Every year our buyers put together their honest picks for Mother's Day—not the obvious stuff, but the bottles they'd actually bring to their own mothers. This year that means Grand Cru Champagne from Avize, modern Barolo from one of Piedmont's most important winemakers, six Provence rosés all under $34, and three spirits that will make her cocktail hour considerably better. Plus two events worth getting off the couch for, and a couple of gift options that keep delivering long after Sunday.
Read MoreAfter 25 years of sourcing Champagne for K&L, Gary Westby finally made one of his own. Maison 76 is a Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Avize, made in collaboration with Olivier Bonville — 60% reserve wines, three years on the lees, dosed at just 5.8 grams per liter, and priced under $50. Gary calls it one of the greatest brut sans année offerings K&L has ever carried. The first case off the truck went straight to his house.
Read MoreIf you want a Champagne that never misses—for mom, for the table, for any occasion worth celebrating—Franck Bonville from the Grand Cru village of Avize is the answer. Gary picks three bottles for every kind of mother, from $53.99 to a once-in-a-while splurge that will genuinely stop her in her tracks.
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