We sat down with Sommelier/Owner Krista French of Stylus Wine & Vinyl Bar in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Wine is something to be enjoyed over a meal with friends and good conversations and Stylus plays vinyl records all day on a custom hi-fi system inspired by 1920s Tokyo jazz kissas. The wine bar presents a curated wine list highlighting French selections with a small, focused menu featuring high-quality, simple French dishes loved by the owners.

Stylus Wine & Vinyl Bar in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: Meet the Sommelier

Tell us about what your morning routine looks like, and how you like to end your day?

My typical morning routine looks like this - I wake up around 7, do a short guided meditation with breathing exercises to calm my mind, this sets me up for the day ahead and keeps me in check! Next is coffee and then study time. I’m studying for my CMS advanced theory exam which takes place in February 2026, my goal is to study at least two hours every morning on work days and as long as I can handle it on Monday & Tuesday when Stylus is closed. After my study session I get ready for work and head to the bar.

What’s a good way for someone to start developing their wine palate?

The best way to develop your palate is to taste wine. The more you taste you start to recognize certain characteristics in particular regions, grape varieties, and wine making techniques. Tasting wine is like working out, the more you do it the stronger you get at it. Take classes, have wine tasting parties with friends, or focus on a region/grape variety for a period of time at home with dinner and really pay attention to what fruit, herbs, oak, ect. that you’re tasting, the way the wine feels in your mouth, how much alcohol you feel, ect. Have fun with it!

Can you explain the difference in your own words between Old World and New World wines?

Generally speaking “Old World” wines tend to more terroir and restraint in the style and flavor profile, lower alcohol, more focus on vineyard than the cellar, can be less oak, older oak, larger format oak, labeling focuses on region instead of grape variety. “New World” more fruit driven, higher alcohol which results in bigger bolder wines, less rules about production so the winemaker can play around more in the cellar and in the vineyard for that matter.

That being said, with global warming the Old World wines are bigger, rounder and higher alcohol these days. I tasted an Willamette Valley Pinot Noir yesterday that I might have called Burgundy and I’ve blinded white Burgundy and thought it was a high end Napa producer. European countries will always have much stricter laws in regards to growing and production but it there really is a fine line between “Old and New” world wines. It’s more like wines of the world, all of us together.

What kind of wine do you typically enjoy the most?

I truly enjoy experiencing all types of wine but what I drink the most are lighter fresher styles. I’m loving white wines out of the Alto Adige in Italy, German/Austrian/Alsatian whites, Trousseau & Poulsard from the Jura, Willamette Valley or Burgundian Pinot Noirs, and Grenache from most anywhere is a go to for me, I’m loving Grenache coming out of Washington State, Grosgrain, Upside Down Wines, and Esja are some of my favorites. You can find great value for quality in the South of France and Priorat for Grenache as well.

What’s a wine that surprised you recently?

Stadt Krems Kremstal Steinterrassen Riesling. I don’t know that it surprised me as much as it excited me! It had been a minute since I’d tasted an Austrian riesling and this guy wakes all the senses. It’s vibrant and energetic whith mouth tingling acidity and freshness. Lots of lemon/lime, apricot, mineral, and orange blossom. I’m obsessed!

What up-and-coming wine region are you excited about?

It’s not really up and coming as the region has been making wine for 2000 years but I’ve been digging wines from Bierzo in Spain. In the Castilla y León region of Spain. Mencía is the native grape that this region is know for. Mencía is a medium bodied red grape that is really fresh and vibrant, think crunchy red fruit… Tart cherry, pomegranate, underripe strawberries with some violets, black peppercorn and rocky minerality thrown in for good measure. One of my favorites right now is Descendientes de Jose Palacios Petalos Vinas Viejas, it retails for about $25, is farmed biodynamically, and is killer with or without food.

What’s your Instagram so that readers can follow you?

You can follow me at @cdasommelier.

What’s one common wine myth you’d love to debunk?

That all riesling is sweet! I’m a defender of this grape variety because it’s such an excellent grape variety that is so misunderstood. It’s one the most high acid white grape varieties out there. Yes, in can be intentionally made to a be a sweet wine (amazing with spicy Thai food, holy sh*t!) But it can also be so bright and linear that it’ll rip your face off. Please give her a try, you won’t be disappointed.

What’s a grape varietal most people overlook but should try?

Well, Riesling, you should know how I feel about this grape by now. But another one I love that gets a bad rap is Gamay. It can wear many hats depending on where it’s grown and how its produced but this guy usually light to medium bodied, with flavors and aromas of fresh strawberries, cherry, raspberry, with fresh herbs, crunchy granite, and wet earth. It’s grown all over the world but I particularly love Gamay from Beaujolais, try and find one of the ten “Crus”. They range in price from value to pricy but are sure to please and become a part of your regular rotation.

Tell readers why they should visit your wine bar?

There are so many reasons to visit Stylus! First we spin vinyl records all day, we love music and we love vinyl records. We have a custom hifi sound system modeled after the jazz kissas that originated in Tokyo in the 1920s. Our curated wine list has something for everyone with a serious focus on French wines. We probably have the best Burgundy collection outside of Beverly’s. If you want classic we have it, if you want nerdy low intervention wines we have them too. There is literally something for everyone at every price point. We always have a featured flight and we do Coravin wine specials on the weekends. I also have to point out that although we are wine obsessed, we want the Stylus experience to feel relaxed with no pretension. Wine is something to be enjoyed over a meal with friends and good conversations. We never want our guests to feel intimidated by it. And finally, we serve a focused small menu featuring dishes that we love from France. Simple and high quality is what we do. We source our meats and cheeses from Europe as well as local cheese, sausage, and bread makers. We make all of our sauces, soups, and dressings in house without seed oils and buy organic seasonal produce. We love what we do and love to share it with our community and visitors to Coeur d’Alene.

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