The Women Who Helped Build Korbel's Legacy

In 1932, Theresa Korbel (widow of co-founder Anton Korbel) was named President of F. Korbel & Bros.  Under her capable direction, the winery sold over 2,000 cases of Korbel California champagnes after the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933.

Korbel’s next generation was at the helm beside her during this period, with the founders' daughters Caroline Korbel and Martha T. Korbel serving as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. Upon Theresa’s passing in 1939, Caroline became President of the company, and effectively guided Korbel into the tumultuous new decade. The Korbel Family continued to expand both the winery and vineyards over the next 15 years.

In 1954, the Korbel Family sold the winery to the Heck Family, ushering in a new talented Vice President Secretary/Treasurer – Richie Catherine Heck. Korbel’s production hovered around 5,000 cases at the start of this new era. Richie C. contributed to the acceleration of production to more than 1 million cases by 1985.

For the last 25 years, Director of Winemaking Erica Mandl has been instrumental in the growth and success of the quality of Korbel California champagnes. She credits strong teamwork and awareness of trends and advances in winemaking as the key ingredients in creating consistently high-quality products at reasonable prices. Production now totals 1.5 million cases a year.