The History of American Champagne

The Korbel story is more than a part of the history of winemaking in Sonoma County, California. It is the saga of two enterprising families with pioneer spirits and old-world resourcefulness who had a vision of what could be done with the great opportunities emerging from the development of this country. Although generations apart, the Korbel and Heck families created and preserved a singular tradition of champagne-making excellence that has now been in existence for 125 years.

In the mid-1800’s, America offered new hope to three brothers seeking to escape political unrest in their European homeland. Emigrating from Czechoslovakia to the United States, brothers Francis, Anton and Joseph Korbel found success in exchange for their hard work and innovation. F. Korbel & Bros. began as a manufacturing business in San Francisco that produced materials for the building industry. As their enterprise expanded, the brothers eventually acquired a sawmill and began a full-scale lumber operation near the town of Guerneville in Sonoma County.

The Korbels, born in the farmlands of the province of Bohemia (today’s western Czechoslovakia), found the remote and rugged redwood country in Sonoma County irresistible. Lured by the beauty and opportunity of the mountainous timberlands, the brothers eventually moved their families from San Francisco and settled in the Russian River Valley. As Northern California’s lumber boom slowed, the Korbels turned their attention to farming the bottomlands of their Russian River Valley ranch. Here the soil was sandy, the mornings were filled with fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean, and summer days were long with sunshine. “A tradition that was to become

a legacy was well under way”

It would be in this valley that the Korbels’ love of the land, their unmatched enthusiasm for hard work and their spirit for enterprise would lead them to create a great American champagne. During the late 1870’s, the Korbels raised prunes, beets, wheat, corn, alfalfa, and operated a commercial dairy. During this time, they planted their first vineyards and began experimenting with different grape varieties, including Pinot Noir -- early evidence of the Korbels’ ambition to become champagne producers. Pinot Noir was an unusual variety for California; it was known primarily as the principal grape of the Champagne region of France.

In 1882, the three brothers began a small winemaking operation at their ranch and produced some 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of wine from their vineyard yields. Korbel wines were so well received that two years later the brothers closed their dairy, converted all of their ranch lands to vineyards, and devoted all of their energy to winemaking. A tradition that was to become a legacy was well under way.

The First Korbel Champagnes

The Korbel winery continued to grow throughout the 1880’s. It was during this time that the Korbels sent for winemaker Frank Hasek in Prague to come to the United States to be their champagne master. Employing the time-honored French method of producing champagne, méthode champenoise, the Korbels quietly, but aggressively, experimented with cuvées. By the mid-1890’s, the Korbels shipped their first champagnes, and by the turn of the century Korbel was an internationally known, award-winning label.

Korbel Survives Prohibition

Prohibition in the 1920’s forced the permanent closing of many wineries across the country. The era tested the family’s ingenuity, but the Korbel winery survived by depending on the brothers’ other business ventures and accumulated resources. Sadly, Francis, Joseph and Anton all passed away before Repeal in 1933, and none of them lived to see champagne production resume at the winery. They died not knowing their champagne creation had become an enduring legacy.

The Pioneering Korbels

History continued...

Fortunately, a second generation of Korbels successfully carried on the family’s commitment and produced méthode champenoise champagnes from the late 1930’s to 1954. By the 1950’s, the large winery building constructed from the Korbel brothers’ own hand-made bricks nearly 70 years earlier had been expanded, and more vineyards had been planted. The home place that had once been the center of the family’s life was still standing - a quiet reminder of the early days of ranch life at Korbel. Eventually, each of the seven Korbel cousins who owned Korbel Champagne Cellars agreed it was time to sell the winery and vineyards -- but only on certain terms. The surviving Korbels, seeking to preserve the legacy begun by their fathers, would insist that the buyer carry on the Korbel tradition of producing fine champagne by the méthode champenoise. They would also insist that the winery must operate as a family business, and that the company would be forever known as Korbel Champagne Cellars. The one buyer who satisfied all of those conditions was a determined young winemaker named Adolf Heck. In 1954, 72 years after it was founded by the Korbel brothers, Korbel Champagne Cellars was sold to Heck, thus introducing a new chapter and a new family into the Korbel story.

First Champagne For American Tastes

Adolf Heck brought a new spirit to the internationally known Korbel Champagne Cellars. The Korbel home place was alive once again, this time with a new family. Planting methods and production facilities were updated, and new products began to emerge with the famous Korbel label. As the new owner of Korbel, Adolf set out to pioneer what he described as “California-style” champagnes. These wines displayed more fruit and less yeast than was typical of European champagnes. In 1956 he reintroduced Korbel Brut in a style that was lighter and drier than any American champagne on the market, making it the first champagne developed specifically for American tastes. Adolf’s energetic creativity as champagne master continued with the introduction of additional cuvées. Taking advantage of Sonoma County’s ability to produce high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, Adolf introduced Korbel Natural’, Korbel Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) and Korbel Blanc de Noirs (100% Pinot Noir) -- all of which he created using champagne yeasts he had developed himself. Innovative and determined, Adolf worked constantly to improve the production and technical aspects of champagne making. In 1966, Adolf invented and patented the first automatic riddling machine. In the past, riddling was done by hand at wineries -- a costly and time-consuming method that left the champagne’s quality vulnerable to the variability of many human hands. Adolf’s invention allowed each bottle of Korbel champagne to undergo exact turns at precise times. The introduction of his riddling machine into the production of Korbel champagnes ensured consistent taste and quality in every bottle.

Second Generation: Gary Heck

Korbel grew impressively during Adolf’s 30 years of leadership. That growth has continued since Adolf’s son, Gary Heck, was appointed the company’s president in 1982 and named the chairman of the board in 1984. In keeping with his promise that Korbel would remain family-owned and operated, Adolf had prepared Gary for his role by requiring him to learn the champagne making business from the vineyards to the marketplace. Consequently, Gary has been active in nearly every aspect of the winery operation, from harvesting grapes by hand to sales administration. Growing up in the original home place of the Korbels and working daily at the winery, Gary has a lifetime of experience to guide him as he continues the legacy of Korbel. Gary shares his late father’s pride and passion for Korbel -- a key ingredient in the brand’s success. Under Gary’s guidance, Korbel enjoyed double-digit growth during the 1980’s, and the brand currently sells more than 1.2 million cases annually. Korbel. It is a name that tells the unique story of two families -- their dreams, determination and dedication -- and it is a name that stands for 125 years of fine méthode champenoise champagnes.