Last year I was in luck for the number of great champagnes that I had a chance to drink, and looking back, I picked out 10 of the most memorable to tell you about. Highlights include the over-achieving 2004s at age twenty, the epic 2008s that we can’t get enough of, and even some non-vintage gems. And of course, most often it’s the company that makes these bottles so special.
Read MoreSicily is probably my favorite Italian wine region. I love the people, the colors, the food, and, of course, the wine. I like to think of Sicily as the original melting pot, the real heartland of the world. The wines found throughout the region speak to this diversity with brilliance, and represent some unique and singular expressions.
Read MoreEvery year I look back and realize how blessed I’ve been to experience so many great wines, stories, and events. Often, it’s not the scale of the wine, but the people you’re with or the places you find yourself. 2024 was a roller coaster year for sure, but here are some of the peaks of fine wine that I was fortunate to be a part of last year.
Read MoreI think this is going to be an incredible, tenuous, fascinating, and challenging year for Bordeaux. I’ll say it again... the wines seem better than ever, but now it’s time to make that matter in a big way. Here are some of the major events I’m looking forward to this year—potentially big inflection points in Bordeaux and the greater wine market.
Read MoreEvery single day, we’re on an endless treasure hunt at K&L, scouring for the next jaw-dropping collectible to share with you. The thrill of discovery never gets old, and luckily for you, we’ve got one of the most customized e-mail platforms around to keep you in the loop. Seriously, it’s like your own personal shopper on autopilot. All you have to do is log in to your account, select your interests, decide how many emails you want to receive per month (a little or a lot, totally your call), and voilà—you’re set.
Read MoreWhile the fine wine and spirits industry is experiencing some turbulent times, I find myself still enamored with the products, culture, and people who make this one of the most exiting businesses in the world. The joy I get from pulling corks is not going away, and, while everybody is fretting over trying to mobilize the next generation of collectors, I firmly believe that there’s a significant and not-to-be-missed trend towards better and more accessible products that will be the great leveler.
Read MoreThe year 2024 was certainly one for the record books at K&L. It’s been a year of big changes: we opened the Culver City store at the beginning of the year—our first new location since 2007—and celebrated with a wonderful party filled with winemakers and friends. We also held our annual Champagne Tent Event in Culver City for the first time, after many years in Hollywood.
Read MoreFranciacorta is Italy’s premier sparkling wine from Lombardy. It draws upon centuries of history, culture, and winemaking tradition. Its name dates back to the 11th century when Cluniac and Cistercian monks reclaimed the lands, which became known as Francae Curtes—lands free of taxes. It then became "Franzakurta" in 1277. Franciacorta's legacy dates back even earlier than Dom Perignon, with a mention in the Libellus de vino mordaci, a groundbreaking book on bottle-fermented wines published in 1570.
Read MoreIf you are considering a dry January, or just need a really well made non-alcoholic wine alternative for an upcoming occasion, I highly recommend checking out the range of “wines” we carry from Kally. I wrote about these great additions to our selections back in September, and we have continued to see them really loved by staff and customers alike.
Read MoreOrgeon’s Willamette Valley is well known for its world-class Pinot Noir and more recently an emerging reputation for top-notch Chardonnay. However, the sparkling wines from this part of the world often slip under the radar. There are several producers making exceptional traditional-method sparkling wines in the region, but the real stand out for me is Argyle.
Read MoreIf you’re seeking the best of grower Champagne–inspired bubbles, look no further than the fascinating and truly excellent wines of BXT. I’ve written about these brilliant wines at length before, but here’s a quick recap. BXT (that stands for Bubbles by Tom) is a tiny project that comes to you from the aptly named “Crusher District” in the industrial part of south Napa. Proprietor Tom Sherwood has a day job in Napa making mostly big, powerful Napa Cabs. His wife Brittany is the longtime winemaker at Napa icon Heitz Cellars. So, in his spare time (ha ha), Tom decided to start a very small brand focused on extremely limited-production, entirely hand-made, traditional-method sparkling wines.
Read MoreOne of our great long-standing Direct Import partners is Famille Antech. Proprietor and sixth-generation winemaker Françoise Antech-Gazeau has been a dear friend for many years, and her son Baptiste joined the winery a few years ago. There have been some great initiatives at the winery over the last couple of years that are now coming to fruition.
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