December Newsletter: Our Exclusive Private Labels

Our new private label programs represent some of the most exciting, high-value bottles on our shelves. Sourced directly by our buyers and crafted in partnership with top producers based on relationships spanning decades, they deliver serious quality at incredible prices. This week, we’re spotlighting giftable Discovery Series wines, in-stock Anonymous selections, K&L Scotch exclusives, a new Rhône wine, a preview of our new Maison 76 project, and where to taste these wines in-store with Somm Services.

California Wine, France, Wine NewsletterKate SotoDecember 1, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, private label, k&l private label, anonymous wine collective, anonymous wine, discovery series, k&l discovery series

Spring Is Offically Time for Rosé All Day

Spring has sprung and with it the official start of rosé season. As I’ve said before, personally I like to drink rosé all year, but here at K&L we definitely start to see an uptick in demand as the lighter evenings draw out and temperatures rise.

California Wine, Wine NewsletterRyan WoodhouseApril 6, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, rose wine, domestic wine, wine newsletter, california wine, california rose', ryan woodhouse, ridge vineyards, flowers, ovum pink salt, preston estate, goat bubbles, fossil point, rootdown, bedrock wine co.

Holiday Buying Guide: Our Top Picks for the Season

The K&L Holiday Wine Buying Guide is your ultimate resource for selecting the perfect wines to elevate your holiday celebrations. Whether you're searching for the ideal bottle to pair with festive meals, a special gift for a wine lover, or simply a standout wine to enjoy with loved ones, our curated guide offers expert recommendations across all price points and styles. From rich reds and elegant whites to sparkling wines and rare finds, our team of experienced sommeliers and wine buyers has handpicked a selection that embodies the spirit of the season, ensuring your holiday table is stocked with exceptional wines. Let us help you make this holiday season even more memorable with the perfect bottle for every occasion!

California Wine, France, Oregon Wine, Wine Newsletter, Bordeaux, ChampagneKate SotoDecember 10, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, ryan moses, ryan woodhouse, kirk walker, thomas smith, orazio campoli, hundred suns, assiduous, meteor perseid, mt brave mount veeder, napa cabernet, complant uc davis south station vineyard, far niente, chimney rock, dyer winery, forman winery, andreola mas de fer, bruno giacosa, gaja, tommaso bussola, antinori, felsina, vin santo, tignanello, produttori del barbaresco, cobb estate, lynch bages, cobb winery, pauillac de latour, rauzan segla, leoville poyferre, montrose, vietti, a tribute to grace, cantemerle, sansonnet, cristom, egrot, roederer collection 242, duckhorn, labegorce, 2005 secret orkney (highland park), gary westby, alexandre le brun, ad coutelas, billecart-salmon, krug grand cuvee 172, wine clubs, k&l wine clubs, el escoces volante

A Few of Our Favorite Things from the Domestic Wine Aisle

For the Holiday Buying Guide this year I decided to take a leaf out of Oprah’s book and present a few of my favorite things! As the Domestic Wine Buyer for K&L, I taste many thousands of wines a year: from high-end luxury cult Cabs to delicious everyday drinkers at $9.95; from solid, dependable, consistent old favorites, to the newest, most esoteric, experimental wines from folks trying something creative to get a start. My role as the buyer here is often not just to assess the quality and value presented by a certain wine, but to match it with a specific customer demand. The idea of this list is to be a little self indulgent (hey, it is the holiday season) and focus on wines that I personally enjoy to drink, share, and gift to others. Wines I believe have a broad appeal and will bring a smile to most people who taste them.

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.

California WineRyan WoodhouseNovember 21, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, au bon climat, bien nacido, jim clendenen, ryan woodhouse, santa barbara, sta rita hills, wine library, au bon climat wine library, pinot noir, chardonnay, california wine

STiRM: Minimal Intervention, Maximum Value

Wines that offer great value are a key focus for me whenever making buying decisions at K&L. Sure, some folks' definition of value might be quite different than mine, and not all great wines can necessarily be cheap. However, there’s something so satisfying when you find a wine that is just darn delicious for a great price. Even better (at least in my opinion) is when that delicious wine also happens to come from a small artisanal producer, hand-crafting wines from interesting vineyards in a non-interventionist style, with a great sense of place and authentic purity. This is exactly what I find in the wines of Ryan Stirm.

