Spain & Portugal: World-Class Wine at Every Price Point

Rachael Ryan has traveled to both Spain and Portugal in 2026 — and she's come back convinced the Iberian Peninsula is producing better wine than ever. This month's selections span López de Heredia Viña Tondonia releases stretching back to 1961, the introduction of Dominio de Atauta as K&L's newest direct import partner, and a deep run through Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Albariño, Cava, and the Douro Valley. World-class quality, many at prices that would be unthinkable from Bordeaux or Burgundy.

The Douro Valley Beyond Port

Rachael Ryan just returned from Portugal, and her verdict is unambiguous: Douro red wines have never been better. A region once defined almost entirely by Port has transformed over the past decade into one of Europe's most exciting sources of unfortified red wine — fresh, structured, and priced at a fraction of comparable bottles from France or Spain. Six bottles from $16.99 to $79.99.

Bodegas Miguel Merino: “Updated Classic” Rioja from Briones

Few Rioja producers walk the line between tradition and modernity as gracefully as Bodegas Miguel Merino. Founded in the mid-1990s by Miguel Sr. and now guided by his son Miguel Jr. and daughter-in-law Erika, the winery is making some of the most elegant, terroir-driven wines in Briones—including single-vineyard bottlings of Garnacha, Mazuelo, and a white Rioja that will make you rethink the region entirely. Seven bottles from $21.99 to $64.99, all direct import.

Introducing Dominio de Atauta: Our Newest Spanish Direct Import

Rachael Ryan has been hunting for the right Spanish direct import partner for years. She found it in Dominio de Atauta — a Ribera del Duero producer working with pre-Phylloxera vines averaging 85 years old, some exceeding 120, at elevations that give the wines a freshness and elegance the region isn't always known for. Four bottles, from $19.99 to $44.99, all worth your attention.

Italy June 2026: Sassicaia, Boroli, and the White Barolo You Haven't Heard of Yet

The 2023 Sassicaia earned 100 points from Wine Advocate. It is one of the finest vintages from this estate in years — and this is the final round of pre-orders. That would be enough. But this newsletter also has three 94-point Barolo at prices only K&L customers see, Fèlsina back in stock at market low after a long absence, and Vigneti Repetto — K&L's newest Direct Import from Piedmont's Colli Tortonesi, introducing the "White Barolo" to our portfolio for the first time. Orazio Campoli curates the complete Italy lineup below. Shop the Italy Newsletter →

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