Paula Kornell Brut

#69 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2025

Raised in the Napa Valley in the wine industry, having lived and breathed this premier wine region all her life, Paula Kornell has long understood what it takes to make fine wines from a sense of place. And as one of California’s leading women in wine, she has also always understood the importance of enjoying wine at the table with family and friends.

Paula’s familial legacy and love of bringing people together are what led her to launch Paula Kornell Sparkling Wine with the release of a California Brut in 2020 and Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs in 2019, both of which have earned high critical scores and reviews. Paula was ahead of her time in sensing the American consumer’s thirst for high-quality bubbles; sparkling wine remains one of the top growth categories in wine.

Paula’s father, Hanns Kornell, helped pioneer Méthode Champenoise winemaking in the Napa Valley and her wines honor that history. Paula is now the fourth generation of her family to become a sparkling wine producer.