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If you’re going to have Robert Parker or Stephen Tanzer over for dinner, selecting a wine they’ve rated highly will be a nice choice. However, when you’re buying wines for yourself, we’d love to see you find wines that match up your unique palate and pocketbook. We have a large staff of friendly and knowledgeable wine professionals that taste hundreds of wines each week. They can put you in touch with bottles that you are likely to love, often at a much lower cost than the highly-rated gems that often see a run-up in price and frequent availability issues. Like any great group of opinionated professionals, our staff has varied tastes themselves. Often our customers will find a particular staff member with a style that corresponds to their own. That concept works extremely well in our retail stores, and this section is our effort to bring you the same online. Don’t get us wrong, we love the highly rated wines from the press and will continue to offer them, but we think you’re missing out if you’re not augmenting those selections with picks from our excellent staff. Here are their favorites. (Click on a name to see their other selections - or to drop them a line.) Cheers!

Reviews

Stiegl Brauerei "Goldbräu Premium" Lager, Austria (16oz Cans)

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 1/18/2013 | Send Email

I wonder how much of the Stiegl that we buy for our stock at K&L is sold to the staff. If I were to guess, I would say over 50%. These tall boys are perfect after a long day, and do an exceptional job of washing away the tannin after tasting to many overblown red wines. The style is Germanic; clean, lively, refreshing and the execution precise. If you love a good lager, and like having 4 oz. left after 12 have been enjoyed, this is the beer for you!

Price: $3.49

Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil "Reserve" Calvados Pay d'Auge (750ml)

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 1/15/2013 | Send Email

This very light colored Calvados is the key ingredient in making my new favorite winter cocktail, the Bentley. Charles Neal published the recipe in his excellent book Calvados: The Spirit of Normandy which is where I first read about it, but apparently this cocktail was in the original Savoy Cocktail Book. I have experimented with a number of different Calvados bottlings and red vermouths, but settled on the Montreuil and the Dolin Rouge Vermouth de Chambéry as my favorites. Here is the recipe: pour 1 & 1/2 ounces of Calvados and 1 & 1/2 ounces of red vermouth in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add one dash of Angostura Bitters and stir thoroughly with a cocktail spoon. Strain into a martini glass. Try to drink it slowly!

Price: $44.99

VN: 92

Lemorton "Reserve" Calvados Domfrontais (750ml)

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 1/15/2013 | Send Email

The Lemorton is a great bottle of Calvados and being from the Domfrontais has a lot of pears in it. It is round and rich, with lots of extroverted fruit flavor. It still finishes nice and dry and is far to easy to drink. I have been enjoying a snifter of this by the fire as a digestive in the evening and it is a great nightcap. Recently, Cinnamon took a flask of this mushroom foraging with her and she found it invigorating. I hope you'll try it out!

Price: $54.99

Chinaco Blanco Tequila (700ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 1/7/2013 | Send Email

This is my favorite blanco. It's got tons of character and at this price it may be the best tequila in the store.

Price: Hidden

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 12/27/2012 | Send Email

Bright and racy with a little toast, this is our best deal in champagne!

Price: $37.99

Einstök Icelandic Pale Ale (12oz)

By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 11/30/2012 | Send Email

Best Pale Ale I've had in years!

Price: $1.99

Montechiara Prosecco

By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 11/29/2012 | Send Email

Beautifully crisp and refreshing, this is the perfect wine for parties, cocktails and just plain enjoying a very affordable bottle of bubbles. The Montechiara Prosecco is full of pears and green apples, enough richness for weight, and the perfect balance of acidity for freshness. This is great for the price.

Price: $10.99

Plymouth Navy Strength English Gin (750ml)

By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 11/4/2012 | Send Email

It had been bruited about that such a creature as “navy strength” Plymouth gin existed, or once had, and here in the midst of the great cocktail revival, where many a long-lost dream comes true, it once more graces these shores. If you’re familiar with Plymouth gin, there are no great surprises in store for you here; which is just fine. Why mess with success? The Navy Strength bottling is simply a brawnier version of the classic Plymouth taste. When this is, for instance, mixed up simply 1:1 gin to vermouth(Noilly Prat), no garnish, as a Wondrich reprint of an early 1850's San Francisco Gibson recipe suggests, this is a fabulous drink, and one in which a standard proof just wouldn't cut it. With the Navy Stength, you can taste the gin’s presence clearly and distinctly. An excellent addition to the canon!

