Sunday, September 27, 2009

Wine Merchant Kermit Lynch in Berkeley



When I am in Berkeley--and as my daughter lives there I am quite often there--one of the things that I do first after arriving is to check in with Kermit Lynch, the wonderful wine merchant on 1605 San Pablo Avenue, just a few blocks down from where my daughter lives, and stock up the wine cellar of my daughter with his wines. It is an amazing wine store with an outstanding selection of wines, in particular from the South and South West of France. You find wines there that are usually hard to come by in the US. Well, Kermit Lynch owns a vineyard in Gigondas and lives part of the year in Provence. for many years he has been introducing off the beaten track wines to the Berkeley and more generally the American market. But Kermit Lynch is also a musician since the Berkeley days of the 1960s. Recently he has recorded a new CD. Jancis Robinson has written up a great story about him on her blog.

The other place I like very much in Berkeley is Venus, a restaurant on 2327 Shattuck Avenue. This place is amazing. The food is fresh, local, organic, and extremely creative. The food is put together with great care and integrity. Their motto is seasonal--organic--sustainable and what arrives on your table is indeed that.

Look out for Katharina, who works there 3 days per week.

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