Last week, for Bastille Day, a group of us from K&L Redwood City went to Left Bank restaurant in Menlo Park to celebrate the French national holiday. It was a great excuse to eat steak frites and drink some good, aged Bordeaux in the middle of the week. Whenever we have a group together (more than 2?) there are usually magnums involved, and this great evening was no exception.
Read MoreThanks to technology, today we were able to convene and do a virtual tasting, led by our Champagne Guru, Gary Westby. I’m thrilled to be able to taste again as a staff, and Gary’s presentation reminded me how much I love his Champagne program. If you haven’t been down the Champagne aisle in awhile, it’s a great time to take a stroll there—no celebration needed! Any of these bottles would make a day special.
Read MoreSouth America’s wine industry is not new, but there’s plenty of new energy flowing through it right now. With high altitudes, vineyards that span a thousand miles, and rediscovered viticultural areas, Chile and Argentina have a ton to offer wine lovers. In this week’s newsletter, South American Buyer Kirk Walker assembles a lineup of favorites from up and down the continent, from desert to foothill to former dinosaur stomping grounds.
Read MoreChâteau Haut-Bailly is near and dear to K&L’s heart. In addition to making stunningly elegant wines, CEO Veronique Sanders is a dear friend of our co-owner Clyde Beffa. To celebrate their long friendship and our first visit since the pandemic, Clyde brought a bottle of 1952 Haut-Bailly to dinner. It was particularly special to try the brand new baby wine from the 2020 vintage on the same evening as wines that have been in the cellar for decades.
Read MoreIn the middle of last month, I was on the second plane into France for vaccinated Americans with Kate Soto, Clyde and Trey Beffa. It was great to be back on the job in the cellars and tasting rooms of Champagne, but the highlight of the trip, under the June sun, was the time I got to spend in the vineyard. On the last day of the trip, Chantal Gonet of Champagne Philippe Gonet and Champagne Pierre Mineral took me for a visit to the crown jewel of their estate: Les Hauts Jardins.
Read MoreLast night, Cinnamon and I treated ourselves to some sushi from the recently reopened Kanpai in Palo Alto and paired it with the magnificent 2007 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Louis" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne. I had opened it to make a little video presenting the wine (see below), and we enjoyed the rest paired with the great variety that a sushi dinner has to offer. This over-200-year-old house continues to push and strive for ever more quality, and this all-Chardonnay tête-de-cuvée is proof of that.
Read MoreThe saying goes, “If the mountain won’t come to Muhammed, Muhammed must go to the mountain.” Sound advice. But occasionally it’s the mountain that comes a’knocking. That’s how we felt when we were tasting at Joanne, and had the great pleasure of a visit from Haut Brion.
Read MoreAs the temperatures rise across California, our Domestic Buyers have been grabbing their jackets and hitting the coolest spots up and down the coast. What they’ve found are some of the most exciting wines and winemakers in the entire US, and you'll find their stories in this month's newsletter. And there are plenty of stories to tell—so much so that this is the biggest newsletter of the year (so far!).
Read MoreWith the release of Figeac’s 2020 this week, I’m reminded that much of the conversation around Bordeaux often has to do with prices and critics scores, rather than the people at the heart of the wineries. Figeac certainly has the scores—all the critical ratings I’ve seen hover in the 95-99 range—but they also have a family devoted to the property, working to make better wines every year.
Read MoreAs some of the first Americans to step foot at Bordeaux châteaux since the borders reopened, we’ve got the inside scoop on the 2020 vintage. We’ve tasted the wines, we’ve toured the cellars, we’ve spoken with the winemakers—and there’s no doubt about it: this is a wonderful vintage, marked by freshness and complexity. A modern classic.
Read MoreNext up in our France adventures: Sancerre! The Sancerre region is close to the heart of K&L—it’s Kay Beffa (the “K” of K&L)’s favorite wine, and our co-owner Clyde is also a big fan. It’s also the first place that we imported wine from directly, and we are still importing and loving the wines of that first producer, Franck and Betty Millet.
Read MoreHere in the Spirits Department at K&L Wine Merchants, our goal is to find the most exciting and delicious spirits from across the world and bring them to you at the absolute best possible price.
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