Price: $33.99

A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée 1809" Brut Champagne

By: Steve Greer | Review Date: 11/1/2012 | Send Email

Like an aged Meursault or a fino sherry this Champagne shows bruised apple, olive brine, salinity and chalky minerality with lots of acidity with a great mouthfeel. Damn.

Price: $64.99

BH: 92

2009 Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan

By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 10/24/2012 | Send Email

*½+ Less expensive than their 2005! 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Red berry fruit. This is very rich on the palate. Smooth and long. At UGC: New wave nose and flavors. Very sweet palate impression. Earthy finish.

Price: $249.99

2009 Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan

By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 10/24/2012 | Send Email

Strong and masculine, with lots of coffee flavors.

Price: $249.99

Montechiara Prosecco

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/29/2012 | Send Email

Fresh flavors of zesty lemon gelato lead onto the balanced and weighty palate. The bubbles are bright and energetic. This wine has great persistence and richness for a wine of this price point. On the finish, the citrus acidity is checked by just a subtle hint of almond paste sweetness. This is a perfect Extra Dry level prosecco for all your events and holiday parties at an incredible value price!

Price: $10.99

Laird's Bottled In Bond Apple Brandy (750ml)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 9/26/2012 | Send Email

I was skittish to try this at first. Apple brandy from the US?? Hmmm... The bottle looks like something that you would see on the bottom shelf of the neighborhood bar, with that solid layer of dust that makes you wonder how long has that been there. Believe me, the stuff inside the bottle is a knock out. It's 100% apple brandy with no neutral spirits added, and you can tell. If you're at all serious about making cocktails, you need this in your bar.

Price: $39.99

Ferrand "1840 Formula" 90 Proof Cognac (700ml)

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 9/11/2012 | Send Email

This Ferrand is a great ingredient, and works far better than much more expensive (and far more subtle) Cognacs in cocktails. The 1840 Formula is made in the three star style from the 19th century, and is a full 5% higher in alcohol than standard Cognac. It is also oilier and weightier with lots of flavor- it won’t get lost in a mixed drink. Here is a great use for it: The French 75- 2 parts Ferrand 1840 Formula 90 proof Cognac, 1 Part Fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 Part simple syrup, 2 parts Champagne (Blanc de Blancs if you have one open), Lots of fresh ice, Lemon rind for garnish. We use an ounce per part for ours- and that makes a pretty big aperitif. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the cognac, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake thoroughly and pour into a rocks glass filled with more fresh ice. Top with Champagne, and stir if you like (I do!) finally garnishing with lemon rind.

Price: $44.99

WE: 90

Byrrh Grand Quinquina Aperitif Wine (750ml)

By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 9/4/2012 | Send Email

What sort of aperitif is this? I'd liken it more to Dubonnet than sweet Vermouth, though it has a brighter, fresher berry-fruit character to Dubonnet's plush, bass heavy profile, and a more pronounced bitterness as a counterpoint. Note, though, that this is skewed more towards the sweet than the bitter, and therefore seems to me to suggest it wants dilution of some sort, whether passively by serving it over ice, or through mixing: dust off your copy of the Savoy Cocktail book for a few suggestions on how to get started if that latter course strikes your fancy.

Price: $24.99

WE: 93

San Venanzio Fortunato Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore

By: Mari Keilman | Review Date: 7/31/2012 | Send Email

This new direct buy is filled with delicate high tones of floral on the nose and an abundance of upfront pear and peach on the palate. Just found my new BBQ bubble bottle.

Price: $15.99

Fever-Tree Light Tonic Water (6.8oz 4-pk)

By: Adam Parry | Review Date: 7/29/2012 | Send Email

If you are watching your calories. Simply the best tonic on the market!

Price: $5.99

Fever-Tree Premium Tonic Water (6.8oz 4-pk)

By: Adam Parry | Review Date: 7/29/2012 | Send Email

Simply the best tonic on the market!

Price: $5.99

Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth (1L)

By: Illya Haase | Review Date: 7/29/2012 | Send Email

One thing I learned in my twenty years of bar tending is. The better the ingredients, the better the drink. So, if you are making a Manhattan or one of those crazy whiskey drinks from your local mixologist. Keep the Carpano on hand. It make's any cocktail, ten thousand times better! You will not find a better vermouth!

