A few of us buyers recently embarked on an overnight trip through Napa and Sonoma Valley to check the pulse on wineries as spring dawns on North Coast wine country. We walked sacred vineyards in the heart of Napa Valley, and we heard amazing tales of heroism saving wines during the horrific fires of 2017 in both counties. While everyone we visited had their share in the history of American winemaking, the outstanding highlight of the trip for me was our last visit, to the legendary Hanzell Vineyards in Sonoma.
I love grabbing some sushi to go and drinking Champagne on a Tuesday night. Most luxurious things in this world involve a lot of ritual, and are worth it; making fresh blini for caviar or dressing up for fine dining for example, but grabbing sushi on the way home is an easy treat. Some Tuesdays call for that.
One thing I’ve learned about K&L Buyer trips is that they are not for the faint of heart! Buyers pack a lot of visits into a short amount of time so that they can see as many producers as possible. Luckily there’s ample cheese and wine for fortification.
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.
Recently, 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.
I 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.
Whether 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.
On 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.
Commanderie 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.
Last 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.
Last 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.
