A Hollywood Premier: 2012 Billecart Salmon “NFB”

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the release party of the 2012 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart" NFB Brut Champagne $199.99 96WA 95VN by the seventh generation of the Billecart family, Mathieu Roland-Billecart. The party was thrown at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, down an obscure alley in an unassuming part of town—but what a place! Everyone from Michael Jackson to Metallica has recorded there, and the sound-dampened walls felt like they were full of stories. It was an unforgettable evening, and the magic of the NFB has added another legend to this legendary place. It was a great chance to reconnect with friends in the wine world, and especially to spend time with the team from Billecart—Mathieu, Geoffrey, and Clément.

What Mom Really Wants: Champagne Picks for the Queen of the Day

As I criss-cross Champagne this spring, one theme keeps popping up: 2024 is shaping up beautifully in the cellar—but we collectors can’t drink futures on Mother’s Day. So I’ve pulled together bottles that are ready to thrill right now. First up is the crown jewel of my 25-year buying career, the transcendent 2008 Louis Roederer “Cristal”—direct from the maison and showing every bit of its triple-digit pedigree. I’ll also share notes from the Kimmeridgian soils of Les Riceys with Vivien Lamoureux and give you a sneak peek at Alexandre Le Brun’s rain-soaked yet dazzling 2024 vins clairs. Finally, because brunch without pink bubbles is just breakfast, I’ve hand-picked six rosé Champagnes that deliver serious finesse and pure festive joy. Grab a glass and dive in—there’s plenty to celebrate.

Visiting Alexandre Le Brun and Getting Excited for the 2024s from Champagne

Every time I go to the picturesque, hilltop town of Monthelon to visit Alex Le Brun, he wears his Giants gear, and it makes me feel so welcome. We looked in the vineyards, tasted his 2024 vin clair (the still wine before the second fermentation in the bottle) and also his current and a few upcoming releases. It was the best part of my day!

A Smorgasbord of Seafood and Laurent-Perrier

On Tuesday evening, Lilia from K&L Redwood City and I were lucky enough to be invited to a dinner at the Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse by Naomi Smith, the director of sales for Laurent-Perrier in the U.S. It was a marvelous night with two of my favorite women in the wine business, and the fantastic seafood went perfectly with the elegant wines of Laurent-Perrier.

Spanish Sparkling Wine Picks by Our SF Bubbly Expert

There are several great things about the sparkling wines of Spain. My very favorite is the ratio of quality to value. You can get some excellent wines of superior quality for under $40. I had the opportunity, care of K&L Spanish & Portuguese Wine Buyer Kirk Walker, to taste quite a few of these on Valentine’s Day eve. I am familiar with some of them while others are brand new to me.

Cristal and Sushi with Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon

Last night Cinnamon and I were treated to a once in a lifetime evening of sushi and Champagne with Jean Baptiste Lécaillon, the chef de cave of Champagne Louis Roederer. He invited us to Sushi Hashiri for a special meal paired with Roederer, including five vintages of Cristal, by chef Toshiaki and my long-time friend Yuri Shima. The wines, the food, and the pairings were unforgettable.

Finding Inspiration Across the Globe: K&L Buyers' Top Wine and Spirits Picks

Our Buying team truly comprises some of the most knowledgeable, passionate wine and spirits experts in the biz, and we’re happy to bring you a set of their favorites from across our aisles. From years of traveling and extensive experience in the industry, each buyer represents a wealth of knowledge broadly about wine and spirits, but very deeply about their own regions and categories. If you want to shoot the breeze about soils, talk about best vintages to buy, or just learn what’s new and exciting—they are unparalleled resources! Seek them out on our sales floor or shoot them an email via our Staff Profile page.

Misunderstood Meunier

Even though the grape variety Meunier covers about one-third of the Champagne region, it is still little understood by most wine lovers. Follow Gary Westby on the trail through Champagne to explore the wonder of this dynamic and not-to-be-missed varietal that great Champagne could not do without.

A Toast to the New Year with Our Sparkling Wine Recommendations

The year 2024 was certainly one for the record books at K&L. It’s been a year of big changes: we opened the Culver City store at the beginning of the year—our first new location since 2007—and celebrated with a wonderful party filled with winemakers and friends. We also held our annual Champagne Tent Event in Culver City for the first time, after many years in Hollywood.

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.

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