California Wine, Wine NewsletterRyan WoodhouseSeptember 24, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, stirm, ryan stirm, ryan woodhouse, domestic wine, california wine, cienega valley, california old vine

Introducing the Stunning Sparkling Wines of BxT

I first tasted a bottle of BxT sparkling wine during a fantastic wine dinner at Heitz Cellars last Fall… I was immediately intrigued by the quality of the wine and the fact that I had never seen nor heard of the wines before. Then came the revelation that BxT is actually a small passion project from Tom Sherwood, who just so happens to be the husband of immensely talented Heitz winemaker Brittany Sherwood.

California Wine, Wine NewsletterRyan WoodhouseApril 17, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, california sparkling wine, on the trail, klwines on the trail, california wine, bxt, ryan woodhouse, tom sherwood, wine newsletter, wine buying guide

Benchmark Producers to Start Your Wine Collection

Whether you are collecting for investment or for decades of enjoyment ahead, there are certain tried-and-true benchmark producers that are always the wisest of bets for your wine cellar. I’m pleased to share a few thoughts on some of my personal favorite producers, all of whom I hold in the highest regard. These are among the finest in their regions and provide exceptional value at their level. If you are looking to start a wine collection, you absolutely cannot go wrong if you start with wines from any of these estates.

California Wine, France, rhone, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneJohn ChristensenFebruary 27, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, john christensen, wine collecting, collectibles buying guide, wine buying guide, mayacamas, krug, donhoff, domaine jamet

The Wide World of Cabernet Sauvignon

It's easily the wine world's most famous red grape, and while most wine lovers have a general conception of what constitutes a "typical" Cabernet, a deep dive into the history and diversity of this incredible varietal quickly reveals that there's no such thing as typical Cab. From Bordeaux to Napa to the farthest reaches of the Southern Hemisphere, Cab thrives and offers wine enthusiasts nearly unlimited opportunities for exploration, so we invite you to join us a trip around the wide world of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bordeaux, California Wine, Wine NewsletterKate SotoFebruary 20, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, cabernet sauvignon, wine buying guide, cabernet buying guide, napa valley cabernet, bordeaux, australian cabernet sauvignon, chilean cabernet, super tuscan, south african cabernet

A Renewed Excitement for Napa Valley Cabernet

In July of 2022 I moved with my family to Napa Valley. Despite the Bay Bridge commute testing me at times, the move has been incredible for getting to know the U.S.’s most iconic wine region much more intimately. Observing from afar, it’s easy to lump all of Napa Valley together as an adult “Disneyland” of homogenous, over-priced, over-hyped wines with little sense of place. However, when you get to spend lots of time here—the more you explore, the more back roads you turn down, the more vineyards you walk—it becomes increasingly clear that despite the commercial success and sometimes inflated price points, Napa Valley is undeniably a phenomenal, distinctive, and radically diverse place to grow grapes.

California Wine, Wine NewsletterRyan WoodhouseFebruary 19, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, wines, napa valley, napa cabernet, ryan woodhouse, wine news, cabernet buying guide, mayacamas, mt veeder, howell mountain, dunn, calistoga

Around the World with Cabernet

Cabernet Sauvignon’s origins are believed to stretch back to France’s Aquitaine region in the 1600s. But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that U.C. Davis researchers determined through genetic testing that this beloved grape is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Sequencing the genome in 2007 unlocked even more valuable insights into the origin, breeding, and characteristics of one of the most beloved cultivars on the planet.

California Wine, South African Wine, Wine NewsletterKerry KirkhamFebruary 18, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, cabernet sauvignon, wine news, cabernet buying guide, super tuscan, south african cabernet, thomas smity, minimalist wines, paso robles wine

The New Tastemakers of California and Washington Wine

There's a never a shortage of new developments to share on the domestic wine front. Starting with our Key Accounts Team's Northern California Report, we dive into some of the benchmark properties in Napa and Sonoma to see what's on the horizon for collectors. Then Domestic Buyer Ryan Woodhouse shines the spotlight on three of his favorite boutique projects making waves among the most clued-in connoisseurs. Finally, a tantalizing sneak peek at Napa's upcoming 2021 releases has everyone in a festive mood for the upcoming holiday season.

California Wine, Wine NewsletterRyan WoodhouseOctober 3, 2023K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, k&l wine merchants, napa valley 2021 vintage, sonoma 2021 vintage

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