There’s something about Northern Rhône that unites wine lovers. It happens to present perfect conditions to really understand terroir—that is, how different places can affect the same grape’s profile in the final wine. Northern Rhône is to Syrah lovers what Burgundy is to Pinot lovers: an intellectual playground for the grape.
Read MoreIn July of 2022 I moved with my family to Napa Valley. Despite the Bay Bridge commute testing me at times, the move has been incredible for getting to know the U.S.’s most iconic wine region much more intimately. Observing from afar, it’s easy to lump all of Napa Valley together as an adult “Disneyland” of homogenous, over-priced, over-hyped wines with little sense of place. However, when you get to spend lots of time here—the more you explore, the more back roads you turn down, the more vineyards you walk—it becomes increasingly clear that despite the commercial success and sometimes inflated price points, Napa Valley is undeniably a phenomenal, distinctive, and radically diverse place to grow grapes.
Read MoreCabernet Sauvignon’s origins are believed to stretch back to France’s Aquitaine region in the 1600s. But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that U.C. Davis researchers determined through genetic testing that this beloved grape is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Sequencing the genome in 2007 unlocked even more valuable insights into the origin, breeding, and characteristics of one of the most beloved cultivars on the planet.
Read MoreBefore we know it, we'll be knee-deep in en primeur with the 2023 vintage. But in the calm before the storm, we're taking a good look at the current state of Bordeaux with K&L Bordeaux Buyer Clyde Beffa, Jr. and K&L Key Accounts Manager Ryan Moses.
Read MoreEstablished in 1818 with the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, Champagne Billecart-Salmon is perched at the pinnacle of Champagne’s Grand Marques. Located along the Marne River in the renowned village of Marieul-sur-Aÿ, it is still family-owned and operated 205 years later. Seventh-generation vigneron Mathieu Roland-Billecart is now at the helm alongside sixth-generation mentors Antoine Roland-Billecart, Deputy General Manager, and Jean and François Roland-Billecart.
Read MoreWe know the feeling. It happens every year. Before we know it, the holidays are upon us, and it's time to start planning for multiple feasts and days filled with entertaining friends and family. Our buying guide takes the guesswork out of your wine selections with expertly chosen candidates for any table and any food pairing, all selected by our team of buyers, who will be pouring these proven performers at their own holiday tables this year.
Read MoreIn the world of Spanish wine there is a quiet revolution occurring, not unlike what is happening in some parts of France and the U.S. Winemakers young and old are challenging their regional traditions and making lighter, fresher wines than their parents or grandparents did.
Read MoreThis week's newsletter is all about Burgundy value. If you thought the concept of bang for the buck in Burgundy was a thing of the past, think again. We've made it our mission to do the hard work of unearthing the region's hidden-gem regions and unsung domaines in order to make this category accessible to the widest possible audience.
Read MoreWines from Chablis are currently seeing a surge in popularity. The problem with that is, like much of Burgundy, Chablis has seen a decrease in production thanks to hot vintages and then a disastrously cold, wet, and fraught vintage in 2021. We are always searching for new producers to import directly, but they have to pass our high standards at K&L to make the cut for our shelves. Fortunately for all of us Chablis lovers, Robert Goulley aced the exam.
Read MoreThe Mâcon is just a quick 90-minute drive south from the town of Beaune, which essentially functions as the mid-point of Burgundy and divides the Côte de Nuits (north) from the Côte de Beaune (south). Once you arrive in the Mâcon you are greeted with rolling hillsides, quaint small villages, and a farmer-driven culture of winemaking. The Mâcon is home to approachable, ready-to-drink, and affordable wine values, which makes it incredibly important—and rare—in the Burgundian ecosystem. Domaine Renaud has been fashioning some of the best values to be found in Mâcon from an array of vineyards scattered throughout the many appellations located within the Mâconnais.
Read MoreDramfool has been bottling independent casks since 2015. Across scores of bottlings, they’ve earned a phenomenal reputation for quality and for their ability to bottle unique casks that simply cannot be had from any other source.
Read MoreWeatherEye Vineyard, on the ridgeline of Red Mountain in Washington, is without doubt one of the most exciting vineyards anywhere in the United States: a site so radical, its implementation has been 15 years in the making! The incredibly rocky, volcanic soils, constant wind, elevation, and lengthy growing season give the wines immense concentration and structure. Even though the vines are relatively young, the intensity of the wines here is already formidable.
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