KORBEL BROTHERS MILLS (site)
KORBEL BROTHERS WINERY

• KORBEL MILLS

The Czech Korbel brothers bought their property from Anthony McPeak and built a successful lumber mill and community. They were a primary force in getting the railroad into the redwood trees growing along the Russian River. Of course, they eventually created a Champagne making factory, now owned by a different corporation.

The current company also operates a very interesting history tour that is free and provides an additional perspective on a bit of what is written here, only with the focus being the Korbel brothers. The tour starts in what is, apparently, the original train station.

I have to note that the tour does delicately skip over The Wasp, a political satirical publication from the Korbels. While it certainly reeks of racism, it is more complicated than mindless prejudice. Far more complicated than I wish to go into. It has fantastic surreal illustrations. If interested, here is a site:
http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=WASP:_Racism_and_Satire_in_the_19th_Century

Joseph, Anton, and Francis Korbel. Francis started his new life in New York and brought his brothers over. Anton was a metal worker and Joseph an apprentice blacksmith and machinist.

The Korbel's successful lumber mill and on the hill behind it was the Korbel home. Additionally in 1876, the community of Korbel also had a hotel, boarding house, and cabins.

The Korbel team in 1875 was cutting down these beauties.

Korbel property, once the redwoods had all been harvested, turned into an orchard. They were entrepreneurs and tried various ways to make money before making Champagne. They are experimenting with grape production just this side of the orchard. The train tracks below the cliff in the center of the photograph is now the location of the tasting room.

Korbel California Post Office
Mathew McPeak 1876
- moved to Guerneville in 1881

• KORBEL WINERY

Here you can see the stumps among vineyards.

The train tracks went very close to the building. The actual train station is on the right side. Korbel bought the station when the railroad went out of business and used it promotionally with visitors.

The original winemaker was Frank Hasek, in center of photo.

The crushing and fermenting room behind the wine cellar.

A Korbel Family photo.

Korbel, was bought in 1954 by Adolph Heck's company. It was already a prominent sparkling wine purveyor then, but after the younger Gary Heck took over in 1974, he pushed sales up to 1.5 million today. He also acquired Kenwood and other boutique, high-quality wineries, boosting Korbel's prestige.

The family is known to have had internal problems over the years.