NETJETS US VOLUME 10 2019

Owner profile
As a devoted oenophile,
Henry Cornell, below,
with his wife, Vanessa,
has been producing wine
from his California
vineyards since 2013.
has been an avid wine drinker no matter
how tight the circumstances. When he was
growing up, wine was always on the dinner
table, and during college, while his buddies
were chugging beers, Cornell would be
sipping cheap vino.
Nearly 20 years ago, Cornell and his wife,
Vanessa, purchased 200 acres of rugged,
mountain-top land in the Mayacamas
Mountain Range on the Sonoma County
side near the well-known vineyards of Fisher,
Pride, and Philip Togni. In the past two
decades, they have developed a Certified
Organic estate with 20 acres of Bordeaux
varietals planted to vine, built a solid team
to manage, care for and grow the brand, and
officially released four vintages, which have
all received notable praise from well-known
critics, including high scores from Antonio
Galloni of Vinous and James Suckling.
Karen MacNeil, author of “The Wine
Bible” and a regular contributor for “Decanter”
recently named Cornell Vineyards one of
the top 20 collectible California Cabernets,
and has written that the 2015 vintage is
“reminiscent of a young Chateau Margaux.”
“I’ve always loved the sense of community
and camaraderie that wine creates, so I’d long
had the idea of having my own vineyard.
But,” he adds “it’s a really tough business and
requires reservoirs of patience and stamina.
You can’t speed up Mother Nature. For me,
it is a business based on passion.”
Today, Cornell Vineyards produces one
estate Cabernet Sauvignon blend that is truly
expressive of the property’s dynamic terroir.
The viticulture and winemaking is overseen
by veteran winemakers, Françoise Peschon,
the former winemaker at Araujo Estate and
consulting winemaker at Accendo and Vine
Hill Ranch, and Elizabeth Tangney, who
previously worked with winemaker Aaron
Pott.
“As the team finishes our sixth vintage in
the cellar, and prepares for the next growing
season in the vineyard, we have intimate
knowledge of this land and we’re really
getting to know the intricacies of the various
vineyard blocks,” Cornell explains. “The
team has developed a personal relationship
with each individual vine as they farm the
site by hand year-round, and that makes all
the difference.” To further underscore this
commitment, the entire crew lives on the
estate in housing provided by the Cornells.
The Cornells love how wine connects
people of different cultures, and firmly believe
their vineyard is a place where both the care
of the land and employees should go handin-hand.
Inspired by the property, Vanessa
Cornell launched an artist-in-residence
program to present the beauty and diversity
of the land through different lenses. She
also instituted the development of a culinary
garden to enhance the beneficial ecosystem
at the estate, which currently includes bees,
goats, and chickens—all of which play an
integral role in the vineyards.
“I am very grateful to be in a position to
choose what I do,” he enthuses. “My work is
my art, and my family is everything,” As he
says, “Whether it’s creating investments or
making wine, it’s a world that requires a high
degree of creativity. Conventional playbooks
no longer apply. You need to approach
issues with solutions, as merely being a
critic doesn’t move the community forward.”
cornellvineyards.com; cornellcapllc.com
”My mother did not define success
in material terms, but in those of
family and community.”
JIMMY HAYES, OLAF BECKMANN
30 NetJets