Structure First · Companion

The K&L Wines
shopping list

A lean 14-bottle benchmark set that covers every tasting session in the course. Most bottles do double or triple duty, so you taste the full structural range without buying 25 wines. Every category carries a live in-stock search link.

14 core bottles · roughly $300–$380 all-in · all targeted under $30
0 of 14 bought
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Read first — how to use this list.
1 · Use the green "Browse live in-stock" button, then tap K&L's In Stock filter. The button runs a live K&L search for that style. On the results page, tap the In Stock availability filter and set price ≤ $30 — everything left has an Add to Cart button; sold-out wines (Notify Me) disappear. That filter can't be baked into the link (K&L applies it on the page, not through a stable URL), so this one tap is the reliable step.
2 · The named bottles under each button are targets, not guarantees. I can't see K&L's live cart button from here, and stock changes hourly — so if a linked bottle shows "Notify Me," just pick any in-stock option from the search button above it. Prices are approximate (early–mid 2026); confirm at checkout.
3 · Three substitutions (Cava, Oregon Pinot, Cru Bourgeois) each carry a "$50 upgrade" box with the real thing — Champagne, village Burgundy, classified Bordeaux — if you want to spend up.

Whites

1Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
The crisp, aromatic white benchmark · Purchased
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S2 · crisp whiteS3 · aromaticS12 · New Zealand
2Unoaked Chardonnay / Chablis
The "no oak" side of the oak contrast · Purchased
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S3 · unoaked ChardS6 · white Burgundy ref
3Oaked California Chardonnay
The "oak" side — taste it beside #2
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S3 · oaked ChardS11 · USA white
4Mosel Riesling Kabinett
Off-dry, high-acid — the balance lesson · Purchased
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S3 · RieslingS10 · GermanyS15 · acid/sweet ref

Reds

5Côtes du Rhône (Grenache-Syrah)
The soft, low-tannin red benchmark · Purchased
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S2 · soft redS4 · light/medium redS7 · S. Rhône
6Oregon Pinot Noir
Pale, light-bodied red — Burgundy stand-in
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S4 · pale redS6 · Burgundy stand-in
↑ $50 upgrade — real village Burgundy
$50 buys real village Burgundy — just not the prestige communes (Gevrey, Chambolle, Vosne start ~$60–100+).
7Bordeaux — Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc
Structured Cabernet/Merlot blend
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S5 · BordeauxS4 · full red (alt)
↑ $50 upgrade — classified-growth Bordeaux
  • Cleanest value: K&L Discovery Series Pauillac (~$29.99) — made by a classified growth
  • Named benchmark: Sociando-Mallet (Haut-Médoc) or Lilian Ladouys, St-Estèphe (~$22.99) — drink at classed-growth level
An actual labeled 1855 fifth growth (Batailley, Lynch-Moussas…) sits right at or just above $50 — verify the château & vintage.
8Chianti Classico (Sangiovese)
Savory, high-acid, tannic Italian · Purchased
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S8 · Italy
9Rioja Reserva (Tempranillo)
Oak-aged Spanish — the aging-ladder lesson · Purchased
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S9 · Spain
10California Cabernet (or Zinfandel)
Ripe, full-bodied New World red
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S11 · USAS4 · full red (alt)
11Mendoza Malbec (Uco Valley)
Altitude-fresh Argentine red
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S13 · South America

Sparkling — Session 14's method pair

12Cava (traditional method)
The Champagne stand-in — bottle-fermented
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S14 · traditional method
↑ $50 upgrade — real Champagne (grower preferred)
A clear step up from Cava — taste them side by side to see what the Cava was approximating.
13Prosecco (tank method)
The contrast — taste beside the Cava · Purchased
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S14 · tank method

Fortified — Session 15

14Tawny Port
Fortified during fermentation → sweet, barrel-aged
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S15 · fortified & sweet
+Optional: a dry Sherry (Fino or Oloroso)
Fortified after fermentation → dry. Buy alongside the Port to taste the timing lesson directly.
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Then tap In Stock on the results page to hide sold-out bottles.
S15 · Port-vs-Sherry contrast

Session-by-session quick map

S1Any bottle from the set (intro tasting)
S2#1 Marlborough SB (crisp white) + #5 Côtes du Rhône (soft red)
S3#1 SB · #2 unoaked Chard vs #3 oaked Chard · #4 Riesling
S4#6 Pinot (pale) vs #7 Bordeaux or #10 Cabernet (full)
S5#7 Bordeaux (Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc)
S6#6 Oregon Pinot (Burgundy stand-in) · #2 for white Burgundy
S7#5 Côtes du Rhône
S8#8 Chianti Classico
S9#9 Rioja Reserva
S10#4 Mosel Riesling Kabinett
S11#10 California Cabernet · #3 oaked Chard
S12#1 Marlborough SB (NZ); add a Barossa Shiraz for the Australia side (optional)
S13#11 Mendoza Malbec
S14#12 Cava vs #13 Prosecco
S15#14 Tawny Port (+ optional dry Sherry)
S16Reuse any bottles — service, temperature & faults
S17–20No wine required — analytical & investing sessions
Structure First · K&L companion list. The green search buttons show live inventory; named bottles are targets to confirm at klwines.com.
Prices seen early–mid 2026 and approximate. K&L ships to many US states (California included); wine shipping is state-regulated, so confirm delivery at checkout.
The one thing this list can't supply is the tasting itself — that's the work, and it's yours.