We at K&L are fastidious about our website and have a stable of editors who make it their mission to check every comma and critic review that goes up. In today’s Meet the Staff blog, we meet one of our fearless Grammar Crusaders, Chris Puppione! Chris and I actually started at K&L at the same time, back in early 2015, so he’s just celebrated his seventh anniversary with the company. Since then he’s had his hands full, starting both a family and a family winery! I wanted to know what it was like to be on the production side of things after so many years in retail, so I peppered him with questions.

XXL West Coast Wines

As 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!).

Stuff Their Stockings with Booze: The 2020 Holiday Newsletter

Whether 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.

Let's Do the Turkey/Tofurkey Tango

This may be an out-of-the-box Thanksgiving, so we’re thinking about out-of-the-box wine pairings. In today’s newsletter, we bring you the best and brightest of Pinot Noir, one of the classic characters you see at the turkey/tofurkey table. But we’ve thrown in some fun options from around the winemaking world to mix things up.

The Golden Age of West Coast Wines

There’s no doubt that the wines coming out of California, Oregon, and Washington State these days are better than ever. With an influx of new talent and well-honed skills from the veterans, the wines are not just a departure from the “go big or go home” model, they are in fact some of the most pure expressions of the specific and varied terroir that the West Coast has to offer.

Sippin’ with Staff: The Keith Takeover/Languedoc Edition

Our French Regional Buyer Keith Mabry makes the case that southern France's Languedoc-Roussillon region is THE place to currently find the best deals for everyday drinking. He's chosen six of his favorites and provides some geology, some geography, some history, and a whole lotta fun tasting notes.

The Fountain of Youth: 1972 by Xavier Vignon

The 1972 is a very special Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Though it has nearly 50 years of age, it was only put into bottle in 2019! This wine was stored in its original concrete foudre for decades at the domaine, until oenologist Xavier Vignon discovered it. What you get in the bottle is a wine with elegance and some maturity, but still a lively freshness and youthful acidity. A profound experience.

From Châteauneuf to Condrieu, the Rhône Is a Bounty of Riches

There’s so much to love coming out of the Rhône Valley these days. After a string of phenomenal vintages, the Rhône is one of the best places to look if you want wines that consistently overdeliver bang for your buck. Buyer Keith Mabry leads the charge of the other K&L Rhônephiles with a list of current favorite bottles and producers in today’s newsletter.

The Summer Sun Is More Fun with Wine in Hand

Summertime, and the livin’ is…well, decidedly different than we all had expected. But the wines are excellent, and there’s no shortage of options, both tried-and-true and off-the-beaten path. In this week’s newsletter, our Buyers have joined forces to bring you a guide to beating the heat with the coolest of the cool summer wines on our shelves.

Under the Southern Sun

Buyers Kirk Walker and Thomas Smith have joined forces in our Southern Hemisphere newsletter to bring you the best values, the best new finds, the best oldies-but-goodies we have from south of the Equator. From Uruguay to Marlborough, the “New World” is bringing their A-game, and our newsletter is your guide to your new favorites!

Australian Wine Down Unda the Radar: Cool-Climate Shiraz

Our Australia/New Zealand Buyer Thomas Smith wants to dispel any myths about Australian Shiraz once and for all: it’s not all jammy; it’s not all over-ripe; it’s not all thicker than molasses. When you look to the cooler climes of the continent, you can find exceptional, elegant Shiraz with a nod to Northern Rhône. And he’s got a few favorites for you.

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