The Wines We Drink Every Day
by Tom Wolf
If you’ve walked into our shop at 1605 San Pablo Ave., you’ve no doubt seen posters of some of France and Italy’s most revered vignerons and hallowed vineyards. These trailblazers and iconic sites deeply inspire us at KLWM every day.
And yet, as much as we celebrate them, we love the less well-known growers who farm their regions’ humbler sites just as much—a fact that you could confirm if you walked into any of our homes to find our shelves and fridges filled with Côtes du Rhône, sparkling Venetian rosé, and Cahors. As seriously as we take our mission to track down the greatest grand cru Chablis or Barolo, we are just as committed in our quest to find the best regional wines for your (and our!) table. After all, these are the bottles we are excited to open every day: with a simple bolognese on a Tuesday night, at a neighbor’s potluck, a family gathering, or even weddings.
From our beloved savory, chewy Côtes du Rhône to Colleleva’s brisk and refreshing Verdicchio to Sommariva’s exuberant sparkling rosato, the bottles below deliver outstanding expressions of their regions’ terroirs all with an easy “house wine” price tag.
The Wines We Drink Every Day
by Tom Wolf
© Madison H. Brown
Marco Tintero
© Jimmy Hayes
Jean-Baptiste and Laure Adam of Kuentz-Bas
© Jimmy Hayes
© Madison H. Brown
These are the bottles we are excited to open every day: with a simple bolognese on a Tuesday night, at a neighbor’s pot luck, family gathering, or even weddings.
Wines In The Collection
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
A fresh, pure entry point to the Rhône’s great reds with aromas and flavors of black cherries, stones, and a hint of black olive.
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
Sauvignon and a splash of Chardonnay: the epitome of minerally Loire refreshment
Sommariva Italy | Veneto
January Adventures Club ~ A spritzy rosato with scents of frutti di bosco and wildflowers.
Clos La Coutale France | Southwest
Consistently great year in and year out. It possesses class, country soul, and more-than-meets-the-eye complexity.
Tintero Italy | Piedmont
There’s no mistaking this red for anything other than Nebbiolo—perfectly ripe fruit and the telltale scents of tar and roses.
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
We aimed for maximum drinkability: plenty of hedonistic purple-tinged fruit, along with a hint of wild herbs and lovely lavender and violet notes.
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais
The result is a pretty, round, and versatile rosé full of notes of red fruit, melon, and rhubarb. It finishes with a subtle herbal note and foodfriendly acidity.
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
This low-alcohol, youthful bianco has a subtle, chalky texture you might find in much pricier French Chablis.
France | Southern Rhône
A fresh, pure entry point to the Rhône’s great reds with aromas and flavors of black cherries, stones, and a hint of black olive.
France | Loire
Sauvignon and a splash of Chardonnay: the epitome of minerally Loire refreshment
Italy | Veneto
January Adventures Club ~ A spritzy rosato with scents of frutti di bosco and wildflowers.
France | Southwest
Consistently great year in and year out. It possesses class, country soul, and more-than-meets-the-eye complexity.
Italy | Piedmont
There’s no mistaking this red for anything other than Nebbiolo—perfectly ripe fruit and the telltale scents of tar and roses.
France | Southern Rhône
We aimed for maximum drinkability: plenty of hedonistic purple-tinged fruit, along with a hint of wild herbs and lovely lavender and violet notes.
France | Beaujolais
The result is a pretty, round, and versatile rosé full of notes of red fruit, melon, and rhubarb. It finishes with a subtle herbal note and foodfriendly acidity.
Italy | Le Marche
This low-alcohol, youthful bianco has a subtle, chalky texture you might find in much pricier French Chablis.
More Collections
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.