Just a few months after February’s Napa Valley Premiere event, the influential non-profit organization Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) hosted their second and final major fundraising auction of 2024 as May segued into June. The annual auction included a barrel auction and a live auction event, featuring wines from 2023, 2022, and 2021—all still in barrel.
Read MoreSo many exciting things are happening in the Portuguese wine world. Over the last 30 years the wine industry has changed so much… in the span of just one generation, Portuguese wine is ready for international success. Winemakers and viticulturalists have so much knowledge now, it is no surprise how good these wines are now. And the best part about it is that we are along for the ride to watch and taste what is happening.
Read MoreThe beautiful sun that ripens the grapes in France’s Southern Rhône Valley translates to fruity, delicious wines in your glass. With the help of the hearty Mistral wind that blows through the vineyards, these wines retain freshness and verve all while delivering complex, full-flavored wines. Do not miss these!
Read MoreIs Burgundy too expensive? It’s a loaded question that I get a lot, and one that I sometimes don't know how to answer. At first glance it's easy to say yes.
Read MoreThe wines of Jean-Louis Chave hold a special place atop the Rhône wine hierarchy. With an unbroken winegrowing lineage that dates back to 1481, not many other producers in the region (or even the world) can claim the heritage, the history, or the track record of superb craftsmanship that the Chave brand has evoked for centuries.
Read MoreOur Domestic Buyer Ryan Woodhouse shines a spotlight on the Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County’s rising superstar wine region. This cool climate zone produces some of the most exciting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the state, and our pages are packed with some of Ryan’s favorites. He also includes a focus on an Oregon Riesling producer who knocked his socks off and a roundup of under $20 bottles that overdeliver.
Read MoreToday's Newsletter gets us in the holiday mood with a truly all-encompassing look at our absolute favorite picks for pairing with a large and diverse holiday feast. Our best-in-the-business team of buyers has you covered with hand-picked selections that will shine in any holiday occasion, from the most casual, warm-hearted get-togethers to the most intricate and luxurious affairs.
Read MoreToday, the staff and buyers at K&L are opening up Sauvignon Blanc from around the world to pay homage to the Sauvignon Blanc grape and the wonderful wine it produces.
Read MoreWe’re beginning the new year by taking a look at new arrivals from one of our favorite categories: Bordeaux! Co-owner/Bordeaux Buyer Clyde Beffa introduces us to the wines—some with age, some still babies—that will soon be landing on our shelves. Whether you’re looking to collect bottles from celebrated vintages, like the 100-point 2009 Pontet-Canet; looking for great values from older vintages that are hitting their sweet spot now, like the 1996 du Val d’Or from St-Emilion; or just looking for an excellent to bottle for dinner tonight, like the 2016 Bellegrave du Poujeau—we’ve got something for you in these pages. After 45 years in the biz, Clyde never steers us wrong, and this new batch definitely won’t disappoint!
Read MoreWhether you’ll be spinning a dreidel, rockin’ around the Christmas tree, lighting the Kwanzaa candles, or simply enjoying Winter Solstice, we have something that can make your celebration special, and, though the times were strange in 2020, the wines were superb.
Read MoreThis may be an out-of-the-box Thanksgiving, so we’re thinking about out-of-the-box wine pairings. In today’s newsletter, we bring you the best and brightest of Pinot Noir, one of the classic characters you see at the turkey/tofurkey table. But we’ve thrown in some fun options from around the winemaking world to mix things up.
Read MoreLast night, I was treated to an early birthday treat as my friend, Henry, who manages the Fish Market restaurant, called and said that he had fresh king crab for us. Once a year, he gets an allocation aired in from Alaska that has not been frozen, and it is an over-the-top delicacy. We paired it with the most elegant of tête de cuvée Champagnes, the 2012 Louis Roederer “Cristal” Brut Champagne, and I don’t know if my real birthday is going to be able to compete.
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