Welcome to the wine list for our first annual West Coast Wine Tent Event at K&L San Francisco! This is more than just a wine tasting. It’s a rare opportunity to sample over 100 wines from California and Oregon’s most celebrated and emerging producers—all poured by the people who made them. Meet legendary and emerging producers alike, from wineries including Ridge, Spottswoode, Rhys, Hundred Suns, Walter Scott, and more! If you love West Coast wine, this is an event you don’t want to miss.
Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the release party of the 2012 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart" NFB Brut Champagne$199.99 96WA 95VN by the seventh generation of the Billecart family, Mathieu Roland-Billecart. The party was thrown at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, down an obscure alley in an unassuming part of town—but what a place! Everyone from Michael Jackson to Metallica has recorded there, and the sound-dampened walls felt like they were full of stories. It was an unforgettable evening, and the magic of the NFB has added another legend to this legendary place. It was a great chance to reconnect with friends in the wine world, and especially to spend time with the team from Billecart—Mathieu, Geoffrey, and Clément.
Pian dell’Orino delivers some of the most authentic Sangiovese from Montalcino’s hillside region. Located near the Biondi-Santi estate, the Pian dell’Orino name has become synonymous with outstanding quality. The winery has been able to rise to benchmark Brunello status while working biodynamically and using a Burgundian vineyard management. They represent one of the more forward-looking producers you can find nowadays in Montalcino.
For millennia the Mediterranean and Aegean islands were way-stations for traders and conquerors, each wave planting vines in their wake. Today those same outposts are buzzing with fresh energy. From Santorini’s volcano to Sicily’s lava soils, wind-lashed Corsica, and sun-soaked Sardinia, a new generation is pairing ancient bush vines with precision farming and low-intervention cellars—yielding mineral-charged whites, perfumed reds, and inventive blends that rival Europe’s mainland classics while staying refreshingly affordable and true to place.
Inside: Assyrtiko’s meteoric rise, under-the-radar Greek whites, high-altitude Xinomavro, Etna’s fiery reds, and Sardinia & Corsica’s boundary-breaking blends. Stock up and taste how brightly these island stars shine.
Reds definitely took a back seat to their white counterparts when Greek wines reemerged on the international wine scene a decade ago. The red grapes’ popularity suffered from difficult-to-pronounce names and a decided rusticity at the time. So much has advanced over the last decade, and I now find myself just as excited for the reds that are arriving as I was for the whites that were hitting our shores those short 10 years ago.
Assyrtiko may be Greece’s most famous vinous export now (aside from retsina; we will not speak of that here), but there are so many other exciting whites that I have to bring them to your attention. Historically, the Savatiano and Roditis grapes were the workhorses. For decades they made simple white wines that were crowd-pleasing café staples for easy mezza pairings. There has been a lot of focus on leveling up these grapes, and we will continue to see more exciting ones to come over the next few years.
Assyrtiko has become so important and in demand that the grape has been planted well outside its native viticultural confines. Several producers have embraced it on mainland Greece, and it has become a core wine in many top Greek wine programs. The grape has become so popular that we are now seeing it emerge from other new world regions like California and South Australia.
As I criss-cross Champagne this spring, one theme keeps popping up: 2024 is shaping up beautifully in the cellar—but we collectors can’t drink futures on Mother’s Day. So I’ve pulled together bottles that are ready to thrill right now. First up is the crown jewel of my 25-year buying career, the transcendent 2008 Louis Roederer “Cristal”—direct from the maison and showing every bit of its triple-digit pedigree. I’ll also share notes from the Kimmeridgian soils of Les Riceys with Vivien Lamoureux and give you a sneak peek at Alexandre Le Brun’s rain-soaked yet dazzling 2024 vins clairs. Finally, because brunch without pink bubbles is just breakfast, I’ve hand-picked six rosé Champagnes that deliver serious finesse and pure festive joy. Grab a glass and dive in—there’s plenty to celebrate.
Joel Nicholas & Steve Birer: uncorking “Pour Decisions” – where we’ll spill the booze on the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of the retail wine & spirits world. Buckle up.
This Mother’s Day, if you feel like a splurge, we have something incredible in stock for you: a wine that comes from the best vintage of my 25-year career buying Champagne at K&L, and one of the very top wines from that vintage. I am talking about the 2008 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne (direct from Roederer 2025)$449.99. This wine has absolutely perfect provenance, coming direct from Roederer, through their own wholly owned import company, MMD. With multiple 100 and 99 point scores from the press, I am not alone in liking it—it is simply as good as Champagne gets.
Some winemakers create wines that seem to have a life of their own. The wines tell stories. The wines alter your perception about a location. Arianna Occhipinti is one of those winemakers.
On the heels of our highly successful Champagne Tent Events, we’re now bringing you not one but TWO new tent events coming in 2025—and we love the idea so much, we’re making it an annual tradition. On May 18th, we’re bringing winemakers and other winery representatives from all over the West Coast to San Francisco for the Great West Coast Wine Tasting! On June 8th in Culver City, we’re celebrating the dolce vita with Italian winemakers and winery reps! Our Domestic and Italian Wine Buyers have worked hard to bring you absolutely stellar lineups, and, at $50 a pop for two-and-a-half hours of tasting and mingling, we think these tickets represent the best deal in town! More info below—snag your tickets before they sell out.
