Next up in our Meet the Staff series is Kaj Stromer, the Southern California half of the Domestic Buy Team Powerhouse Duo. His story involves following your dreams and taking big leaps, the stuff of all great modern tales. His love for Burgundy runs deep, and he’s on a never-ending mission to uncover what’s cool, unique, and utterly delicious about wine from the U.S.
Read MoreIn this week’s newsletter, Buyer Gary Westby brings you all of the fan-favorites: Franck Bonville’s exquisite Grand Cru Chardonnay from the Côtes de Blancs; the meticulously crafted, micro-produced wines from Alexandre Le Brun; the Grand Marque elegance of Billecart-Salmon; the party-in-a-bottle of Baron-Fuenté. These are producers we’ve stocked on our shelves for decades because they are hands down some of the best in the biz, and thanks to our long-term relationships, we’ve got the best prices you’ll find anywhere. We love Champagne season and can’t wait to share these wines with you!
Read MoreWe at K&L are Thanksgiving die-hards. It’s the one time of year when our collective favorite hobby is front and center: eating and drinking! In this week’s newsletter, our buyers have put together a compendium of some of their favorite turkey (or tofurkey) tipples—and there’s even a mortadella pairing if you want to veer off the beaten path.
Read MoreNovember is the perfect time to start talking about winter festivities. And for us, that conversation starts with Bordeaux. It's one of our very favorite regions, as much for the incredible everyday values as for the blue-chip collectibles. Our co-owner and Bordeaux Buyer Clyde Beffa has filled the pages of our latest newsletter with Bordeaux of every stripe for every reader.
Read MoreK&L's co-owner and Bordeaux Buyer Clyde Beffa joined us on Instagram Live for a happy hour to celebrate new arrivals to our Bordeaux shelves. We love Bordeaux wines, and love that Clyde fines perfectly aged bottles straight from the cellars at amazing prices.
Read MoreNext up in our staff spotlight series is Gary Westby, K&L’s longtime Champagne Buyer (20+ years!). He’s a big contributor here on our blog, and you’ll find his videos, tasting notes, and dinner pairings on our social media channels. Redwood City regulars likely know him for his helpful suggestions on the floor. Gary’s enthusiasm for his wines and winemakers is infectious!
Read MoreThe winding Highway 128 that runs through Anderson Valley was known by sportscar enthusiasts before it was known by California wine seekers. As harvest wraps up throughout the Valley and the leaves just begin to change, Roederer Estate’s 2021 harvest is in tank as they push the throttle toward their 40th anniversary next year. Now firmly placed in California’s sparkling wine pantheon, the estate’s wines represent a remarkable and unmatched value in the marketplace.
Read MoreThe Brochet family has 32 acres of vines, almost all in the village of Écueil on the Mountain of Reims. They have been growers since 1882, at least, and have the distinction of possessing their own special selection of Pinot Noir, Pinot d’Écueil, which is an old massal selection passed down for generations in their family. Louis Brochet, the current winemaker, is qualified with a diploma of enology, a masters-level education in winemaking. With his learned skill, their special selection of Pinot, and the great terroir of the 1er cru of Écueil, the family is turning out fantastic wines. Since we have been buying direct from them for years, the prices are still super reasonable.
Read MoreCinnamon and I just got back from a lovely vacation in Burgundy, and one of the highlights for me was visiting Domaine Bart in Marsannay. Located at the very top of the Côte de Nuits, just south of the city of Dijon and just north of Gevrey-Chambertin, this property was part of the historic Clair-Daü estate that was split between Bruno Clair, Louis Jadot, and, of course, Bart. They have an impressive 54-acre estate at Domaine Bart, and Pierre Bart was kind enough to lead us through his extensive range of wines with the help of his extremely cute dog Lemon.
Read MoreIn this week’s newsletter we celebrate the darling of southern France, the Rhône Valley. Complex, collectible, and kissed with sunshine, the wines of the Rhône will draw you in again and again. And, thanks to our robust Direct Import program, we can offer them at friendly prices to keep you well stocked. Buyer Keith Mabry takes us through some of the greatest hits of the region, from the serious Syrahs of Northern Rhône to the playful Grenache-based blends to the south.
Read MoreThis week’s newsletter is devoted to Burgundy, and, as K&L Burgundy Buyer Alex Pross puts it, “We have never had this many great, affordable Burgundy wines to sell you.” Tariffs have finally been removed, value-driven regions such as the Mâcon are over-producing in quality-to-price ratio, and our Direct Import winemakers continue to produce insanely good wines way under market price.
Read MoreWe just received an allocation of 300 bottles of the 2013 Duménil “Special Club” 1er Cru Brut Champagne at a nearly unheard-of price for a wine in the club trésors, $49.99. This group of 28 growers, which includes super stars like Paul Bara, Gaston-Chiquet, and Pierre Gimonnet all agree to put their top wine in the Special Club bottle, but only after it passes a blind tasting jury of members and oenologists. For grower Champagne, I can think of few better guarantees of quality than the Special Club.
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