Any spirits lover can attest that our spirits selection runs as deep and as wonkish as you any out there. We’re thrilled to bring on a second Spirits Buyer, Josh Gelfand, who can help build on the wonderful work David Othenin-Girard has been doing. Josh is based in Northern California, so he’ll be a great counterpoint to David in SoCal. We’ve seen so much enthusiasm from our customers and growth in this category, and it’s extremely exciting to watch how it will continue to grow in the years to come.
This month in Domestic Wine, we’re celebrating everything from pioneering icons to hidden gems. Join us as we explore the groundbreaking work at Stolpman Vineyards, discover one of our buyer’s favorite small producers in MarBeso, and revisit the historic role of Farella in shaping Coombsville. We’ve also lined up tastings from Napa to the Central Coast that showcase California’s incredible breadth and depth. And for those who love a true K&L exclusive—keep an eye out for the next chapter of our Anonymous Wines project, releasing soon.
Anonymous is without doubt one of the most exciting projects we've launched in decades at K&L. The wines have been extremely well received all around and continue to fly off our shelves as folks drink them and taste for themselves what exceptional values they represent. It's a fun game to play, trying to guess whom we partnered with on each release, and many of you have emailed me some pretty good guesses. However, the most important thing that really drives this project is the quality that's in the bottle. If it doesn't taste good, intrigue and speculation can only carry the wines so far. The wines have to deliver, and I'm really proud of what we've put in bottle. I hope you feel the same way.
The region of Combsville in Napa Valley even describes itself on the official vintners' and growers page as a hidden gem. Despite being just three minutes from downtown Napa, the region is somehow still off the beaten path for most visitors to the valley. Coombsville is one of the more recently established sub-AVAs in Napa Valley, becoming officially recognized in 2011. There is, however, a long history of grape growing in the region going back to the 1880s. To this day the iconic R.W. Moore Vineyard, planted in 1905, is still in production. It was however in the early 1980s that the modern era of Coombsville began and no winery was more instrumental in the founding of this AVA than Farella. Firstly, second generation owner, Tom Farella, wrote and submitted the petition that led to the creation of the AVA. But Farella’s importance goes deeper than simply filing paperwork.
One of my absolute favorite small producers we're working with right now is MarBeso, based in the Sta. Rita Hills. I first got to know owner/winemaker Colin McNanny when he was making the wines at La Honda winery, just down the road from our Redwood City store. I admired the wines he managed to craft at La Honda, especially when you take into account that the team there produced wines from dozens of essentially “backyard vineyards” from Los Gatos to San Mateo. Colin and I became friends with a mutual enjoyment of surfing and finding great hole-in-the-wall taquerias around Redwood City.
The first time I encountered Stolpman was back in 2008 when I was working for Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Vineyard. As the infamous “Rhône Ranger,” Randall sought out excellence in Rhône varietals throughout California, so it's no surprise that he ended up buying fruit from Stolpman who pioneered Syrah and other Rhône varieties in what was to later become the Ballard Canyon AVA. Stolpman’s Vineyard is planted across a series of undulating hills on the Western side of Ballard Canyon, just a few miles south of Los Olivos.
This month at K&L brings no shortage of excitement—from the debut of the Italian Discovery Series to the return of our Champagne Tent Event in Redwood City and Hollywood. We’re also spotlighting late-summer whites from Alsace, Germany, and Austria, and our Open Cellar lineup updates—your chance to taste incredible bottles by the glass in-store. There’s plenty to discover this month, and we’re thrilled to share it all with you.
We’re thrilled to introduce Agnes Gleizes, a new K&L Exclusive Chablis label and a seven-generation family domaine with enviable holdings across top Grand Cru and 1er Cru vineyard sites. Domaine Gautheron, a top Chablis producer and a K&L fan favorite, is behind the Agnes Gleizes label. In fact, you’ll find the exact same juice in the Agnes Gleizes wines as in Domaine Gautheron’s. Thanks to our great relationship with Domaine Gautheron, we’ve been able to secure our own exclusive label! Not only are these wines fantastic but they are easily the best value we currently have in Chablis.
I'm sure I've said this before, but I really enjoy a tasting that feels more like a multi-course dinner than just a straightforward tasting. Our Buyer Rachael Ryan really puts together a nice tasting that has this kind of complete feel. We started off last week’s Spanish and Portuguese tasting with the super classic and super delicious Mas Codina Cava Brut Reserva Penedès $13.99, one of my favorite bottles of bubbles when I don’t want to spend the money for Champagne. It’s still made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise and is a delicious clean and crisp style of sparkling wine. It's fantastic.
Probably one of the most exciting parts of being the wine buyer for Spain and Portugal is being the person in charge of the Port, Sherry, and Madeira selections! While you can certainly enjoy these wines year-round, there’s just something about the approach of autumn that makes me want to reach for a glass of Madeira or a chilled Sherry. With cooler nights approaching, this is the perfect time to stock up on fortified wines, especially the richer styles. They’re lovely wines to have on hand for dinner parties, as an accompaniment to a cheese platter or for after-dinner sipping, or just as a treat on a quiet night in.
When imagining Spain and Portugal, hot and arid landscapes often come to mind, with golden rolling hills dotted with gnarled old vines. The far northwestern corner of Spain, however, often referred to as “Green Spain,” defies this stereotype. Likewise, across the Miño River (or Minho River, depending on what language you’re speaking) in northern Portugal, the wine regions are defined by a cool, coastal climate with ample rainfall.
Rioja is one of the most historic—and dynamic—wine regions, beloved by collectors around the world. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the formal establishment of the appellation, which has continued to evolve in recent years with exciting new projects and ventures. In many ways, modern-day Rioja is where the past, the present, and the future come together in dynamic fashion.
