Spanish & Portuguese Wine News 5/29/12: Miguel Merino is Coming to Town!

By: Joe Manekin | K&L Spanish & Portuguese Wine Buyer

Greetings Iberiophiles,

Very exciting news:  On Tuesday June 19th and Wednesday June 20th, we will be hosting Mr. Miguel Merino, of the eponymously named bodega in Briones, La Rioja, Spain.  Many of you may know that Miguel Merino represents our first official foray into directly imported wines from Spain.  If you have tried these wines, then you should know that they are absolutely a reflection of the man:  gregarious and loads of fun, yet well informed and just old school enough to know that you are certainly dealing with The Real Deal.  Whether you want to enhance your knowledge of Rioja, discuss the minutiae of converting a 15th century farmhouse into a functioning bodega, or simply would like to sample some first rate wines with one of the friendliest and most entertaining folks I've ever met in the business, you really ought to come  to one (or both) of these events.  We will be hosting an in-store tasting in Redwood City and a very small, intimate dinner at Contigo in San Francisco.  Details below:

In-store tasting with Miguel Merino in Redwood City, Tuesday June 19th (5-6:30pm) Come and taste our full line-up of Miguel Merino wines with the owner himself.  Learn about the various terroirs of Briones, the origin of Merino's graciano plants, Miguel's very thorough, three tiered selection process, where to find the best foie gras tapa in Haro, amongst many other topics to be sure. $5 to taste.

http://www.facebook.com/events/473883769295261/?context=create  invite friends!

Very intimate wine dinner with Miguel Merino at Contigo in SF, Wednesday June 20th at 8:30pm Join Miguel and me and enjoy his wines with Brett Emerson's wonderful Catalan inspired cuisine at Contigo in Noe Valley.  We will be pouring the following wines (as well as a few special surprises): 

2008 Miguel Merino "Viñas Jovenes" Crianza Rioja

2009 Miguel Merino Mazuelo de Quinta Cruz Rioja

2005 Miguel Merino Reserva Rioja

2004 Miguel Merino Gran Reserva Rioja

2008 Miguel Merino "Unnum" Rioja

When I say intimate, I do mean intimate. Only 15 spots are available, first come, first served. We have reserved the outdoor (heated) patio, which is perfect for this amount of people.  There will be five courses served.  Please respond to this email if you are interested, or feel free to call us at 650.364-8544 to order your ticket.  Cost is $100 (wine, gratuity and tax all included)

Un saludo,

Joe

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Joe Manekin

Spanish, Portuguese, Latin American Wine Buyer

K&L Wine Merchants

Ph: 877.559.4637 ext. 2748

joemanekin@klwines.com

*Bellisimo Brunello* Tasting with K&L & James Suckling! Sunday May 12th at Fort Mason, San Francisco

Join K&L Wine Merchants and James Suckling for a special Brunello tasting featuring 30+ Brunello producers, pouring '07 Brunelli and '06 Riservas! Standard and VIP Tickets available. Purchase VIP tickets to gain early entry to the event and full access to all the wines!

VIP Bellisimo Brunello with K&L Wine Merchants & James Suckling

Sunday, May 12th 2012

2pm- 5pm (VIP Admission at 2pm; General Admission at 3pm)

VIP Tickets ($99) Click to purchase:  http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1086430

General Tickets ($69) Click to purchase: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1086806 

Location:

1 Fort Mason (General's Residence)

Entrance at Bay & Franklin

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Some of the confirmed producers are listed below:

Antinori - Pian delle Vigne

Capanna

Caparzo

Casanova di Neri

Castello Banfi

Castello Romitorio

Celestino Pecci

Ciacci Piccolomini D'Aragona

Donna Olga

Eredi

Fuligni

Fanti-Tenuta San Filippo

La Rasina

La Serena

Marchesi de Frescobaldi

Mastrojanni

Maté

Nicale

Podere la Vigna

Poggio Il Castellare

San Filippo

San Polino

Scopone

Silvio Nardi

Siro Pacenti

Tassi

Uccelleria

Valdicava

Vitanza

...and more!

VIP Ticket holders will have their name added to the guest list.

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Shop Brunello on KLWines.com

Champagne Extravaganza Comes to Hollywood

Forty-plus-year-old bottles of Champagne Philippe Gonet resting in the cellar. Photo courtesy of Champagne Philippe Gonet.If you go to just one wine event all year, it should be the upcoming Champagne Tent Event at K&L Hollywood. A more lounge-y version of our already-sold-out event in San Francisco, this year's Champagne extravaganza will undoubtedly be our best yet. This year's line-up includes nearly 100 exceptional bubblies, from non-vintage Bollinger to 2002 Dom Perignon and Cristal to 1988 Veuve-Clicquot "Rare" Vintage Champagne, plus tasty treats from Cube Marketplace. But what really makes this tasting extraordinary is that, in addition to the dozens of Grand Marque Champagnes being poured, a number of the artisanal grower/producers exclusive to K&L will be flying in to pour and talk about their own wines

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