula Kornell as our sparkling wine partner for the gala this year.

Fisher Vineyards was founded in 1973, when Fred and Juelle Fisher purchased 100 acres in the Mayacamas Mountains on the western slope of Spring Mountain above Napa Valley, CA. There, they built a winery tucked in among the vines and Douglas Firs. The winery itself is a product of the estate, having been built from the timber that was cut and milled on-site and crafted into an award-winning facility by their good friend and architect, William Turnbull.

In 1975, the family found another 57 acres on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley. The property runs from the Napa River to the Eastern Vaca Range, adjacent to the famed Eisele Vineyard, and is the source of their Lamb Vineyard Cabernet, Coach Insignia Cabernet and Cameron Bordeaux Blend. In 2018, construction began on a new winery on this Calistoga Estate and in the fall of 2019, the Napa winery opened in time for harvest.

Now with two winery homes and under the direction of all three siblings, the second-generation is poised to embrace the next 50 years and beyond remaining steadfast in the mission of their parents’ vision; to produce wines that pay tribute to the land, as well as each member of the winery team, striving for classic balance and style that transcend time.

The Sangiacomo family has always felt a deep connection to the land — most especially through farming. It all began in Genoa, Italy where a good day’s work for patriarch Vittorio Sangiacomo started and ended in the field. He voyaged to America in 1913 on the advice of his great grandfather and got his first job at age 17 in the vegetable fields at Bay Farm Island in Alameda County, California. Shortly thereafter, he began working in the scavenger industry in San Francisco where he later successfully launched his own business. But he longed to return to working the land and in 1927, he purchased a 52-acre fruit tree ranch in Sonoma Valley. Today, it is known as the Sangiacomo Home Ranch.

For decades the family has been dedicated to farming in Sonoma County. Grape growers with a passion for sustainability and stewardship, the Sangiacomos continue to pursue perfection in farming every row of their vineyards. Through research, trial and error in the field, and critical evaluation of the resulting wines, they have learned how to select the right varietals, clones, and rootstocks, as well as row spacing and orientation for more than 100 individual sites. This approach, paired with the appropriate pruning, irrigation, canopy management, and nutrients enables them to tease an extraordinary range of flavors out of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Sangiacomo Family Wines, launched in 2016, celebrates the family’s heritage as grape growing pioneers in Sonoma dating back to 1969. Made from 100% certified sustainable grapes from the family’s vineyards, the collection of artisanal small-lot wines showcase the cool climate Sonoma Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and iconic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Today in addition to making handcrafted wine, they continue to grow and sell world-class grapes to over 80 premium wineries from 1,600 acres of estate vineyards in Carneros, Petaluma Gap, Napa Valley, and Sonoma Coast. Every sip of Sangiacomo wine is a toast to Sonoma!

On July 20, 1969 NASA sent men to the moon. On September 8, 1969 ZD crushed its first vintage of Pinot Noir.

What started as a weekend hobby by trained Aeronautical Engineer, Norman deLeuze, became a full time project by the mid 70s. Powered by the love of Pinot Noir and working with family, ZD has become an iconic brand in Napa Valley and is still three generations owned and operated by the deLeuze Family.

The winery is located in Rutherford, a premium Cabernet Sauvignon growing region in the heart of Napa Valley. They are committed to producing world-class wines, farming organically and providing first-class hospitality to guests, all while supporting many charitable efforts locally and throughout the country.

We are pleased to welcome back third generation deLeuze family member and ZD Wines Regional Sales Manager Scott Billeci this year.