A Toast to the New Year with Our Sparkling Wine Recommendations

The year 2024 was certainly one for the record books at K&L. It’s been a year of big changes: we opened the Culver City store at the beginning of the year—our first new location since 2007—and celebrated with a wonderful party filled with winemakers and friends. We also held our annual Champagne Tent Event in Culver City for the first time, after many years in Hollywood.

We welcomed new staffers and bid fond farewells to others, including the Beffa family—Clyde, Trey, and Kerri. Clyde and Todd Zucker have been partners since 1976 when they opened the first ever K&L store, called K&L Liquors back then (though their friendship dates back even further as childhood neighbors). Together, they built K&L with a passion for fine wines (particularly Bordeaux) and spirits, staff education, and customer service. Clyde’s son Trey joined K&L in the 90s, and went on to be the Domestic Buyer and eventually lead the buying team. Kerri has prodigious event planning skills and has put together decades’ of seamless dinners, tastings, UGCs, and experiences of all stripes for the customers and staff. The Beffas have been an invaluable part of our team, and anyone who got to work with them no doubt shares the feeling that it was an honor.

K&L is still continuing along with our core tenants of selection and service, led by longtime strategic leader, owner, and Todd's son Brian Zucker. Brian joined the company around the same time as Trey, and in fact put together K&L’s first website before many retailers had them—today, we have one of the most comprehensive, up-to-the-minute online wine stores in the biz. The Zuckers’ spirit of innovation definitely inspires us into the next chapter.

So we ring in 2025 with much excitement, and a toast to all our customers who have made this amazing K&L community possible.

If you’re still looking for something to pour in your glass, check out our fantastic buyer recommendations below:

Franciacorta: The Italian Answer to Champagne
by Orazio Campoli, Italian Buyer

Ringing in Dry January!? NA Options for NYE
by Ryan Woodhouse, Domestic Buyer

Argyle’s Amazing Sparkling Wines from the Willamette Valley
by Ryan Woodhouse, Domestic Buyer

Boutique California Sparkling Wines from BXT
by Ryan Woodhouse, Domestic Buyer

Antech, Our Favorite Sparkling Wine from Limoux, Is Back!
by Keith Mabry, French Regional Buyer

Sparkling Wines from the Historic Schramsberg Winery Are As Good As Ever
by Ryan Woodhouse, Domestic Buyer

Gary’s Recipe for NYE Success: Laurent-Perrier and Caviar at Home
by Gary Westby, Champagne Buyer