Sauternes Is the Question. And Cheese Is the Answer.

This weekend, K&L Hollywood got together for our annual holiday party. And, if anyone has any doubts, let me assure you that K&L knows how to throw a party. But the highlight for me was the penultimate course: a cheese and Sauternes pairing. Sauternes tastes like springtime sunshine when it is young, and like summer afternoons on a hammock when it is aged. It is pure daylight, and it is amazing—and way under appreciated in America. If you pair it with the right foods—especially the right cheeses—the heavens open up and shine down upon you.

Bond Bolli

I have to admit that I am always skeptical about co-branded products, especially when they have a super cool box. I should know better—the house of Bollinger has a commitment to quality that is second to none, and the 2011 Bollinger "James Bond 007" Brut Champagne exceeded my expectations in every regard.

ChampagneGary WestbyDecember 18, 2019champagne, James Bond, 007, license to kill, No time to die, 2011 vintage champagne

Great Vintage Champagne from Fallet-Dart

This spring, Champagne Buyer Gary Westby was lucky enough to be at Champagne Fallet-Dart in the little hamlet of Drachy, just as they were releasing their 2012 vintage. Our allocation of the 2012 Fallet-Dart Vintage Brut Champagne has now arrived, and he’s very excited about it.

ChampagneGary WestbyDecember 17, 2019Fallet-DartChampagne, fallet dart, fallet-dart champagne

Heavy Hitters and the Best of the Best: 2019 Favorites!

Here we have our heavy hitters, our high-scoring, critic-darling wines of 2019. The wines in this newsletter are worthy of cellaring, worthy of gifting, worthy of sipping with the greatest gusto and the greatest of friends. Scores might not be all there is to understanding a wine, but you can at least be assured that some very experienced palates highly endorse these bottles.

Santa Assist: Stuff Stockings with 375ml Bottles

We’ve got a win/win proposition for your: fill your Christmas stockings with half-bottles of wine, and then split the bottle with your partner while opening presents.

ChampagneKate SotoDecember 12, 2019santa, stocking stuffers, klwines, k&l wine, kl wine blog, 375ml bottles, christmas ideas

2006 Chateau Arnauld Haut Médoc— A Fabulous Cabernet Value

The last time we had the 2006 Arnauld, Haut-Médoc in stock, I bought a case. I am thrilled that the wine is back in because we have been going through this outstanding Left Bank value a little bit too fast at home.

BordeauxGary WestbyDecember 3, 2019K&L Wine Merchantsbordeaux bargains, Tri-Tip

Zinfandel Is As American As Apple Pie

On this, the eve of the most American of holidays, Shelby ponders the most American of grapes: Zinfandel!

Gobble Gobble and Fa La La: It's the Holiday Newsletter!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nick would fill them with booze.

An Interview with Chad Melville on his Magical 2016 Estate Pinot

The Melville Winery has set the benchmark for silky, aromatic Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir during its 20+ years in the region. Chad Melville is the man behind the magic—son to the founder and both lead winegrower and winemaker. He spoke with me about their 2016 Estate Pinot, a wine that is always special, but that shines particularly brightly in the 2016 vintage, which also happened to be his first as lead winemaker.

Another Brunello di Montalcino Vintage of the Century!

Greg St. Clair isn’t called the “Mayor of Montalcino” for nothing! He’s been specializing in this Italian wine region since 1982, and he’s declaring the 2015 vintage to be an exceptional one. Make room in your cellars, folks!

The Thanksgiving Before Thanksgiving

Every year, Cinnamon and I cook up an early Thanksgiving dinner, which I try and tell everyone is a work project. All of my friends and colleagues see right through me; I love Thanksgiving, and I would be happy to have it three or four times if I could.

Gary WestbyNovember 20, 2019domaine bart, Champagne Aspasie, turkey wine, turkey pairing

A Visit From Françoise Antech

If you’ve been following our social media, you might have noticed that one of our favorite women winemakers from France was out last week visiting California. Françoise Antech, the sixth-generation winemaker from her eponymous estate, was on a quick tour of California and managed to stop in all of our stores, holding three staff tastings and two public tastings. Her incredible energy and enthusiasm was absolutely infectious, and her knowledge and stories were a highlight of the week.

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