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The mood was upbeat inside K&L Wine Merchants’ Redwood City location on a recent Saturday afternoon. Maybe it was the opportunity to taste a 2013 Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” Brut Blanc de Blancs during one of the company’s weekly wine-tasting events, or perhaps it was the hunt for that special bottle to enjoy with dinner. Or maybe it was word that a new allocation of Signatory scotch had landed in the warehouse. In any case, the place was buzzing with folks who appreciate the brand’s legacy and trustworthiness in the retail wine and spirits world, a legacy that was built between two childhood friends who met 77 years ago in San Mateo.
As it often happens in youth, Clyde Beffa and Todd Zucker went their separate ways during the ‘50s and ‘60s until a business opportunity reunited them. According to the company’s blog, Zucker needed a new business partner for his San Francisco business (Parkside Liquors) right around the time Beffa sold his family’s dairy farm and became interested in wine collecting. In 1976, the two partnered up, opening K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City in 1978. Today, 46 years later, they are still business partners and friends.
There’s no question that the business has evolved from its first couple of years, when jug wine and Jim Beam were the norm. According to its website, K&L began sourcing wines from France and Italy in the early ‘80s. The decision to seek out undiscovered gems differentiated the company from big box stores and supermarkets that sold wine at discount prices. The partners’ early decision to hire regional and international buyers to find the wines the larger retailers couldn’t access continues to pay off for them today.
“We curate stuff that appeals to people open to trying new things from all over the world,” said Brian Zucker, co-owner and son of co-founder Todd Zucker. “We always come across these amazingly gifted winemakers who really care about how their brand is merchandised and they like the way that we can help tell their story.”
Today, the business operates four locations in California – including Redwood City, San Francisco, Hollywood and Culver City – and employs more than 160 people. And though K&L considers itself a California brand with global reach, it still feels local – especially to Brian, who grew up in San Mateo and still resides there.
“I went to Davis, lived in San Francisco for a little while but came right back to this part of the world,” he said about living on the Peninsula. “My daughter just started school at San Mateo High, where I went.”
Co-founder Clyde Beffa and his wife live in Half Moon Bay; his son, Trey, and his family reside in Monterey. Brian’s parents still live in San Mateo. All four partners have a hand in the business.
“Clyde was the original wine buyer for K&L and developed a passion for Bordeaux,” he said. “Today, the category is huge for us. His son, Trey, learned from him.”
With so much global reach, K&L has become an omnichannel wine and spirits business as a K&L customer has access to the product through its auctions, wine clubs, online and storefront presence, storage facilities and in-store tastings.
Brian acknowledges that online orders are slightly higher than in-store shopping but said, “The majority of our online shoppers live within 5-10 miles from one of our stores.” Many of these orders originate from the company’s robust “Insiders Advantage” program, where customers signed up for K&L’s newsletters receive updates on limited inventory of special bottles and vintages. This, and the ability to buy and trade wine on their auction site, creates an exciting experience for the wine and spirits lover.
“I don’t remember where I heard the quote, but I think this quote is brilliant: ‘Retail is not dead, but boring retail is,’” Brian quipped.
Customers were eager to chat about K&L’s reach at the recent champagne tasting.
“A friend introduced me to K&L a few years ago when I moved from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco,” Evan Lincoln said. “He told me about their international buying power and asked me to ship him some scotch that he can’t get up there.”
He and Taylor Satterlee spent the day on the Peninsula, checking out tide pools around Half Moon Bay and then hiking Loma Mar’s San McDonald Park. On their way back, they saw that K&L was having a champagne tasting and stopped by. Both Lincoln and Satterlee said they appreciate the brand’s commitment to quality.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a $15,000 bottle or a $15 bottle of wine — it’s going to have that K&L stamp of approval,” Lincoln added.
The couple recently purchased a late ‘90s Bordeaux for under $30 and couldn’t believe the quality.
“That’s a sign that they know how to care for their wine,” Satterlee said.
Staff member Alex Leonardini talked about the specialness of the tastings and how they connect the buyer with the customer.
“We do our best to have our buyers pour at our tastings,” he said. “These are the people out there selecting the products and can speak better than anyone about their characteristics. We build out our tastings so that customers can sample a variety of price points. For instance, with this champagne tasting, many people have heard the word ‘cru’ but might not know what it means or might not have tasted champagne at that price point.”
Heather, a Menlo Park resident who asked to not include her last name, has been attending K&L’s tastings and shopping there for 10 years. She collects Burgundies and goes to tastings weekly. She said that the tastings are a great way to connect with other wine lovers and added, “Wine is very uniting.”
She and fellow taster Barbara Leep from Redwood City met at one of K&L’s tastings years ago.
“Friendships can be formed here,” Leep said.
K&L Wine Merchants, 3005 El Camino Real, Redwood City; 650-364-8544, Instagram: @klwines. Open Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Editor’s note: This version corrects the spelling of K&L cofounder Clyde Beffa’s name.
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