Price: $34.99

WE: 95

Cocchi Americano Bianco Aperitivo Wine (750ml)

By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 7/10/2012 | Send Email

Oooooh if you love Lillet Blanc but want something a little sweeter as an aperitif, try the Cocchi Americano! Mandarin orange, lemon, hints of white flowers with a sweet finish.... delicious on the rocks on a hot afternoon!

Price: $22.99

Ferrand "1840 Formula" 90 Proof Cognac (700ml)

By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 5/31/2012 | Send Email

There aren’t a bevy of Cognacs out there built for mixing. This one has two things going for it: 45% abv, and a formulation that is an attempt to recreate the flavor profile of a pre-phylloxera Cognac. So, does it fly? Yes, it does. That little bit extra strength combined with the robust flavor profile gives this the power to really sing out in mixed drinks where other Cognacs might just fade into the background. The flavor is mostly in the dry fruit and new leather vein, with a papery vanilla, and some citron and bergamot, in the background in this plump, round, reasonably sweet brandy. Try a sidecar with it and see for yourself!

Price: $44.99

WE: 90

Chateau de Laubade Floc de Gascogne Vin de Liqueur (750ml)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 5/30/2012 | Send Email

This stuff is awesome. You can mix this with all sorts of things. I like it with sparkling water and ginger liqueur. Delicious!

Price: $19.99

Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur (750ml)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 5/30/2012 | Send Email

Maraschino (pronounced marr-ə-SKEE-noe - an ode to our Italian buyer Greg who corrects our Italian whenever possible) is a cherry liqueur made from the Marasca cherry. So good. They leave the cherry pits in with the fruit, which adds an awesome almond-like flavor. Use this in cocktails, over fruit or even ice cream.

Price: $39.99

WE: 90 - 95

Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/2/2012 | Send Email

Wow what complexity for $35. The nose is nutty toasty rich with some hints of pumpkin seed and spice. Strong smashed apple and fabulous lift. Totally on point for the price.

Price: $44.99

Charles Baur Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé

By: Adam Parry | Review Date: 4/30/2012 | Send Email

Simply delicious. A great aperitif or try with a nice spicy Thai salad. One of the most underrated sparkling wine areas. Raise a glass to Alsace.

Price: Hidden

Scrappy's Grapefruit Bitters (5oz)

By: Illya Haase | Review Date: 4/30/2012 | Send Email

It's citrus time at the Hollywood Farmers Market. There is nothing better on a lazy Sunday than a greyhound! This grapefruit and vodka cocktail is an ideal choice for a summertime brunch. The beauty of this mixed drink is in its simplicity. But, I like to spice mine up with a little Scrappy's Grapefruit bitters. It is that little extra that goes a long way!

Price: $19.99

Fentimans Curiosity Cola 4pk. (9.3 oz. X 4)

By: Adam Parry | Review Date: 4/30/2012 | Send Email

This is only for the real old school cola lovers. I personally love all Fentimans products, but this one really steals my heart. If a cocktail calls for coca cola please substitute curiosity instead and enjoy!

Price: Hidden

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 4/15/2012 | Send Email

This cask strength bottling of Red Breast certainly ratchets up the drama. There is more oomph, more richness and intensity, on both nose and palate. It remains, however, an Irish pure pot still whiskey foremost, and as such bears closer kinship to its more familiar version lower proof bottling than to the untamed ferocity of something like a George T Stagg. You ain’t toying with no pipsqueak, though; you will want ice or water or a bit of both to round the edge off. You get a wonderful range of baked banana, dried fruits, butterscotch and sweet grain, enlivened by a citric note that keeps things from seeming cloying or fatty. The finish here rolls on like thunder—well, civilized thunder, anyway. I’d note, too, that if you’re mixing a Manhattan-style cocktail with Irish whiskey, this is probably the best one for the job I’ve come across to date. The cask strength really keeps the whiskey from getting lost amidst the other ingredients.

Price: $99.99

WA: 92

WE: 90

Small Hand Foods Gum Syrup (8.5oz)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 3/28/2012 | Send Email

If you're into making great pre-prohibition (or post for that matter) cocktails like I am and want to get that great texture but don't want to use egg whites then this is the stuff for you. A little bit of this in your drink and it's transformed into a smooth, silky delicious concoction.

