K&L Tastings: Best Buy Burgs, Hall & Walt, Club Pickup

Greetings K&L friends!

The rosters are set for this weekend's in-store tastings, so please mark your calendars for an evening (or two) of fascinating and fun exploration with your fellow wine lovers and our K&L staff. Read below for more details on this week's dynamic events.

In addition to our weekly tastings, we regularly host or participate in other Special Tasting Events and Dinners. Also, don't forget, you can always explore in more depth on K&L's On the Trail blog with buyer/winemaker interviews, special reports, and more—straight from the vineyards!

K&L Wine Club Members - join us on the first Thursday of each month to taste a selection from all 6 of our wine clubs and pick up your current club shipment. This event is complimentary for our wine club members and their guests!

Kathryn Walt Hall is the proprietor of HALL Wines and WALT Wines, along with her husband Craig, and has been involved in the California wine industry since her family first purchased a vineyard in the 1970s. She has had a distinguished career as a successful businesswoman, attorney, community activist, and as the United States Ambassador to Austria.

HALL’s estate vineyards encompass more than 500 acres of classic Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. As winegrowers, the Halls have a strong respect for the environment and a commitment to cutting-edge vineyard technology to yield the highest quality grapes. WALT is dedicated to the production of premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast’s most distinctive vineyard sites, spanning nearly 1000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Los Carneros, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, and the Willamette Valley.

The wines of Burgundy have surged in price due to a combination of limited supply, exceptional quality, and increasing global demand. Burgundy’s vineyards are among the smallest and most fragmented in the world, producing low-yield, highly sought-after wines. Presently, factors like climate change and more frequent frosts and hail have further reduced yields, making these wines even scarcer. At the same time, demand has skyrocketed as more and more collectors and enthusiasts worldwide have come to recognize Burgundy’s status for producing some of the world’s finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, further intensifying competition and driving up prices.

Join us for "Burgundy's Best Values," an exclusive tasting event that showcases the exceptional yet approachable side of Burgundy. Burgundy can often feel like a region reserved for special occasions. But there's much to discover within reach of every wine lover, from lesser-known villages to carefully crafted expressions that won’t break the bank. This tasting highlights a curated selection, focusing on quality and value from talented vintners who bring out the purity and nuance of Burgundy’s unique terroirs.

When winemaker Samantha Sheehan landed in Napa, she made a name for herself with top-notch wines. But it was a chance encounter with a neighbor’s basket of just-picked Seville oranges that sparked something magical. By tossing the hand-cut citrus, seeds, rind, and all, into freshly harvested Chardonnay, Sam created a California twist on the classic aperitif — zippy, juicy, and oh-so-refreshing. What started as a small batch for friends quickly grew, and with the addition of her partner Michael’s packaging design, MOMMENPOP — a citrus aperitif made from wine — was born.

Colin Spoelman, founder and distiller of Kings County Distillery in Brooklyn, NY, will be pouring their blended bourbon, coffee whiskey, and grapefruit jalapeño moonshine. Kings County, entering its 15th year, is one of the early craft distillers and focuses on making American whiskeys using scotch or Irish equipment, ingredients, and techniques. Kings County's whiskeys have won awards from several world spirits competitions, and the distillery was named the 2023 Distillery of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail. Kings County is a small, fiercely independent maker of bourbon, rye, and cocktail-oriented whiskeys that consistently end up on superlative and best-of lists in publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the New Yorker. Colin Spoelman is an author of three books on American Whiskeys, the most recent, the Bourbon Drinker's Companion is a travelogue through American whiskey via the best distilleries by region.

Leslie Merinoff-Kwasnieski is a distiller/winemaker and a passionate advocate for local agriculture and sustainable practices. Over the course of her career she has worked in distillery operations, strategic brand development, and impactful community engagement. As the co-founder and distiller at Matchbook Distilling Co., located in Greenport, NY, Leslie has been making a case for tying distillery operations and farms closer together for a new wave of sustainable spirits. Under her guidance, Matchbook has been hailed as “a gem of a distillery” by the New York Times and recognized for crafting the future of spirits by Vogue magazine.

The distillery is renowned for its innovative approach, producing two unique spirits each month, each with its own distinct brand identity. These creations not only push the boundaries of traditional spirit categories but often establish entirely new ones, demonstrating Leslie’s commitment to farm first production.

Join K&L and Château Angélus brand ambassador, Victoire Touton, for a remarkable lunch at the illustrious Michelin-starred Selby’s Restaurant in Redwood City. Guests will enjoy a three-course lunch paired with 5 wines from the Angélus library.

Château Angélus, one of the oldest and most prestigious estates in Saint-Émilion, has been a symbol of excellence for centuries. The de Boüard family, with roots in Bordeaux dating back to 1544, laid the foundation for this extraordinary vineyard when they acquired Clos L’Angélus in 1922. Under the visionary leadership of Hubert de Boüard, since the 1980s, Château Angélus has produced some of the most sought-after and collectible wines of our time. Known for innovative techniques and a commitment to quality, Château Angélus has become a benchmark for the wines of Bordeaux.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the exquisite library wines of Château Angélus, paired perfectly with the hand-crafted tasting menu at Selby’s, and to engage with some of the finest expressions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the world. Seats are limited, so we recommend booking earlier to secure your desired number of tickets.