What is the tippler club...

The Tippler Club is a monthly wine subscription that consists of fun, interesting, and off the beaten-path natural wines. 

There are 4 levels to choose from:

-Feather : 1 Bottles / month for $25
-Primed : 2 Bottles / month for $50
-Tipsy : 3 Bottles / month for $75
-Sozzled : 4 Bottles / month for $100

The wines are hand-selected and vary in style but will be predominately from old world regions with occasional new world sprinkled in. They can be enjoyed either with food or alone - depending on the experience you're looking for and we will send you information on each of the wines you'll be enjoying, as well as recommendations on food pairings. 

MY STORY...

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Alicia Kemper, I am the Wine Director at fundamental LA. Thanks for stopping by and looking into The Tippler Club! 

I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and traveled around quite a bit (Nepal, Brazil, Denver) before eventually ending up in San Francisco just before my 21st birthday. Immediately, the beautiful scenery and interesting wine, most of which I was tasting for the first time, captured my attention. I instantly decided to read and learn (read: drink) as much about it as I could.

After traveling around a bit more (Breckenridge, NYC), I ended up moving to Los Angeles in 2008 and working as part of 2 Michelin-starred Melisse's front of house team under the tutelage of sommelier Brian Kalliel. There I was introduced to a lot of "the greats," and had the chance to drink some really unforgettable wines.

After spending 2 years at Melisse, I ventured back to Cincinnati and continued to develop my palate with the help of Kevin Hart at Boca Restaurant, where I had the opportunity to start exploring the more obscure corners of the wine world. I became a certified sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, and shortly thereafter, moved to Napa Valley to work a harvest at Napa Valley's Bond Estate while working at 3 Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood.

At the end of the winter season of 2011, I returned to Los Angeles and found my new home at fundamental LA. Over the years, I've been able to hone my passion for unique varietals from small producers around the old world, and to share those wines with all of our guests!

In 2017 - 2020, I traveled abroad to France to get my hands dirty in harvest. In 2017, I worked first in Champagne with Nathalie Vignier (J. Vignier) + Hubert Soreau. Immediately afterwards, I jumped into harvest in Chablis with Athenais Beru. Then in 2018, 2019 and 2020, I went back to Champagne, but a bit further south, in a village called Montgueux and worked with Emmanuel Lassaigne (Jacques Lassaigne). These harvests have taught me a lot about what goes into making a single bottle of wine and how much physical work it takes!

I hope you will be enjoying some of our delicious wines soon as well! 

WHAT I LIKE TO DRINK...

I am constantly changing what I drink. I have certain go-to's, but for the most part I am always looking for something new and intriguing. I love to find a great bottle of wine from a grape varietal or a region that I have never heard of and share that with my team and guests. 

As I mentioned earlier, I do have certain go-to's, including; Rose all summer (last years vintage); Light bodied res in the winter time such as Trousseau, Poulssard, and the occasional Pinot plus maybe some richer whites like Chardonnay and Chenin; Super bright fresh whites in the spring; Jacquere, Altesse, Savagnin and, of course, my absolute favorite, Grower Champagne, all the time.

One of the most important things I think about when tasting wine is if I truly love it. Am I saying, "Wow this is insanely tasty!" every time I take a sip.  If yes - I buy a case or two and see how it is received at the restaurant. If I take more than one bottle home I will probably end up reordering at least once. If not, then on to the next one! It is fun to be able to have a constantly changing wine list and share my finds.