Price: Hidden

2009 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien

By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 3/5/2012 | Send Email

Deep, grapey, masculine wine. It was really good the second time we tasted it.

Price: $179.99

K&L Logo 6-Bottle Tote (2979)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 2/29/2012 | Send Email

Need to carry the fantastic wines that you just bought from us in style? This is your answer. Cool, reusable, and canvas, with the K&L Logo on it. Show all your friends that you know where to go for the best wines and save the Earth at the same time. Peace!

Price: $4.99

Russian River Brewing Co. "Blind Pig" IPA, California (510ml) *NO SHIPPING/TRANSFERS OUTSIDE BAY AREA*

By: Illya Haase | Review Date: 2/27/2012 | Send Email

This may be the best beer ever! But, one is enough: trust me.

Price: $5.99

Limit of 12 per customer

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Illya Haase | Review Date: 2/27/2012 | Send Email

This is my kind of Champagne! Toasty, yeasty, and dry. The price speaks for itself! We are so lucky to get great champagne at sparkling wine prices!

Price: $37.99

Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne

By: Illya Haase | Review Date: 2/26/2012 | Send Email

This my friends is my go to Rose Champagne! Great acidity, intermingled with some bright cherry notes. Balanced minerality which is perfect for some salmon or Friday night sushi!

Price: $42.99

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Jim Boyce | Review Date: 2/26/2012 | Send Email

A great toasty, rich, dry brut to serve at any occasion, be it with food or without. Clean and pure, this is well balanced champagne with great apple and nut notes at an unbelievable price.

Price: $37.99

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (750ml)

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 2/17/2012 | Send Email

This is going to be a very strange review, so bear with me. Normally, I am NOT a gin fan. I usually don't even like the smell of it. However, this Botanist gin smells, well, like flowers. It has juniper on the nose, but it is very elegant and muted. There are a lot of white flower notes and some rose scents (for me anyway...be patient, I've never described a gin before!). On the palate, it is soft and smooth, with good body that is not too heavy or oily. Here again, the juniper is subtle and almost slighty sweet. This is not gin-and-tonic gin. Don't ruin it by mixing! Serve it neat or maybe with one small ice cube. Better yet, just keep it in the fridge. If a wuss like me can handle it neat, you can too! You won't be disappointed!

Price: $34.99

Krug Brut Rosé Champagne

By: Cindy Westby | Review Date: 2/13/2012 | Send Email

Back at home after a particularly rough day my husband went on his nightly expedition to the wine cellar in our garage. When he returned with this wine - my jaw dropped. "Sometimes you've got to live a little", he said. Live a little indeed! A spectacular champagne with lots of everything, but not too much of anything. Black and red fruited nose,candied blood orange, toasted nuts, rose petals on the palate - velvety but vivacious. Balanced and luxurious, this was a special treat I will not soon forget.

Price: $449.99

Ariston Aspasie "Cépages d'Antan" Brut Champagne

By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 2/13/2012 | Send Email

A special treat for Champagne lovers. I have tasted this the Cepages d'Antan twice in the last 6 months and it just keeps getting better.It is balanced and elegant, with just enough fruit, beautiful bubbles and a nice dry finish.

Price: $119.99

Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne

By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 2/2/2012 | Send Email

This bottle rivals other champagne roses that are two or three times as expensive! It is filled with floral aromas and fresh fruit flavors, with a dry finish. Fun, bright, and delicious - the ariston rose is always one of the winery's best releases.

Price: $42.99

Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne

By: Christie Brunick | Review Date: 1/27/2012 | Send Email

My favorite Rose Champagne for the price! Amazing bright and vibrant red-pink fruit with a broad and creamy mouthfeel with racy acidity to keep it all in balance. As far as I'm concerned it's my Billecart Rose for a quarter of the price! Always elegant and delightful!

Price: $42.99

Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne

By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 12/29/2011 | Send Email

Minerally, cranberry and tart- the perfect pairing with smoked salmon appetizers. The richness of the salmon would be outstanding with the crisp mineral zip of this fantastic rose. Another excellent demonstration of the care and passion that Ariston Aspasie and family put into their champagne. Drink deep- Happy New Year!

