My New Favorite Collectible: K&L Keywords

Every single day, we’re on an endless treasure hunt at K&L, scouring for the next jaw-dropping collectible to share with you. The thrill of discovery never gets old, and luckily for you, we’ve got one of the most customized e-mail platforms around to keep you in the loop. Seriously, it’s like your own personal shopper on autopilot. All you have to do is log in to your account, select your interests, decide how many emails you want to receive per month (a little or a lot, totally your call), and voilà—you’re set.

Bullish on the World of Fine Wine and Spirits

While the fine wine and spirits industry is experiencing some turbulent times, I find myself still enamored with the products, culture, and people who make this one of the most exiting businesses in the world. The joy I get from pulling corks is not going away, and, while everybody is fretting over trying to mobilize the next generation of collectors, I firmly believe that there’s a significant and not-to-be-missed trend towards better and more accessible products that will be the great leveler.

Franciacorta: The Italian Answer to Champagne

Franciacorta is Italy’s premier sparkling wine from Lombardy. It draws upon centuries of history, culture, and winemaking tradition. Its name dates back to the 11th century when Cluniac and Cistercian monks reclaimed the lands, which became known as Francae Curtes—lands free of taxes. It then became "Franzakurta" in 1277. Franciacorta's legacy dates back even earlier than Dom Perignon, with a mention in the Libellus de vino mordaci, a groundbreaking book on bottle-fermented wines published in 1570.

Ringing in Dry January!? NA Options for NYE

If you are considering a dry January, or just need a really well made non-alcoholic wine alternative for an upcoming occasion, I highly recommend checking out the range of “wines” we carry from Kally. I wrote about these great additions to our selections back in September, and we have continued to see them really loved by staff and customers alike.

Boutique California Sparkling Wines from BXT

If you’re seeking the best of grower Champagne–inspired bubbles, look no further than the fascinating and truly excellent wines of BXT. I’ve written about these brilliant wines at length before, but here’s a quick recap. BXT (that stands for Bubbles by Tom) is a tiny project that comes to you from the aptly named “Crusher District” in the industrial part of south Napa. Proprietor Tom Sherwood has a day job in Napa making mostly big, powerful Napa Cabs. His wife Brittany is the longtime winemaker at Napa icon Heitz Cellars. So, in his spare time (ha ha), Tom decided to start a very small brand focused on extremely limited-production, entirely hand-made, traditional-method sparkling wines.

Antech, Our Favorite Sparkling Wine from Limoux, Is Back!

One of our great long-standing Direct Import partners is Famille Antech. Proprietor and sixth-generation winemaker Françoise Antech-Gazeau has been a dear friend for many years, and her son Baptiste joined the winery a few years ago. There have been some great initiatives at the winery over the last couple of years that are now coming to fruition.

Sparkling Wines from the Historic Schramsberg Winery Are As Good As Ever

Schramsberg is a winery with a long and lofty reputation for top-quality sparkling wines, and I’m pleased to say that the wines more than live up to the legacy and hype! The history of the winery dates back to 1862 when Jacob Schram first bought the parcel of land on Diamond Mountain. In 1870 Schram enlisted the help of Chinese workers who had just completed the Transcontinental Railroad one year earlier to use their tunneling expertise to hand-dig Napa Valley’s first-ever wine caves. Now under the ownership of the Davies family since 1965, this winery is one of the stalwarts of the region. The wines are consistently delicious, and very well priced given the quality.

2016 Cristal: The Best Since the 2008 Vintage

When I read that the team at Roederer were comparing their newly released 2016 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne to the 2008, I have to admit that I was very skeptical. I love it when great wine proves my skeptical heart wrong. Last night, Cinnamon and I drank this great vintage of Cristal with homemade sashimi bowls, and while I was very impressed from just tasting the wine for this video, now I am a complete convert—this is definitely the best Cristal for me since the 2008; it has an energy, a sheen, a brilliance that reminds me so much of that great vintage.

Holiday Buying Guide: Our Top Picks for the Season

The K&L Holiday Wine Buying Guide is your ultimate resource for selecting the perfect wines to elevate your holiday celebrations. Whether you're searching for the ideal bottle to pair with festive meals, a special gift for a wine lover, or simply a standout wine to enjoy with loved ones, our curated guide offers expert recommendations across all price points and styles. From rich reds and elegant whites to sparkling wines and rare finds, our team of experienced sommeliers and wine buyers has handpicked a selection that embodies the spirit of the season, ensuring your holiday table is stocked with exceptional wines. Let us help you make this holiday season even more memorable with the perfect bottle for every occasion!

A Few of Our Favorite Things from the Domestic Wine Aisle

For the Holiday Buying Guide this year I decided to take a leaf out of Oprah’s book and present a few of my favorite things! As the Domestic Wine Buyer for K&L, I taste many thousands of wines a year: from high-end luxury cult Cabs to delicious everyday drinkers at $9.95; from solid, dependable, consistent old favorites, to the newest, most esoteric, experimental wines from folks trying something creative to get a start. My role as the buyer here is often not just to assess the quality and value presented by a certain wine, but to match it with a specific customer demand. The idea of this list is to be a little self indulgent (hey, it is the holiday season) and focus on wines that I personally enjoy to drink, share, and gift to others. Wines I believe have a broad appeal and will bring a smile to most people who taste them.

Spanish Syrah for the Hard-to-Shop-For

What do you get for the Syrah lover in your life this holiday season? Syrah of course. But it is always fun to surprise them with something that they haven’t had before. Now, unless you have access to their tasting notes you might not know what they have or haven’t tasted—but I’d wager there is an extremely low chance that they have tried the 2020 El Escoces Volante "Dos Dedos De Frente" Syrah Aragon $29.99 95WA from El Escoces Volante.

Give the Gift That Gives All Year Long: Wine Clubs

The holiday season is a time for giving, and if you're looking for a gift that combines thoughtfulness, variety, and sophistication, K&L has you covered. We offer a variety of Wine Club subscriptions at different price points that will keep your loved ones in the holiday spirit all year long.

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com