February is all about Champagne at its most thrilling. From the laser-focused precision of Damien Hugot to the beautifully mature old-vine depth of Fallet-Dart, this month’s selections celebrate grower brilliance and grand marque mastery alike. We spotlight collectible bottlings of Cristal, revel in Pinot Noir–driven power, and savor the final allocations of Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition. Plus, we honor the enduring elegance and innovation of Laurent-Perrier. Whether you’re cellaring icons or discovering new grower stars, there’s never been a better time to explore Champagne’s latest treasures.

Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyFebruary 16, 2026K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, gary westby, krug, champagne, damien hugot, fallet dart, grower champagne, grande marque champagne, billecart salmon, cristal, louis roederer, krug grande cuvee 172, laurent-perrier

Savor the Last of Krug's "Grande Cuvée" 172ème Édition

While some may disagree with me, I think that the Grande Cuvée isn’t just the equal of the other offerings at Krug; I think it is their best wine. The thing that I like the best about it is the combination of youthful exuberance and profound, aged depth that it shows at the same time. This is something that just gets better with age. Every time that I have done an event with Krug, it has been the oldest Grande Cuvée that has been my favorite wine, and I have been lucky enough to do a lot as a Krug Ambassade.

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyFebruary 4, 2026K&L Wine Merchantsklwinse, klwines, krug, krug grande cuvee 172, grande cuvee, krug grande cuvee 173, gary westby, krug and caviar, krug and white truffle pasta, champagne, krug ambassade, krug champagne

Champagne Pinot Noir Madness!

An entire third of the Champagne region is planted to Pinot Noir, yet 100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs is a relative rarity—especially compared to Blanc de Bancs, even though Chardonnay represents less than a quarter of plantations in the region. Here are some of our favorites:

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyFebruary 4, 2026K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, champagne, gary westby, billecart salmon, blanc de noirs, pinot noir

Cristal Collectibles: "Grand Vin on the World Stage"

Champagne Louis Roederer’s Cristal is an icon of the wine world for good reason. This is an estate within and estate—the chalkiest parcels, the oldest vines of this house’s significant holdings. Farmed biodynamically, often by horse, nothing is left to chance and no expense is spared for quality. We are very lucky to have a diverse selection of vintages to offer right now.

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyFebruary 4, 2026K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, gary westby, louis roederer, louis roederer cristal, cristal, champagne, collectible champagne, collectible wine

Brilliantly Aged Old-Vine Champagne from Fallet-Dart

The Fallet family of Champagne Fallet-Dart has written records of being vine growers in Drachy going all the way back to 1610. The family has almost certainly been there even longer than that. Their 47 acres of vineyard are closer to Paris than to Épernay, located in the Aisne department on the banks of the Marne river. The family’s extraordinarily long time in this business has given them patience like few other producers—as a matter of fact they supply us with our oldest current-release Champagne at 20 years old!

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyFebruary 4, 2026K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, fallet-dart, paul fallet-dart, gary westby, grower champagne, champagne, valentines day wine, champagne grower, old vine champagne, meunier

Damien Hugot: A Testament to How Good Grower Champagne Can Be

Damien Hugot and his wife Miwa are making some of the star wines of our K&L direct import portfolio. They do this the old-fashioned way, with hours of work in their 20 acres of vineyard, tending every plot like a garden. They are blessed with an incredible estate, almost all Grand Cru Chouilly and Cramant Chardonnay with a little bit of old-vine Meunier from the border between Monthelon and Chavot in the cool sud-Épernay sub region.

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyFebruary 4, 2026K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, gary westby, damien hugot, champagne, grower champagne, blanc de blancs, valentines day champagne, grand cru champagne, vintage champagne, nonvintage champagne

Champagne for the New Year

No occasion is more synonymous with Champagne than New Year’s Eve, and I have some great recommendations to ring in 2026. I have often said, there are 364 great nights to go out, and one great night to stay in and drink Champagne—the 31st of December is a great night to stay off the streets!

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyDecember 26, 2025klwines, krug, nye, new years eve champagne, new years champagne, champagne, gary westby, krug champagne, ad coutelas, laurent perrier, billecart salmon

Holiday Gift Guide

This year’s K&L Holiday Gift Guide showcases the bottles our buyers are most excited to give (and to receive). Below you’ll find Champagne benchmarks, hand-selected Domestic gems, top-flight Tuscan classics, and versatile Loire Valley wines, plus upcoming in-store events and our Thanksgiving Pairing Guide. Consider this your roadmap to the most compelling gifts of the season.

France, Wine Newsletter, Champagne, ItalyKate SotoNovember 25, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, holiday wines, holiday gift guide, holiday wine, champagne, loire valley wine, sancerre, tuscan wines, orazio campoli, ryan woodhouse, gary westby, holiday events

Champagne for All My Friends!

Pure class in a bottle, the Héritage is tête de cuvée quality that will go head-to-head with most anything double its price.

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyNovember 24, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, champagne, laurent perrier, ariston aspasie, billecart salmon, derot delugny, gary westby, holdiay wines, holiday champagne, holiday wine, christmas gift, hannukah gift

Rosé Champagne Is the Versatile Pairing for Turkey and All the Sides

I love Thanksgiving. I love it so much that we usually do it twice a year chez Westby. I love it so much that I own a turkey suit and wear it every year the day before Thanksgiving in the store. I love it so much that I have accumulated some weight from enjoying it to its fullest—mostly by stuffing myself with stuffing. Why do I love it? Because it is the best time to be thankful for all of life’s blessings, and to celebrate those blessings with food, friends, rosé Champagne and red Burgundy!

France, Open Cellar, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyNovember 10, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, gary westby, aspasie, ariston aspasie, ariston aspasie champage, rose champag, rose champagne, billecart salmon, la rose, thanksgiving champagne, thanksgiving wine pairimg, thanksgiving wine pairing

Get to Know Champagne Buyer Gary Westby

On the occasion of Gary Westby’s 20th anniversary with K&L, we sat down and asked him all the questions that inquiring minds want to know. Find out more about the man behind our world-class Champagne program!

ChampagneKate SotoOctober 16, 2025K&L Wine Merchantschampagne, gary westby, ariston aspasie, wine history, klwines, k&l wine blog, champagne blogger, cindy westby

Our Favorite In-Stock Champagne Collectibles

This summer, K&L’s Champagne Buyer Gary Westby was once again honored with an invitation to join the Krug Ambassade Voyage—one of the most exclusive programs in the wine world. To celebrate this extraordinary experience, we’re spotlighting a selection of rare Krug bottlings straight from the house, alongside collectible icons from Champagne’s most storied names.

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyJuly 28, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, gary westby, champagne, champagne newsletter, krug, champagne collectibles, billecart salmon, rose champagne, krug ambassade voyage

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