Korbel’s Owner Has Bought Back Sonoma’s Kenwood Vineyards

Kenwood Vineyards, a venerable Sonoma Valley winery owned by French beverage company Pernod Ricard for the past 12 years, is back in the hands of its previous proprietor, Gary Heck, owner and president of F. Korbel & Bros. Now that he has it back, what are his plans?

“We made some great wine [at Kenwood] and we made a lot of good wine at a fair price,” Heck told Wine Spectator. “And, you know, I think that’s really what we want to do again.”

The deal was announced by Pernod Ricard on April 1, but Heck delayed comment until April 6. The sale includes the winery, the brand and inventory and 33 acres at the Kenwood estate, about half of which is planted to vines. The sale price was not disclosed but local reports said the property value alone was estimated to be about $4 million. The sale is Pernod Ricard’s final divestment from the California wine industry.

“It’s back to Sonoma County ownership and back in the Heck family hands. We’re going to bring it back to what it was when I sold it,” said Heck. “It’ll take a while to work everything out. There are a lot of questions that are unanswered right now, but we are going to turn it around, and we are going to make this winery work.” The winery remains closed to visitors for the time being.

A Classic Sonoma Name

Kenwood, which takes its name from the small village where the winery is located, was founded in 1970, part of a new wave of wineries that ushered in Sonoma County’s modern winemaking era. John Sheela and brothers-in-law Mary and Mike Lee revitalized the historic Pagani Brothers winery. By the mid-1990s they were producing popular Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Zinfandel.

Gary Heck has plans to revitalize Kenwood, though he’ll have to do it with new vineyard sources. (Courtesy Korbel)

In 1996, Heck acquired a 50% interest in Kenwood, with an option to buy out the founders at a future date; he acquired sole ownership in March 1998 in a deal estimated to be worth $50 million. Heck grew that brand to about 700,000 cases annually and largely maintained the winery’s quality and reputation.

He sold Kenwood to Pernod Ricard in 2014 in order to focus on his core brands, Korbel sparkling wine and brandy. Local reports at the time estimated the deal to be worth $100 million.

A Reunion

Heck says Pernod representatives approached him about a year ago to buy back Kenwood. He wasn’t interested at first, but as negotiations continued, they came to an agreement. Pernod Ricard had sold several of Kenwood’s key vineyards over the years, including the Jack London vineyard, which was a lynchpin of the Cabernet portfolio in the winery’s heyday, so Heck plans to source fruit from the 1,000 acres of vines owned by Korbel.

“We’re going through all the inventory over there right now to find out what’s there and if it’s any good. It may be wonderful, it may not be,” Heck said. His goal is to recapture the brand’s magic in a market looking for value.

Pernod Ricard is known for popular liquor brands such as Absolut vodka and Beefeater gin, as well as Mumm and Perrier-Jouët Champagnes. It has been exiting the California wine industry in recent months, selling sparkling wine producer Mumm Napa to Trinchero Family in December 2025. Executives are currently exploring a merger with fellow spirit giant Brown-Forman, though a rival firm, Sazerac Co., has emerged.

“These transactions will enable Pernod Ricard to continue focusing its resources on its portfolio of premium international spirits and Champagne brands,” the company said in a statement. “Both transactions further support the streamlining of the Group’s wine operational footprint in California.”

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