Here at K&L, we are constantly searching for producers who offer a true sense of place, whose wines tell the story of a family and a specific piece of earth. Today, we are thrilled to introduce you to Giovinco—a name that embodies both a deep respect for tradition and a dynamic vision for the future of Sicilian wine. This is a story that stretches from the historic, sun-drenched vineyards of Sambuca di Sicilia to the electric, volcanic slopes of Mount Etna.
Read MoreOctober’s Spirits Newsletter is loaded: the long-awaited Every Drop 16-Year “Dawning Era” lands in stock, we welcome Josh Gelfand to the buying team, and we’ve lined up a showcase of exclusive barrel picks spanning bourbon and agave. Don’t miss Old Particular & Signatory standouts—from savvy daily drinkers to blue-chip rarities—and a preview of our Ardbeg Abyss auction with a $1 reserve.
Read MoreAnonymous is without doubt one of the most exciting projects we've launched in decades at K&L. The wines have been extremely well received all around and continue to fly off our shelves as folks drink them and taste for themselves what exceptional values they represent. It's a fun game to play, trying to guess whom we partnered with on each release, and many of you have emailed me some pretty good guesses. However, the most important thing that really drives this project is the quality that's in the bottle. If it doesn't taste good, intrigue and speculation can only carry the wines so far. The wines have to deliver, and I'm really proud of what we've put in bottle. I hope you feel the same way.
Read MoreThe region of Combsville in Napa Valley even describes itself on the official vintners' and growers page as a hidden gem. Despite being just three minutes from downtown Napa, the region is somehow still off the beaten path for most visitors to the valley. Coombsville is one of the more recently established sub-AVAs in Napa Valley, becoming officially recognized in 2011. There is, however, a long history of grape growing in the region going back to the 1880s. To this day the iconic R.W. Moore Vineyard, planted in 1905, is still in production. It was however in the early 1980s that the modern era of Coombsville began and no winery was more instrumental in the founding of this AVA than Farella. Firstly, second generation owner, Tom Farella, wrote and submitted the petition that led to the creation of the AVA. But Farella’s importance goes deeper than simply filing paperwork.
Read MoreOne of my absolute favorite small producers we're working with right now is MarBeso, based in the Sta. Rita Hills. I first got to know owner/winemaker Colin McNanny when he was making the wines at La Honda winery, just down the road from our Redwood City store. I admired the wines he managed to craft at La Honda, especially when you take into account that the team there produced wines from dozens of essentially “backyard vineyards” from Los Gatos to San Mateo. Colin and I became friends with a mutual enjoyment of surfing and finding great hole-in-the-wall taquerias around Redwood City.
Read MoreThe first time I encountered Stolpman was back in 2008 when I was working for Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Vineyard. As the infamous “Rhône Ranger,” Randall sought out excellence in Rhône varietals throughout California, so it's no surprise that he ended up buying fruit from Stolpman who pioneered Syrah and other Rhône varieties in what was to later become the Ballard Canyon AVA. Stolpman’s Vineyard is planted across a series of undulating hills on the Western side of Ballard Canyon, just a few miles south of Los Olivos.
Read MoreThis month at K&L brings no shortage of excitement—from the debut of the Italian Discovery Series to the return of our Champagne Tent Event in Redwood City and Hollywood. We’re also spotlighting late-summer whites from Alsace, Germany, and Austria, and our Open Cellar lineup updates—your chance to taste incredible bottles by the glass in-store. There’s plenty to discover this month, and we’re thrilled to share it all with you.
Read MoreWe’re thrilled to introduce Agnes Gleizes, a new K&L Exclusive Chablis label and a seven-generation family domaine with enviable holdings across top Grand Cru and 1er Cru vineyard sites. Domaine Gautheron, a top Chablis producer and a K&L fan favorite, is behind the Agnes Gleizes label. In fact, you’ll find the exact same juice in the Agnes Gleizes wines as in Domaine Gautheron’s. Thanks to our great relationship with Domaine Gautheron, we’ve been able to secure our own exclusive label! Not only are these wines fantastic but they are easily the best value we currently have in Chablis.
Read MoreWhen imagining Spain and Portugal, hot and arid landscapes often come to mind, with golden rolling hills dotted with gnarled old vines. The far northwestern corner of Spain, however, often referred to as “Green Spain,” defies this stereotype. Likewise, across the Miño River (or Minho River, depending on what language you’re speaking) in northern Portugal, the wine regions are defined by a cool, coastal climate with ample rainfall.
Read MoreRioja is one of the most historic—and dynamic—wine regions, beloved by collectors around the world. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the formal establishment of the appellation, which has continued to evolve in recent years with exciting new projects and ventures. In many ways, modern-day Rioja is where the past, the present, and the future come together in dynamic fashion.
Read MoreA recent K&L staff trip to Napa Valley saw the NorCal sales team explore the cooler parts of the region with a day in Carneros and Coombsville, two of the southernmost sub-AVAs of Napa, with lots of moderating influence from the nearby San Pablo Bay. We started off the day with an incredible 8:30am visit with Steve Matthiasson at his Cressida Vineyard in the upper Carneros, right at the foot of the Mayacamas range as it descends towards the bay. The weather in Carneros behaved perfectly with thick morning fog slowly receding back to the bay as our crew walked up into the vineyard with the first patches of blue sky being revealed.
Read MoreMy picks for the week highlight the cool factor in what we bring in as well as some great value. We started with a ready-to-drink infused gin drink called Sweet Gwendoline Fig And Wine Infused French Gin $36.99. It was super tasty and a nice start to the whole thing.
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