It is a common notion that Champagne is reserved for special occasions. If you ask me, there are just too many fantastic Champagnes and not nearly enough special occasions. The sheer number and diversity of Champagnes out there call for all sorts of occasions, not simply the special ones.
Read MoreRecently, our French Regional Buyer Keith Mabry was given the enviable task of traveling through France, meeting winemakers, tasting their wares, and eating cheese—all in order to bring back the very best for us in our Direct Import program. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it! In honor of this Saturday’s Loire Valley tasting in all three stores, Keith and I put together a travelogue of sorts to introduce you to some of our amazing producers.
Read MoreI was honored to be invited to judge this year’s LA International Wine Competition, an 80-year-old tradition based at the Fairgrounds in Pomona. We kicked it off by introducing ourselves, and I quickly learned I was among some greats—some true veterans of both the industry and of this competition.
Read MoreWhen Ryan Woodhouse stops a tasting and tells you, “Now this is a winemaker to keep an eye on,” you listen. In this case, he was referring to Samuel Louis Smith, a young winemaker out of the Central Coast. Smith, who is currently the winemaker at Morgan, also has his own eponymous, private label that he started in 2014. Currently, he makes three wines, a Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay, from vineyards in Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Rita Hills (respectively). Although very small production, each of them are outstanding. I managed to catch up with Sam this week to ask him a few questions.
Read MoreWhether you love it or hate it (and generally you fall on one spectrum or the other), Chardonnay is undeniably one of the most popular wine grapes in the world. In fact, it is the most planted white wine grape on the planet. So, when International Chardonnay Day rolls around, love it or hate it, you should celebrate it. Grab a bottle and grab some friends, and use it as an excuse to raise a glass. We’ve provided a list of five fun facts below to whet your palate and impress your guests.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, K&L customers enjoyed a particularly rare treat at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco— for the first time in history, Saskia de Rothschild, the head of Chateau Lafite, producer of one of the world’s most famous and highly sought wines, came to Northern California for a special Masterclass Tasting of her properties’ wines.
Read MoreCommanderie de Peyrassol takes their rosé very seriously. Located in rosé’s spiritual homeland, Provence, they craft not one, but four different rosé cuvées—and all four 2018 bottlings just hit our shelves. They vary by grape and by scope, but each is absolutely delicious, with winemaking backed by centuries of history.
Read MoreLast Saturday night, after one of our busiest Champagne tastings in the history of K&L, Cinnamon took me out to Left Bank in Menlo Park for some steak frites. I felt like we deserved a treat after such a big day, and Clyde recommended that I try the 2007 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, so I brought it along to accompany our skirt steak. It was a spectacular wine.
Read MoreLast night, my wife and I were guests of Vincent Chaperon, the new Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon. He invited us for a dinner celebrating the release of the 2002 Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 Brut Champagne, or P2 for short. It was great to see Vincent again and congratulate him on his new role, taking over for long time Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy.
Read MoreModern Bordeaux seems to be defined by generational shifts that have altered the historic landscape and attempt to upend the classification system. But then there’s Pichon-Lalande – they are on a remarkable run for the past half-decade that’s the equal of other paradigm-shifting properties, but their wines still hold true to their style that’s carried them throughout the years.
Read MoreFor Cinco de Mayo today, I asked our spirits specialist in SF, Jackson Lee, for the perfect margarita recipe. Among the more common cocktails, this one has the potential to be either incredibly delicious or shockingly bad. At its best, it is a refreshing combination of sweet and sour, layered with a rich complexity from quality tequila. But served wrong, it can be either cloyingly sweet or overly acidic. The secret, Jackson shared with me, is a lemon-lime “Oleo Saccharum” simple syrup.
Read MoreImagine you’re at a blind tasting. The glass put in front of you exudes gooseberry, lemongrass, grapefruit, and jalapeños. The wine is austere in profile, crisp on the body and lip-smacking on the finish. How long would it take you to figure it out? Most likely, your mind would be screaming the answer before the words could even form on your lips. Without a doubt, it’s New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a wine so incredibly unique that it is instantly recognizable. As International Sauvignon Blanc Day approaches this Friday, we thought we would pull out some of our favorites from Down Under to celebrate this varietal. If you were looking for an excuse to raise a glass tomorrow night, here it is. You’re welcome!
Read More
