Terah Bajjalieh of Terah Wine Co. is a queer woman of color who owns and operates one of the coolest natural wine companies in California right now. She has had a long and distinguished career, working 13 consecutive harvests around the world to hone her craft. She first started making wine in a friend’s garage, before starting Terah Wine Co. She only works with organic and biodynamic vineyards and focuses on a minimal intervention winemaking style.
Read MoreEvery wine ever made is a result of a series of decisions. Each decision, especially early in the process, lays the wine’s foundation and structure. The wines Chris Puppione makes are exquisite examples of place and variety—such purity and honesty. The five that I tasted with Chris made me excited for the future. I felt like I escaped into great series on Netflix, and I eagerly await the coming seasons to see how this this story evolves.
Read MoreI missed the introduction to Lorenzo Pasquini before he began guiding the Château d’Yquem staff tasting last week at our San Francisco store. When I nosed the first pour, I didn’t know what he did for the winery. All I knew was that the wines and his passion and charisma shone brilliantly, which inspired me to ask if he would sit down for an impromptu video tasting.
Read MoreWhen Rhône Buyer Keith Mabry and I first tasted the wines of Mas de Libian, we were so struck with their absolute vibrancy and aromatic beauty that we knew they should be part of K&L’s portfolio. They are biodynamically farmed, low-intervention, naturally made wines, but very clean and extremely well made. The complex aromas leap out of the glass, and the wines dance on the palate—these wines are the ballet dancers of the Rhône Valley.
Read MoreGreg Brewer has been making gorgeous wines in the Sta. Rita Hills since 1996, first with his eponymous winery Brewer-Clifton, opened with Steve Clifton, then at Melville and Diatom wineries. Though the style is different at each winery, the message is the same: Sta. Rita Hills is world-class terroir, and it’s here to stay. If you want to understand Pinot and Chardonnay from the Sta. Rita Hills, Brewer’s wines should be where you start.
Read MoreThe wines of Silver Oak are nothing short of iconic, Third-generation vintner Matt Duncan gives us a peak into one of the reasons why: their American oak barrels, painstakingly prepared to create the perfect symbiosis with their favorite grape: Cabernet!
Read MoreThis year marks Nicolas-Jay’s seventh vintage of making beautiful Pinots and Chardonnay in Willamette Valley. Despite fires and pandemics, these two longtime friends—Jay Boberg and Jean-Nicolas Meo—have managed to open a brand-spanking new winery this year, just in time for harvest. It may be weird times all around, but the future is looking bright for this winery, and for Oregon wine as a whole.
Read MoreBehind every great wine is a great story. Napa’s Accendo Cellars indeed makes great wine, and the story behind it is particularly special to us at K&L. Bart Araujo, former owner of Eisele Vineyards and Araujo Estate Winery, is the man behind the magic at Accendo Cellars. He also happens to be good friends with K&L’s Clyde Beffa, and their story stretches back to the baseball diamond at Serra High. Luckily they both held their own on the ol’ sand lot, though you might hear a bit of friendly rivalry now and again! Since those years, they’ve built some amazing businesses, and a remarkable multi-generational friendship.
Read MoreWe are excited to now have the inaugural release of reds from Domaine des Carlines, a Direct Import Jura producer whose whites we’ve loved since their first vintage in 2015. They’re a young domaine but the two at the helm, Patrick and Sophie, have been in the wine business their whole lives. The wines are very special, and we’re going to drink them all summer long.
Read MoreWe’re excited to introduce you to a new winemaker in our Direct Import portfolio. Meet Michael Cooper and his Vinos de Vientos wines: old-vine Grenache- and Carignan-driven bottlings direct from exceptional vineyards in Spain.
Read MoreCarlo Ferrini is well-beloved in Italian wine as a consultant, racking up several prestigious “Winemaker of the Year” awards for his work with wineries from Piedmont to Sicily. He lets his own small Brunello winery, Giodo, fly under the radar so as not to steal the spotlight from his clients, but his wines are truly exceptional. They are the work of a master with decades of experience, and they will be a beacon for any Brunello lover.
Read MoreThe 2019 vintage from one of our favorite Minervois producers has just hit the shelves. If you’re looking from sunshine from the South of France, look no further than the Chapelle en Rosé and the Petite Saint Jacques. Owner Graham Nutter took some time to show us the historic chapel on his property and his organic vineyards.
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