A Mid-Summer Wine's Dream: Our Italian Newsletter

Though we may think of red-checkered tablecloths, spaghetti and meatballs, and wicker-basket Chianti when we think of Italian food, there is in fact a rich tradition of coastal cuisine based on seafood and dynamic, acid-driven whites. Italian Buyer Greg St. Clair has all that and more for you in these pages. From sparkling, dry, food-friendly Lambrusco to elegant and affordable Valpolicella from our new Direct Import producer, our maestro has the wine that’ll transport you to your own Italian daydream.

Value, Complexity, Terroir: Argentina and Chile Shine

South America’s wine industry is not new, but there’s plenty of new energy flowing through it right now. With high altitudes, vineyards that span a thousand miles, and rediscovered viticultural areas, Chile and Argentina have a ton to offer wine lovers. In this week’s newsletter, South American Buyer Kirk Walker assembles a lineup of favorites from up and down the continent, from desert to foothill to former dinosaur stomping grounds.

XXL West Coast Wines

As the temperatures rise across California, our Domestic Buyers have been grabbing their jackets and hitting the coolest spots up and down the coast. What they’ve found are some of the most exciting wines and winemakers in the entire US, and you'll find their stories in this month's newsletter. And there are plenty of stories to tell—so much so that this is the biggest newsletter of the year (so far!).

Bordeaux Newsletter: New Arrivals and an En Primeur Campaign

One of the things we do best at K&L is Bordeaux, and our Bordeaux Buyer/co-owner Clyde Beffa is the reason why. After nearly forty years of travel to the region, he knows the people and the châteaux like the back of his hand. Today’s newsletter is chock-full of new arrivals, stellar bargains, blue chip icons, and oldies but goodies.

Revelatory Finds from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa

In this week’s newsletter, K&L’s Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa Buyer, Thomas Smith, has a litany of bottles from the other side of the world that will be at home by grill or by garden. If you’re in the mood for a sizzling burger hot off a campsite fire pit, try a Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch. Ceviche by the beach? Try one of Australia’s powerful, bone-dry Rieslings from Eden Valley. Just want to catch up with friends in your own backyard? Try a bubbly rosé from Tasmania or a Pinot Meunier rosé from New Zealand. The possibilities for summer fun are endless!

All Roads Lead to Rhône in This Week's Newsletter

Rhône Buyer Keith Mabry declares this “the era of the Rhone,” and in this week’s newsletter, he explores why. A string of excellent vintages, exciting new Direct Import producers, and best-in-France values—our Rhone aisle is the destination for fans of soulful wines at every price point.

Benvenuto to Our Excellent Stash of Brunello

Today’s newsletter is an ode to a region that lies in the heart of Italy, a place that earned our Italian buyer Greg St. Clair the unofficial title of Mayor of Montalcino: Tuscany. Home of Dante, villas on rolling hills, and Greg’s favorite grape (Sangiovese!), it is also home to one of the world’s most undeniably special wines, Brunello di Montalcino, which, in a superior vintage like 2015, reaches the greatest heights Sangiovese can offer.

The Depth and Diversity of Spanish Wine

In this week’s newsletter, our Iberian Buyer Kirk Walker wants to encourage you to consider the “B-sides” to Spanish greatest hit wines; let’s talk focused, high-acid Alvarinho from neighboring Portugal; let’s talk Monastrell that thrives in the chalky soils of Spain’s southeastern Murcia region; and let’s talk texturally-aromatic beauties made from Garnacha Blanca in Catalonia. There’s such a wealth of wonderful wines from the Iberian Peninsula that we have a feeling you’ll be playing many of these on repeat.

Wonderful West Coast Wines in Our Domestic Newsletter

As we look to the state of Domestic wines for today’s newsletter, grace is the word on the tips of our tongues. From the vibrant, focused Cabernets coming out of Napa’s excellent 2018 vintage to the seductively aromatic Pinots from Oregon’s Arterberry Maresh, these pages showcase wines that achieve a seamless blend of elegance and self-possession that can only be encapsulated by the word grace. Take a stroll through the wine country of our own backyard and see what these amazing folks have been up to!

The Best and Brightest from Our Champagne Aisle

So many of the wonderful bottles on our shelves are made by wonderful people, and our relationships are the cornerstone of our business. At this time each year, we normally send our Champagne crew out to visit the cellars and taste vin clair in Champagne, gathering intel and great deals to bring to our customers. Alas, times are different, and we are thinking fondly of those folks (whom we also missed seeing at our annual tent event last year). Next best thing: photos and tasting notes and stories about some of our fave Champagne producers.

A Bounty of Burgundy

Our second newsletter of the year is here, and it’s an ode to all things Burgundy. We can’t get enough of the gorgeous wines from this region, and, thanks to savvy wine hunting by Buyer Alex Pross, we don’t have too. He’s filled our shelves with fantastic values that make “weeknight Burgundy” not an oxymoron. In these pages, he’s also highlighted some talented stars of the region and digs into can’t-miss vintages.

New Bordeaux Arrivals for the New Year

We’re beginning the new year by taking a look at new arrivals from one of our favorite categories: Bordeaux! Co-owner/Bordeaux Buyer Clyde Beffa introduces us to the wines—some with age, some still babies—that will soon be landing on our shelves. Whether you’re looking to collect bottles from celebrated vintages, like the 100-point 2009 Pontet-Canet; looking for great values from older vintages that are hitting their sweet spot now, like the 1996 du Val d’Or from St-Emilion; or just looking for an excellent to bottle for dinner tonight, like the 2016 Bellegrave du Poujeau—we’ve got something for you in these pages. After 45 years in the biz, Clyde never steers us wrong, and this new batch definitely won’t disappoint!

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com