The Super Bowl is coming up this weekend, and LA is playing in it for the first time since the Rams came back to town. Though I’m not much of a football fan, I am a fan of LA, so I thought it’d be great to mark the occasion with another thing I am a fan of—food. And what better, more perfect Super Bowl food is there than chili?
Read MoreLast night, Cinnamon treated us to some excellent sushi from the local restaurant Kanpai. We paired our meal with the 2006 Charles Heidsieck Brut Champagne, which was just released after 13 years of aging. It was a magical combination for a weeknight treat, and I can’t recommend the wine and the pairing enough.
Read MoreFor Burgundy lovers, there’s a lot to be happy about with the 2017 vintage, especially for fans of whites. After frost damage and small yields in 2016, crops were back to normal in 2017, and quality was pretty consistently strong—meaning there’s some great wine out there and more of it. Neal Martin says of the vintage: “Some quite brilliant whites that, many growers are beginning to opine, equal or even surpass the haloed 2014s”—a lofty pronouncement, but the only way to find out is to drink!
Read MoreOn Thursday, at the Jeremy Hotel on the Sunset Strip, Will Blakely and I found ourselves among about 80 Bordelais and hundreds of thirsty Angelenos who were lined up to sample their wares. The annual Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting is a marvelous opportunity to meet winemakers and winery representatives, while viewing a Bordeaux vintage in toto. With glass and notebook in hand, we eagerly dove in.
Read MoreThis past Sunday, K&L held its 30th Fête de Bordeaux. What first began in 1989 (originally promoting 1986 Bordeaux), has developed into a perennial tradition featuring representatives from some of Bordeaux’s finest estates. This year, we hosted Châteaux Léoville and Langoa Barton from Saint Julien, Château Lynch Bages and Château Ormes de Pez from Pauillac, and Château Figeac and Petit Figeac from Saint Émilion. The event began with a tasting of the 2016 wines, followed by a four-course meal featuring older vintages.
Read MoreWhat better way to celebrate tonight’s Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse than to drink a biodynamic wine? The 2017 Les Champs de l'Abbaye Bourgogne Rouge is made entirely with biodynamic principles from a Demeter-certified domaine who practices minimal intervention in the cellar.
Read MoreWith lyrical prose and an ability to write convincingly about inspiration, Theise takes readers on a journey through his life in wine. He doesn’t try to teach about terroir (though he contemplates the topic) or about how to find meaning—he just lets us accompany him as he finds his own passion in a glass.
Read MoreThe French 75 cocktail dates back, at least, to Harry’s Bar in Paris in the 1900s, but it didn’t appear in print until the Roarin’ 20s, when they knew how to make drinks that packed a punch (apparently this is the only classic cocktail officially born in America during Prohibition). Her’e’s Will’s take, adding festive elements such as pink lemonade, raspberries, and rosé Champagne. It’s downright delicious and is the perfect way to bid adieu to 2018.
Read MoreHenri Le Roy of Domaine de l'Aigle À Deux Têtes is a shining star in the Jura. His wines, all farmed organically, have that je ne se quois of Jura, but they are approachable and not made in the typical oxidative style. Totally food friendly (plenty of acid), but intriguing and exotic. You’ll keep finding your nose back in the glass, trying to identify what you smell.
Read MoreEarlier this year, Gary Westby and I met champagne producer Thierry Thibault at his countryside home in Champagne during the annual K&L Champagne buy trip. I was excited to finally taste the famous Thibault cuvées— there had been quite a buzz surrounding them since we completely sold out of them the same day we sent the e-mail on the last go around.
Read MoreOur Spirits Samurai, David OG, has created a Champagne cocktail that is elegant enough for a contemporary feast, but harkens back to the sensibilities of those early voyaging Pilgrims. It’s bright and tangy and apple-infused, with a complex layering of flavors—but it’s easy as pie.
Read MoreLast night, Cinnamon and I checked in on the 2008 Dom Pérignon, now that it is available for sale. This has been a highly anticipated release, as the winemaking team decided to release the 2009 ahead of it, giving the 2008 an extra year on the lees. This vintage marks the first that Vincent Chaperon shared a leading roll along with Richard Geoffroy, the chef de cave for Dom Pérignon of 28 years. As usual, this is roughly half and half Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, almost all Grand Cru, with the addition of the historic vineyard sites in the premier cru of Hautvillers.
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