22 Nov Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Paula Kornell 2020 Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs

The Humane Society International, the world’s largest animal protection organization, is celebrated every November 22nd on Humane Society Day. So in honor of the Humane Society, I opened a bottle of sparkling wine with a few of my doggy friends. But it was not any bottle of sparkling wine, but rather a bottle  from a wine producer who loves animals and supports local animal welfare organizations in Napa. So Cheers! to saving animals from cruelty cases and Cheers! to Paula Kornell and the newly released 2020 Blanc de Noirs, the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Paula Kornell

Paula Kornell is a fourth-generation sparkling wine producer and St. Helena native who builds on the legacy of her family’s winery, Hanns Kornell Champagne Cellars, one the pioneers of Méthode Champenoise in California. Paula spent years working for numerous wineries and wine associations in Napa and Sonoma. It was not until 2017 that she made her first vintage of Paula Kornell Sparkling Wine, sourcing grapes from Napa Valley’s Carneros AVA. Her love for animals started long before. She grew up with lots of animals and wanted to be a veterinarian by day, Champagne producer by night. In 2000, she purchased her home in St. Helena and named it “Chateau Drool” in honor of her dogs, Cowboy the Bulldog, Piper the Mastiff, and little Daisy, who is lovingly also known as Phyllis Diller. She also has chickens, which inspired the name “Mother Cluckers”, which Paula uses to brand the eggs she gives to friends. And she has has loud peacocks on the property. In addition to adopting and caring for animals in her own home, Paula is an active member of several animal welfare organizations and a big believer in giving back wherever and whenever she can to help animals in her own community. She shares Paula Kornell bubbles as a way to spread the joy and support the causes important to her. This summer, Paula Kornell Sparkling hosted a pop-up charity event at Kitchen Door in Napa supporting three local animal welfare organizations: Compassion without Borders, Jameson Humane and Napa Humane. Held in downtown Napa under the moniker Bubbles and Barks, the festive day focused on sharing Paula Kornell Sparkling Brut with the humans in attendance, while doggie swag and pet-friendly treats made all tails wag with joy.

Tasting Notes

The Paula Kornell 2020 Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs is a traditionally made sparkling wine that is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. The wine has notes of white peach, lemon, toasted brioche, and a touch of honey. On the palate, the wine is crisp and vibrant with a creamy midpalate.

Food Pairing

Paula makes her sparkling wines to be food friendly and this wine can pair with a diverse array of foods. Paula Kornell suggests grilled swordfish with green olive and tomato tapenade, goat cheese omelets, or chicken paillard with arugula and shaved pecorino. And of course, sparkling wine also is delicious with potato chips, French fries, fried chicken, and caviar.

Where to Purchase

The Paula Kornell 2020 Blanc de Noirs retails for $50. It is available, as well as her NV California Brut ($22) on the Paula Kornell website. At these prices, you can enjoy Paula Kornell sparkling wines with every meal!