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K&L Wine Merchants

California Wine Retailer ... see full wiki

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10 Ratings: +3.7

K&L Wine Merchants founded in 1976. Website at http://www.klwines.com Store locations in San Francisco, Redwood City and Hollywood, California. 877-KLWines (877-559-4637) Publishes a free monthly newsletter. Named a 10 Best Online Wine Shop … more

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10 Ratings: +3.7

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lizasperling's Review

K&L Wine Merchants: A Chain?!

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a review by lizasperling

Jul 21, 2009

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It was not until I found the Lunch.com review that I realized my favorite local wine store, K&L Wine Merchants, is a chain. The best part about K&L is that it has an anti-chain feel. I bet you'll be fooled.

Imagine your local bookstore, where not only are the staff well-versed on the inventory, so are your fellow shoppers. You can feel free to spend as much time as you want browsing without feeling pressured to buy, and often I find myself talking to the guys who work there about their dining experiences with a particular wine. Example, imagine vacationing in Sicily, sitting on the coast enjoying a fruity, but somehow dry white wine with a basket of fried whitebait (tiny little fish) and wedges of lemon. Of course I bought that bottle of wine, because it had a story, and the story gave me a bit of Sicily with my Trader Joe's frozen gnochhi.

Beyond an amazing and ever evolving wine selection, there is another facet to the K&L experience that sets it apart from many snooty wine stores: they sell beer~! It was not until my 2nd or 3rd visit that I recognized it , but it sure beats heading to Bevmo the next time you need to stock up. If you are prepping for a party and need some advice on everything from the wine you plan to serve to the beer that will also compliment the occasion, you can count on finding eccentric staff and plenty of browsing (and opinionated) locals to choose the perfect wine AND beer. Don't worry about the fact that you are in flip flops or your hair is greasy, you will be treated well, regardless of your price range or your 'walk of shame' outfit. K&L takes the snobbery out of NorCal wine shopping, which makes this Nawlins girl smile.

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drogoff

You are lucky that you live close to a K&L...I think it is the best wine store out there but I have to drive a ways to get there. You are right about being treated well. The last time I was in, one of the staffers spent a lot of time helping me pick a bottle of champagne for a gift and he seemed really pleased to do it. Great Review!

On July 21, 2009

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a Quick Tip by forrestcokely

Feb 28, 2010

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Great store friendly people.

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The best internet wine retailer with three locations in California

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a review by drogoff

Sep 12, 2008

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This is by far the best wine shop on the web. I am basing my recommendation on the following factors.

Selection

They have a huge selection. The inventory is deep on both international and domestic wines with a real breadth of west coast offerings. In addition to the big names, they have many small producers who may not sell through other sites. There is a large old and rare section that is constantly being updated as they buy collections. They offer many wine futures as well.

Prices

K&L prices are outstanding. The wine buyers travel abroad to buy direct from producers and negociants which results in lower prices because they cut out the middlemen. If you live near one of the retail locations, you can pick up your wines and not pay shipping charges.

Site Features

The website is very clean. It is easy to browse by varietal, country, subregion, vintage or price range. There is an alert system that sends you an email when they receive a wine that you are interested in. There is a real time inventory system which displays the location of the selected wine. Wine reviews, scores and staff selections are displayed as well.

Newsletter

The monthly newsletter is comprehensive and interesting to read. It highlights the new offerings as well as providing high level information on particular regions and vintages.

Wine Clubs

There are several wine clubs which send monthly deliveries at reduced prices and offer discounts on other selections. These are a great way for inexperienced wine drinkers to gain exposure to the different regions and varietals. I was a member of the Signature Red club for a few years and learned a lot from the detailed write up that would accompany each bottle.

Conclusion

Whether you are a serious collector or a novice, K&L is a compelling choice for internet wine purchasing. I enjoy reading the newsletters and they are the first stop when I am looking to buy wine on the web. The retail stores are also quite impressive. Whenever I find myself near one of the retail locations I make it a point to stop in to see what's new. The knowledgeable staff and weekly wine tastings are also nice benefits of visiting the stores in person.

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