Kermit Lynch Fine Wines

Kermit Lynch was raised in San Luis Obispo, where they served Welch’s grape juice in communion at his dad’s church; a rebellious son, he would later develop a fondness for fermented grape juice. 

In 1972, with a $5,000 loan and a bit of gumption, this writer/musician opened Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant with thirty-five cases of wine stacked on the floor. Attracted by the Old World wine cultures of Europe, Kermit became a retailer, distributor, and national importer for authentic wines that express their terroir. Much like his close friends, the late food writer Richard Olney and Chez Panisse’s founder Alice Waters, Kermit’s influence has been enduring. He has had so much success shining the spotlight on small, artisan producers that he has won two James Beard awards and was knighted by the French government with their prestigious “Legion d’Honneur.”

Kermit’s creative nature continues to extend beyond the two doors of his Berkeley storefront. In addition to having three books published, his passion for roots music has driven him to record five CDs so far. Kermit and his wife, photographer Gail Skoff, divide their time between Berkeley, California and Provence, France—where Kermit says he is “near enough to Domaine Tempier that I can fill up the trunk of my car whenever I need to.”