Allyson’s Current Selections
by Allyson Noman
Allyson Noman
©
Allyson Noman
©
Allyson’s Current Selections
by Allyson Noman
Before joining the team at KLWM, I spent over a decade running restaurants and bars across the country, from New York City to Miami Beach, then returning to my roots in the Bay Area. I’m a Berkeley native and finding my way back to working in wine, one of my first loves, has been a homecoming.
I’m a firm believer that wine should be fun and that it goes hand in hand with a meal, any and all of which can transform into an occasion. As a writer and reader, outside of work I’m usually buried in words of some kind or divining the universe via astrology and tarot. Intuition is the key to life and, more often than not, wine! I love the obscure, the unexpected, the cultish, and the classics. Let’s find your next favorite bottle.
[email protected]
Wines In The Collection
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
This bottle gives some of my favorite grand cru Rieslings a run for their money with a nose evoking peach skin and pear and a palate that ripples with fresh acidity.
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Lychee and ripe citrus wrapped in beeswax. You might think there are a bunch of busy benevolent bees whiling away inside your glass.
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
If you’re like me, a glass of Corsican Muscatellu sparks visions of evening cheese plates laden with Marcona almonds and gemlike fruits.
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
This is Sauvignon Blanc unlike any others in the world: textured, lush, full of aromatic gooseberry and passionfruit—all supported by spiny minerality.
Vignato Davide Italy | Veneto
Four months of skin contact leaves this Garganega from Vignato Davide bursting with fragrant clementine and almond blossoms, while volcanic soil imparts lingering salinity.
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli
Dessert Wine Sale Selection, 20% off this month! A sublime late harvest of Malvasia that is sumptuously delightful with a perfectly tart bite.
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Salinity in spades, fleshed out by summery golden fruit notes, like baked pineapple.
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
The family’s grandest wine, a brooding elixir of satiny fruit, cedar, and graphite.
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Tasting the bottle, one quickly sees winemaker Cyriaque Rozier’s statement that Malvasia has “acclimated perfectly to the land of La Roque” is not an overstatement.
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The fruit recalls savory plums and baked cherries. It almost feels like a cheat: getting to drink a wine with the desirable qualities of long cellaring, but in its immediate, current release.
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
If you’re a fan of Jura’s vin jaune or fino and manzanilla sherry, find yourself a new friend in this rare bottling from Ludvic Engelvin.
France | Alsace
This bottle gives some of my favorite grand cru Rieslings a run for their money with a nose evoking peach skin and pear and a palate that ripples with fresh acidity.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Lychee and ripe citrus wrapped in beeswax. You might think there are a bunch of busy benevolent bees whiling away inside your glass.
France | Corsica
If you’re like me, a glass of Corsican Muscatellu sparks visions of evening cheese plates laden with Marcona almonds and gemlike fruits.
France | Loire
This is Sauvignon Blanc unlike any others in the world: textured, lush, full of aromatic gooseberry and passionfruit—all supported by spiny minerality.
Italy | Veneto
Four months of skin contact leaves this Garganega from Vignato Davide bursting with fragrant clementine and almond blossoms, while volcanic soil imparts lingering salinity.
Italy | Friuli
Dessert Wine Sale Selection, 20% off this month! A sublime late harvest of Malvasia that is sumptuously delightful with a perfectly tart bite.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Salinity in spades, fleshed out by summery golden fruit notes, like baked pineapple.
France | Loire
The family’s grandest wine, a brooding elixir of satiny fruit, cedar, and graphite.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Tasting the bottle, one quickly sees winemaker Cyriaque Rozier’s statement that Malvasia has “acclimated perfectly to the land of La Roque” is not an overstatement.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The fruit recalls savory plums and baked cherries. It almost feels like a cheat: getting to drink a wine with the desirable qualities of long cellaring, but in its immediate, current release.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
If you’re a fan of Jura’s vin jaune or fino and manzanilla sherry, find yourself a new friend in this rare bottling from Ludvic Engelvin.
More Collections
Rosé Sale
One month into 2025, my strongest resolution has been a renewed commitment to cook more. I chalk my hot streak up to a wealth of quick and easy recipes I’ve stumbled upon, but what helps even more is the fridge full of inspiring, ready-to-pair rosés I keep on hand…
The Natural World of Thierry Germain
Not long after settling in Saumur in the nineties, Thierry Germain started farming organically, and soon thereafter, he embraced biodynamics. It resonated with him that a holistic approach, with ethical and respectful practices in the vineyard and toward those who helped him work the land (animal and human), was crucial to making the best possible wines…
A Rare Find in the Northern Rhône
Kermit was one of the first American buyers to recognize the potential in the appellation of Saint-Joseph, the series of rolling granite hills on the west side of the Rhône River between Ampuis (Côte-Rôtie) and Tournon-sur-Rhône (Hermitage) planted to Syrah.
A New Era for the Bouvier Family
There’s something so rare and refreshing when a Burgundy family, once divided into multiple domaines, reunites after many years. After a few decades of pursuing their own projects, brothers Régis and Bernard Bouvier recently merged their vineyards under the domaine named for their father, René, following Régis’s retirement...
In Case You Missed It: A Collection of Noteworthy Selections from 2024
The past few Decembers we’ve reviewed your year in wine, highlighting recurring favorites in categories such as pricepoint, color, style, and region. This year we’ve set aside the formal data in favor of the anecdotal to bring you a collection of wines—newcomers of sorts—that stood out for any number of reasons...
Provençal Gems from North of Nice
Today I had the Clos Saint-Joseph blanc. I imagine if François Raveneau had made wine there, his blanc would have tasted like Roch’s. What a pure expression of that fabulous terroir. Filtered by the stones. — Kermit Lynch
New Arrivals
Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!
The Carpe Vinum Collection
An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.
50th Anniversary Merchandise
When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!
Recent Wine Club Selections
Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.