Arrivederci to One of the Best in the Biz

Greg St. Clair has been at the heart and soul of our Italian wine program for 28 years. He has excelled at finding us wonderful wines from Italy at great prices, as well as being the greatest ambassador for everything Italy. He’d pour the staff a wine and accompany it with a story about eating nothing but wild boar for a week in Tuscany or climbing a precariously sloped vineyard in Soave, with such vivid details that it was easy to feel transported to another world—his version of Italy is the best version, the one where your glass is never empty and your stomach always has room for the never-ending parade of mouthwatering food that your dear friends are cooking for you. He is passionate about Italy, and it was hard not to fall in love with it too when he was pouring wine. He embodied the dolce vita and was always there to remind us of the pleasures of the table.

He was also a great teammate. Retail is a team sport, and, if you’ve lasted for 28 years on the floor, then you’ve got some serious chops at working with people. He’s leaving behind many fans among the staff and the customers. A few of our team members wanted to send him off with some parting words…

Mr. Greg St. Clair it is hard to believe that the day has finally come! I just want to say you’ve had an amazing professional career, and retirement is such a well-deserved change. I am so grateful to have spent my five years at K&L getting to know you, learning new Italian varieties, and discovering the unique styles of Italian wines you have introduced me to. I appreciate all the detailed stories you've shared and the people you have introduced me to. I will surely miss seeing you in the shop but hopefully you won’t be a stranger. So, I give my big congratulations on your retirement. I wish you pleasant times, good health and great people by your side. Life has officially given you permission to relax.  -Dejah Overby

I’ve been in the wine industry for over twenty years now, and most of that time I’ve had either a personal or professional pursuit of great Italian wines. One of the things that I’ve admired about Greg over the years is that, while I enjoy the wines, he is part of the culture in a way that I can only aspire to. It’s a language, mentality, and passion for the people and place that transcend the label and the press. In that way, he connects much more with the wine itself and the journey that goes along with it, something that brings people back to K&L time and time again. This is something I think all great buyers have, but Greg has put it in great relief for me.

In the same way, I would give a strong recommendation for everyone in my orbit: when Greg recommends a restaurant, make sure to go out of your way to try it. There’s no shortage of someone telling you that this or that Italian restaurant is the next thing that you have to try, but I’ve never gone wrong following Greg’s lead. No surprise that an expert on Italian wines also knows how to pair them—you can’t have one without the other.

Greg’s impact on the Italian wine industry cannot be overstated. He has spent nearly 30 years at K&L buying millions of bottles for the cellars and dinner tables of thousands and thousands of fortunate dinners, drinkers, and collectors. The clients who bought those wines were able to have confidence that they were sharing something special with their friends and family, whether it was an under-the-radar Nebbiolo or (especially) if it was a direct-import Brunello. We will do our best to keep his legacy going at K&L, and we’re lucky to have a model of quality and character to set the standard for our team going forward.  

Thank you, Greg, for everything you’ve taught me over the years.  You’re truly one of a kind.  Enjoy your well-deserved retirement! -Ryan Moses

I can’t believe that it has been more than 24 years since Greg hired me to work here at K&L, and now we are seeing him off to retirement. He recruited me from another local retailer and has been a great mentor ever since. He was the one that showed me the ropes of direct importation, and his finds—Blason, Ermaccora, Sesta di Sopra, and so many others—are still among the very best wines that K&L has to offer our customers. He was there when I first tasted the samples that the Ariston family of Champagne Aspasie sent me and encouraged me to go for my very first direct import of my own. Perhaps most importantly, he told me early on that our first job as wine professionals is “to like wine more than other people”—a quote that I have repeated to young colleagues more times than I can count. K&L will not be the same without him—I miss him already! -Gary Westby

Greg St. Clair is a class act. We hired him in 1997 when K&L was not doing much Italian wine business. He brought K&L to the top of the Italian wine retailers in a short time. Now K&L is known as one of the best wine shops in the world for Italian wines. Best of luck Greg and thanks for all the years at K&L. -Clyde Beffa