Paula Kornell sparkling spotlight
Paula Kornell is on camera with WUSA9 talking through her sparkling wines, the California Brut from this house.
Paula Kornell Brut California, USA
Paula Kornell's methode champenoise California Brut, jasmine and orchard fruit, a house sparkler you can open at twenty dollars.
This non-vintage Brut is 80 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Pinot Noir: jasmine, peach, cherry, lemon pith, and brioche on a fine mousse, now $20.
Legacy bubbles without the precious mood
Paula Kornell is not another anonymous sparkling label. It carries a real Napa family lineage, 94 from Wine Enthusiast, and the kind of bright, food-loving style that disappears once the first glass is poured. Methode champenoise energy, California fruit, a price that belongs in the fridge by the case.
The house
Paula Kornell grew up inside Napa sparkling wine. Her father, Hanns Kornell, helped bring methode champenoise to the valley. This is her label.
The wine
80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir. Non-vintage. Fine mousse, lively acidity, a little creamy roundness. Winemaker Robin Akhurst.
The scores
Wine Enthusiast 94. Wine Enthusiast Top 100 pedigree. Wine Spectator Top 100 in 2025.
The drinker
Jasmine and peach first. Serve 42 to 46 F. No decant. Crab, sushi, or fried chicken.
Fresh, floral, and easy to pour twice
The appeal is not just the bubbles. It is jasmine, orchard fruit, red-fruit brightness, soft pastry notes, and a clean snap of acidity. Peach, cherry, crisp apple, lemon pith, marzipan, and brioche sit on a fine mousse.
Because this is a non-vintage California Brut, the story is consistency rather than one harvest. Chardonnay gives citrus and lift. Pinot Noir adds red-fruit charm. The style is built around fine bubbles, lively acidity, and enough creamy texture to move from aperitif to fried chicken.
Jasmine, peach, cherry, crisp apple, lemon pith, apricot, acacia, honeysuckle.
Fine mousse, lively acidity, a little creamy roundness, 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir.
Brioche, almond, a clean snap. Serve 42 to 46 F. Do not decant.
Traditional-method energy, California ease
On the Paula Kornell sheet, the California Brut is 80 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Pinot Noir from cool, certified-sustainable California sites. Chardonnay drives citrus, orchard fruit, and lift. Pinot Noir brings cherry tone and texture. The bottle carries methode champenoise identity, so the mousse and bead feel serious without feeling stiff. Winemaker Robin Akhurst keeps the brief balance-first: precise, generous, table-ready.
The house tasting note points to racy acidity, lemon pith, fresh peaches, just-ripe apricots, toast, acacia, and honeysuckle, with a small amount of residual sugar for weight.
Serve well chilled at 42 to 46 F. No decant. Keep the bottle in an ice bucket and use a sparkling stopper if you do not finish it.
A comeback story with real Napa roots
The story behind the label is why this bottle feels different from ordinary California Brut.
Paula Kornell grew up inside Napa Valley sparkling wine. Her father, Hanns Kornell, helped bring methode champenoise winemaking to the valley after building a life in California.
The family cellar closed in the early 1990s. Paula later launched her own sparkling label, taking that old family energy into a bottle that fits how people drink now.
The California Brut is that comeback in one glass: Chardonnay lift, Pinot Noir charm, built for the table rather than a trophy case.
Seafood, crunch, salt, and bubbles
Paula Kornell's own pairing direction leans into oysters, Dungeness crab, roast chicken, sushi, smoked salmon, and crispy fried chicken. That is exactly the lane for this Brut.
Think of the wine as your acidity tool. It brightens sweet crab, clears the palate after fried chicken, and makes salty, buttery, crispy foods feel lighter.
Serve well chilled at 42 to 46 F. No decanting. Keep the bottle in an ice bucket and use a sparkling stopper if you do not finish it.
Chilled Dungeness Crab with Lemon
Cold crab brings sweetness, salinity, and a clean coastal feel. The Brut's bubbles keep the texture lifted.
Why it works: Chardonnay freshness meets sweet crab. Pinot Noir's red-fruit note adds charm to the lemon and mignonette.
View Recipe for boiled Dungeness crab with homemade cocktail sauce (opens in a new tab)
Crispy Fried Chicken with Lemon-Herb Aioli
Fried chicken is the pairing that turns this bottle from special-occasion sparkling into a house favorite.
Why it works: Fine mousse cuts the crust, acidity resets the palate, and peach-cherry fruit loves the lemon-herb aioli.
View Recipe for Chef Dave Cruz Ad Hoc buttermilk fried chicken (opens in a new tab)Make this the sparkling case
Wine Enthusiast 94. A real Napa family story. Twenty dollars against a $30 typical retail.
Put it in the cart. This is the Paula Kornell bottle to keep cold for seafood, fried chicken, and the friend who drops by.
