Greg Brewer has been making gorgeous wines in the Sta. Rita Hills since 1996, first with his eponymous winery Brewer-Clifton, opened with Steve Clifton, then at Melville and Diatom wineries. Though the style is different at each winery, the message is the same: Sta. Rita Hills is world-class terroir, and it’s here to stay. If you want to understand Pinot and Chardonnay from the Sta. Rita Hills, Brewer’s wines should be where you start.
Read MoreChampagne Billecart-Salmon has been making Champagne for over 200 years, and change comes slowly and incrementally to this great house. This year has been revolutionary for Billecart, as they have introduced not one, but two new cuvées, first the Les Rendezvous #1, and now the Billecart-Salmon "Brut Nature" Champagne. If you are a fan of truly dry Champagne or of pairing your bubbles with food, the Brut Nature is not to be missed!
Read MoreAfter 20 years of buying the Champagne here at K&L, I have to say that I have never seen a year like this one… The good news is, some very good deals have come out of this bizarre situation, and one of the best deals is the small lot of Canard-Duchêne "Charles VII - Grande Cuvée le Victorieux" Brut Champagne that just arrived. The last time we had this, many years ago, we sold it for $49.99, which was a good value. It is now selling for $60 elsewhere, but we were able to grab the last of it and offer it at $39.99.
Read MoreWe are thrilled to partner with blogger/author/bon vivant David Lebovitz to bring you the Drinking French pack, an ensemble that features his new guide to all libations French (signed), plus an assortment of bottles that will help you make some of his favorite tipples at home. You may not be able to while away the hours in a Parisian cafe, but you can at least drink like it!
Read MoreThis past Friday night my wife, Cinnamon, treated me to a lovely steak and claret dinner at home. She prepared a prime top sirloin in the cast iron pan, her excellent empress rice, and also served some wok-fried green beans. I decanted the 1998 Haut-Franquet Moulis to go with it. I woke up inspired to write about it—it was a great experience…
Read MoreVery few wines in the world are as rare, special, and profound as Krug's Clos du Mesnil. Any wine lover should count themselves lucky just to have tasted it once in their lifetime. I felt blessed indeed to drink a bottle of it in my front yard with Cinnamon during this year's endless California Indian summer. Given my previous experience with this wine and the high price, my expectations were very, very high. I was not disappointed.
Read MoreWhether you’ll be spinning a dreidel, rockin’ around the Christmas tree, lighting the Kwanzaa candles, or simply enjoying Winter Solstice, we have something that can make your celebration special, and, though the times were strange in 2020, the wines were superb.
Read MoreCarbonnieux is an estate with Medieval origins in Bordeaux, and 20th-century origins at K&L. We’ve been stocking them for a long time, and that’s because we’re epic fans. And we’re not the only ones—even noted oenophile Thomas Jefferson once made a visit to their cellars. They also continually provide Clyde with excellent Bordeaux Blanc, and this installment of Clyde’s corner is all about a few of his faves.
Read MoreVintage Henriot and white truffles, oh my. Gary found a very special wine to go with his birthday truffle straight from Alba and handmade pasta. Though he’d intended to drink the 2008 Henriot as an aperitif, it paired so divinely with his meal that it became the star of the show.
Read MoreI have received more calls for the Billecart-Salmon "Le Rendez-Vous" Pinot Meunier Extra Brut #1 Champagne than any other bottling this year. Yesterday, our small allocation of 180 bottles finally arrived. I didn’t waste time—I am just as excited as all of the customers who called and emailed—so I chilled one down and drank it last night. Cinnamon and I had the wine both as an aperitif, and with the excellent Taiwanese food of I-Dumpling here in Redwood City. It was a huge success both ways and “a small bottle”—our code at home for “we liked it so much that we drank it too fast.”
Read MoreIs Greek wine all Greek to you? It doesn’t have to be! Join K&L Buyer Keith Mabry and importer Ted Diamantis for an Instagram Live conversation about Greek wine. So many exciting new things are coming out of this historic wine-growing region—whether you’re a grecophile or a neophyte, there’s much to discover!
Read MoreJoin Buyer Keith Mabry and Importer Tom Bracamontes for a chat about where Baja wine has been and where it’s going, plus profiles on a few of their favorite producers.
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