Price: $42.99

ArteNOM "Seleccion 1146" Añejo Tequila (750ml)

By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 12/24/2011 | Send Email

It is tough in the tequila world to find small production, unique expressions of terroir and artful distillation, but that is exactly what the arte nom line of tequilas is all about. They each come from a single plantation of agave and a single distillery. They are all wonderful, but I'm an anejo guy, and this beauty is rich and lush with wonderful oaky notes over pure citrus flavors. If you're a real tequila fan- you have to try this.

Price: $89.99

Launois "Cuvée Réservée" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

By: Mike Parres | Review Date: 12/14/2011 | Send Email

This is one of the best Champagnes in our entire stock, all Chardonnay and all Grand Cru from the villages of Mesnil, Oger, Cramant and Avize. Buy now, it will be gone soon !

Price: $39.99

Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

By: Christie Brunick | Review Date: 12/14/2011 | Send Email

The best deal in direct import Blanc De Blanc Champagne Yet! Its an entire staff favorite here at K&L, and once you try it you'll understand why. Its elegant and pure but has a richness on the palate that is creamy and fulfilling. This is my personal house Champagne! My favorite Champagne under $50 by far! This has no hard edges at all; it's completely seamless from start to finish. Crisp, with elegance, round and creamy richness, the Bonville is full of bright fruit and mineral notes. As much fun as bubbly gets! Try it ASAP!

Price: $53.99

JS: 92

RP: 92

San Venanzio Fortunato Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore

By: Christie Brunick | Review Date: 12/14/2011 | Send Email

A delightful Prosecco from Italy which is dry but still very soft and elegant on the palate. Perfect Party bubbles for the Holiday season!

Price: $15.99

Underberg Bitters (20ml bottles three-pack) (cannot ship)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 12/14/2011 | Send Email

The holidays are here! That means big meals and lots of drinks. What do you do after a huge meal when you feel like all you can do is unbutton your pants and sink into the couch? Underberg!! This digestif bitter works wonders on your full stomach, aiding with digestion. It's also a relaxant in stressful situations, which the holidays can certainly be too.

Price: $4.99

Launois "Cuvée Réservée" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 12/9/2011 | Send Email

I am embarrassed to admit that before I met Gary Westby, our Champagne buyer, I was not a drinker of Champagne. I probably had had one or two bottles of mediocre, bulk-produced sparkling wine (not Champagne) and dismissed all sparkling wines on that basis. Then Gary introduced me to grower-producer Champagnes like the Launois "Cuvée Reserve" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne. The quality--the authenticity--of the wines was a revelation. And the great prices made possible through our direct import program made it impossible not to try as many as I could. If you want to learn about the Côte des Blancs--the home of the finest Chardonnay in Champagne--about Grand Cru sites like Mesnil and Oger, then this is a tutorial in a glass. Fine bead. Clean. Crisp. Wonderfully mineral in its expression, while still rich in texture. Try it on its own as an aperitif or, better yet, with our local Dungeness crab.

Price: $39.99

Rare Wine Company "Historic Series - Charleston" Sercial Madeira

By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 11/27/2011 | Send Email

The dominant character here is a subdued toasted nuttiness, not specifically almond or walnut, with undercurrents of dried fruit. The palate is another thing altogether. This is one a wine that succeeds more on texture than nuance of flavor. While it is a sweet wine, it doesn’t put itself across the way a sauterne or even a sweet sherry would. It is as though you’d put the proverbial “spoon full of sugar” in your mouth-though for the purposes of this analogy we’d better make sure you’re visualizing raw sugar-and then sucked a fat wedge of lime. The tremendous acidity doesn’t just balance out the sweetness, but actually overcompensates for it, making it seem to finish much drier than it started and lip-smacking, too. Singular stuff. Works pretty nice with a slice of pumpkin pie and I’d wager you would get good mileage out of it with well-seasoned meaty bites, say dumplings of some sort.

Price: $55.99

Clear Creek Douglas Fir Brandy (375ml)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 11/16/2011 | Send Email

Like a pine tree in a glass but in a very, very good way! Use this in autumn cocktails or in holiday baking to really jazz things up this season.

Price: $49.99

St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur (750ml)

By: Jeremy Bohrer | Review Date: 11/16/2011 | Send Email

This stuff is liquid deliciousness. You can put in anything and it will make it taste wonderful. Seriously, you could put this in muddy water and it would still make it great. Floral, light and bright, with an elegance with no equal. Try it in sparkling wine. Yummy!

Price: $34.99

WE: 96 - 100

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