When it comes to finding the perfect gift, a truly exceptional bottle is often the way to go. While we take great care every day to ensure that everything we bring in meets the highest standards, these are some of the wines I would go to first. Each one is sure to make a memorable impression and offer an experience that will be appreciated by any wine lover.
Read MoreThis week, we’re officially kicking off our Thanksgiving planning. Halloween is in the rearview mirror; Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are just far enough away that we don’t have to wrap our brains around gifting quite yet… No elves on the shelves, but our rally bird is out in Redwood City—it’s the perfect time to talk turkey.
Read MoreThere is no better way to explore the style and terroir of Champagne than drinking vintage-declared wines. Since Champagne houses only declare a vintage when the season produces fruit of the highest quality, it is truly special to experience a vintage bottling.
Read MoreAs the holiday season swiftly approaches, a familiar anxiety emerges: what should you bring as a beverage to all these gatherings? How do you unite with close friends and family, who may or may not appreciate your "best stuff," while still feeling thrilled to uncork a bottle? F
Read MoreThanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I like it so much that it is worth doing twice—the first time to “test out my recommendations for the year”… or at least that is my excuse to get a preview of the main event. Everything about Thanksgiving is perfect for me: I love the sentiment of gratefulness; the opportunity to gather friends and family; the traditional spread of roast turkey, gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes; and double fisting with rosé Champagne and Burgundy at the table. This weekend we did just that, and I am happy to report that I have two great Champagnes and one great bottle of Burgundy that have been thoroughly tested and vetted chez Westby by me and my wife Cinnamon!
Read MoreI love to cook so I was also an early adopter of Friendsgiving. For many years, I have been hosting them at my home (or at friends’ homes) where I prepare a meal. I usually plan a themed meal around my Friendsgiving since I already get to do all the traditional stuff on regular Thanksgiving. I always deconstruct turkeys for my Friendsgivings and make a variety of dishes using various turkey parts. I always make a turkey Bolognese and have made other things like tom kha gai turkey soup or a turkey paitan ramen (that’s like Tonkotsu ramen but with a creamy turkey broth). I even served turkey stuffing gyoza as an appetizer for the ramen dinner! Last year, I did a brunch themed Friendsgiving which I now call Brunch-giving—maybe it will stick.
Read MoreI think it’s worth mentioning that the magic of the holiday happens during the times that aren’t the meal itself. Wednesday night cocktails when everyone first arrives and catches up, or the chaos of too many cooks in the kitchen on Thursday as everything comes together. These are the moments where wines can come from anywhere—they just need to bring smiles to faces. Here are the wines I would pick for my Thanksgiving—selections that will make any wine enthusiast feel at home, but are also easy to enjoy for anyone just looking to grab a glass.
Read MoreThe Burgundies are landing fast and furiously at K&L, offering a bevy of amazing values from the fantastic 2022 vintage! With pricing finally stabilized and a good-sized crop contributing to robust supply, now is the perfect time to stock up on these bargains. We’ve just received several containers from many of our most popular direct import producers, including Domaine Jean Michel Giboulot, Domaine de la Charrière, Domaine Renaud, Château de la Maltroye, Domaine Bart, and Domaine Pernot-Belicard.
Read MoreI’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: the Mâconnais is where the preponderance of white wine values in Burgundy resides. Luckily we are flush with many great producers in Mâconnais, and one of our greatest is Domaine Renaud. The family team of Mirielle (mother) and Pascal (father) along with their children Guillaume (son) and Amandine (daughter) makes incredible value-oriented whites that fit any budget—especially when we’re talking about the under $20 space. The Renaud family draws from their impressive vineyard holdings that run from humble Mâcon-Village all the way up to 1er Cru Pouilly-Fuissé.
Read MoreWe have been working with Domaine Jean-Michel Giboulot for a long time, and the most exciting and rewarding part of this relationship is seeing the wines get better-and-better each vintage. This set of wines from Giboulot’s 2022 vintage is excellent. The wines definitely shine a light on the emerging quality and diversity of vineyards in Savigny-lès-Beaune. His wines come from an impressive list of vineyard holdings, and we currently carry four fantastic 2022 1er Cru Savigny-lès-Beaunes that and Burgundy lover will not want to miss.
Read MoreThere may not be a better producer we import from Burgundy when it comes to quality-to-price-ratio than Château de la Charrière. Great vintage, good vintage, bad vintage—it doesn’t matter. These guys just continue to churn out great value after great value from the humble Santenay appellation. Benoît Girardin took over the winemaking reins at his family property over 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back. He’s skillfully crafting excellent values that deftly combine a classic Burgundian rusticity with modern winemaking techniques. The wines always have beautifully defined fruit characteristics while simultaneously being unmistakably Burgundian.
Read MoreThe Burgundies are landing fast and furiously at K&L with a bevy of amazing values from the fantastic 2022 vintage! With pricing finally stabilized and a good-sized crop contributing to robust supply, now is the time to load up on the bargains in stock. We just had several containers land with many of our most popular direct import producers like Domaine Jean Michel Giboulot, Domaine de la Charrière, Domaine Renaud, Château de la Maltroye, Domaine Bart, and Domaine Pernot-Belicard. What separates 2022 from the last few vintages is the consistency in the quality of both the whites and reds—these wines are EXCELLENT! They are beautiful and fruit-forward with excellent balance, great acidity, and fine tannins. These wines will be enjoyable in their youth as well as worthy of your cellar.
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