Katie Cooper

If you think of “California Wine Country” I bet the area of Sonoma comes to mind. But did you know that about 40 miles northwest of Sonoma is where the Russian River Valley is located? This beautiful landscape is where many fine wineries are located, tucked around California’s Russian River and the magnificent redwood trees. This includes the winery of Korbel, a family owned wine estate that is one of the oldest in the area.

I had the pleasure of visiting here and, let me tell you, this was above and beyond what I expected. Of course I was familiar with the brand of Korbel wine but I had no idea about the fascinating and rich history associated with this winery. So let’s nerd out on a little bit of history first.

Thousands of years of flooding has created the perfect balance in the soil for growing wine grapes in the Russian River Valley, so it became the ideal location for the Korbel winery. In the mid-1800s, the three Korbel brothers spent years of experimentation growing different kinds of crops and realized this grape-growing potential. In 1882 they began their wine making operation based on the same growing techniques of fine European champagne, also known as the méthode champenoise. This tradition is where secondary fermentation occurs inside the bottle, which set the foundation for this award-winning California Champagne.

However, Korbel was not without its share of hardships over the years. After surviving a large fire in the late 1800s, Korbel powered through and became one of the most popular California wineries as the 19th century came to a close. As success was rising, a powerful earthquake hit Santa Rosa in 1906 leveling buildings there and reaching all the way up to the Russian River Valley. The sturdy design of the winery absorbed the impact without sustaining even a cracked window pane, surviving yet another potential disaster to the winery. When prohibition began in 1919, many wineries were forced to stop production but Korbel was permitted to make a limited amount of brandy & wine for alter and medicinal purposes. Although none of the original Korbel brothers lived to see the repeal of prohibition in 1933, the winery did and a case of Korbel was delivered to the White House to mark the end of prohibition.

In the early 1950s the Korbel family sold the winery to a third-generation winemaker named Adolph Heck, who brought a new vision to the brand. Korbel uses the same techniques brought by Heck to make their champagne today. After adding several new inventions and improvements to the winery, the demand for the wine increased significantly. Now with many styles offered, Korbel maintains the distinction of American’s top-selling champagne. We can certainly toast to that!

After learning about this incredible history, this made my stay at Korbel even more enjoyable. I had the opportunity to stay on the property in a cute little house known as the ‘Railroad House’, which was nestled among a few redwood trees and looked out onto the beautiful setting of the vineyards. That evening, my husband and I walked around the property, which could most closely be described as picture perfect. We were walking among some of the most beautiful landscapes we had ever seen! It was immaculate, breathtaking and unbelievably peaceful there.

The next day, we took a tour of the winery. We got to see some of the original structures and mechanisms, as well as the factory (no photos allowed there, though). We ended the tour with the best part – a tasting! And, of course, left with several bottles to enjoy over the next few days as we traveled up the coast of Northern California. Overall, it was a truly magical experience and I would highly recommend adding Korbel to your list of winery tours if you are in the area. I guarantee you will gain a new appreciation for this wine label as well as enjoy beautiful atmosphere while tasting and learning all about it!

Check out the selection of Korbel products here offered in the Colonial online shop. So easy – just browse, pay online and pick up at the store!

Korbel Winery, History and the Russian River Valley