Lightning Strikes Twice! Au Bon Climat Library Wines Coming to K&L

A few years ago, I was absolutely honored to be able to purchase the incredible 45-vintage-deep library of wines from Calera Vineyards. It was one of the most monumental projects of my 13 years here at K&L, and a humbling experience to be able to taste through so many wines that have helped to shape the California wine industry as we know it today. Josh Jensen was a visionary and a dedicated vigneron. I was thrilled to be able to share his life's work with you, our customers. On that note I'm pleased to say that today we have another historic offering to bring to you.

Thanksgiving Buying Guide: Find Your Perfect Pairing

This week, we’re officially kicking off our Thanksgiving planning. Halloween is in the rearview mirror; Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are just far enough away that we don’t have to wrap our brains around gifting quite yet… No elves on the shelves, but our rally bird is out in Redwood City—it’s the perfect time to talk turkey.

Splurge-Worthy Wines for Your Thanksgiving Feast

There is no better way to explore the style and terroir of Champagne than drinking vintage-declared wines. Since Champagne houses only declare a vintage when the season produces fruit of the highest quality, it is truly special to experience a vintage bottling.

Champagnes and White Wines to Steal the Holiday Show

As the holiday season swiftly approaches, a familiar anxiety emerges: what should you bring as a beverage to all these gatherings? How do you unite with close friends and family, who may or may not appreciate your "best stuff," while still feeling thrilled to uncork a bottle? F

What's Our Resident Brit Drinking for Thanksgiving? Domestic Wines!

As I’ve written in years gone by, Thanksgiving is one of the funnest meals to pair wine with because, although you have the basic building blocks of what the spread will probably look like, so many folks have their own traditions and speciality dishes they contribute to the ensemble, giving endless opportunities to find new and magical food pairings. It’s also typically a long day of food preparation, socializing, and, quite frankly, some good old day drinking. So, keep refreshment in mind and always have some nice crisp, fresh, white wines on hand to keep that palate energized for the finishing stretch of chewing on a turkey leg or that extra scoop of stuffing you probably could have done without! I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving shared with loved ones new and old. And without further ado, here are a few wines I think might work to wash it all down!

Australia and New Zealand Put the Fun in Friendsgiving

While I enjoy splurging on a few fancy bottles for Thanksgiving itself, for Friendsgiving, I typically hunt for more affordable wines that punch well above their price point. We don’t want to break the bank, but we want everyone to enjoy the wine. That’s one reason I keep returning to the wines of New Zealand and Australia for Friendsgiving. They’re incredibly delicious, appeal to a wide range of tastes, and consistently offer extraordinary value for the price. Here are some of the wines we’ll be serving at our Friendsgiving this year:

Pair Your Bird with the Best Brandy from France

The world might still be griping about inflation, but here at K&L we’re actively lowering prices like never before. You need to pay attention to our new product feed for most of the craziest deals, although certain special products have been held back from marketing due to my desire to have interesting, affordable products for the holiday season. No telling how long they’ll last, but right now we’ve got an incredible array of fall flavors from some of France’s finest brandy producers. Take a look at this incredible array of special products that we were perfectly happy to sell at full price, but MUCH happier to sell at ridiculous discounts.

Thanksgiving, Italian Style

Italian may not be the traditional route for a Thanksgiving feast, but the food friendliness of these wines will make them an absolute knockout at your table. Whether you're looking for a crisp white, a luxurious red, or something bolder, look no further than K&L’s Italian aisle.

A Thanksgiving Feast So Nice He Does It Twice

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I like it so much that it is worth doing twice—the first time to “test out my recommendations for the year”… or at least that is my excuse to get a preview of the main event. Everything about Thanksgiving is perfect for me: I love the sentiment of gratefulness; the opportunity to gather friends and family; the traditional spread of roast turkey, gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes; and double fisting with rosé Champagne and Burgundy at the table. This weekend we did just that, and I am happy to report that I have two great Champagnes and one great bottle of Burgundy that have been thoroughly tested and vetted chez Westby by me and my wife Cinnamon!

A Tale of Three Thanksgivings... And Their Wines

I love to cook so I was also an early adopter of Friendsgiving. For many years, I have been hosting them at my home (or at friends’ homes) where I prepare a meal. I usually plan a themed meal around my Friendsgiving since I already get to do all the traditional stuff on regular Thanksgiving. I always deconstruct turkeys for my Friendsgivings and make a variety of dishes using various turkey parts. I always make a turkey Bolognese and have made other things like tom kha gai turkey soup or a turkey paitan ramen (that’s like Tonkotsu ramen but with a creamy turkey broth). I even served turkey stuffing gyoza as an appetizer for the ramen dinner! Last year, I did a brunch themed Friendsgiving which I now call Brunch-giving—maybe it will stick.

At Thanksgiving, Wines Accompany So Much More Than Just the Meal

I think it’s worth mentioning that the magic of the holiday happens during the times that aren’t the meal itself. Wednesday night cocktails when everyone first arrives and catches up, or the chaos of too many cooks in the kitchen on Thursday as everything comes together. These are the moments where wines can come from anywhere—they just need to bring smiles to faces. Here are the wines I would pick for my Thanksgiving—selections that will make any wine enthusiast feel at home, but are also easy to enjoy for anyone just looking to grab a glass.

It's Time to Talk Turkey... Wines!

This week, we’re officially kicking off our Thanksgiving planning. Halloween is in the rearview mirror; Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are just far enough away that we don’t have to wrap our brains around gifting quite yet… No elves on the shelves, but our rally bird is out in Redwood City—it’s the perfect time to talk turkey! Planning Thanksgiving is no small task: there are so many dishes in a traditional spread that it takes some coordination to get the ingredients, the shopping trips, and the oven timing organized. Likewise, the multitude of flavors and textures at play on the table means it does take a bit of strategy to get the perfect wines to make everything harmonize just right. Luckily, that’s the part of Thanksgiving prep that K&L staffers love most, and we’re here to help you knock Thanksgiving 2024 outta the park!

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com