Inspiring Thirst An inside look at the wines of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant.

by Dustin Soiseth Cabernet Franc is my favorite grape. Before I worked at Kermit Lynch—even before I jumped into the wine business full-time—I would come to the shop to buy Loire Valley reds. Where else can you purchase the absolute best a region and domaine have to offer for about fifty bucks? Not many places. […]

by Jennifer Oakes Women have scored some exciting achievements lately in the political, sporting, and human rights realms, and why not? We make up 50 percent of the population, so it shouldn’t be surprising that a woman’s ingenuity, talent, and fortitude would produce social ripples or even full-throttle world change—although she may still have to […]

by Kermit Lynch During my recent visit to the Chinon/Bourgueil region for tastings, I couldn’t help thinking of my readers and clients, and how much you might enjoy the same trip, but as a vacation. You will discover a special charm and dynamic. There is a lot of great old stuff to see—the plentiful historic […]

The October Newsletter is now available. Click here to download the pdf. Highlights from this month’s newsletter… FOUR DECADES OF CATHERINE & PIERRE BRETON > by Dixon Brooke © Catherine & Pierre Breton The Bretons are quite a couple. Let’s start with the fact that their last name, Breton, is literally a synonym for the […]

by Sarah Hernan Catherine Breton took a circuitous path to becoming a winemaker. Though she was born into a winemaking family who has inhabited Vouvray for five generations, in her youth, neither wines nor vines interested her. Actually, she didn’t drink wine before she turned 25. She once told me she felt like the black […]

Mother Nature was not so kind to some growers in the Loire in 2013. Certain areas, most notably Vouvray, experienced severe episodes of devastating hail that all but destroyed many vineyards, inflicting damage that could be detrimental to future vintages as well as 2013. Fortunately, others emerged unscathed, some to the point of feeling quite […]

If it takes 10,000 hours of carrying out a task to be successful in a given field, then Régis Minet is not just an expert, but true master of Sauvignon Blanc. For nearly forty vintages now, Régis has worked with the grape of the appellation of Pouilly Fumé, which by my estimate means he’s put […]

Our early history with the Savennières producer Château d’Epiré (our longest standing relationship from the Loire) is one that became all too familiar to Kermit over the years—in 1985, the patriarch of the family, Monsieur Bizard passed away: “The family was crushed. I was emotional. Tears flowed. And there were problems, they said, because Monsieur […]

A visit chez Daniel Chotard is always a treat. Daniel is the proud maker of one of our classic Sancerres and without a doubt, the most musically adept vigneron we work with. His talent in making great Sauvignon Blanc is only matched by his ability to play the accordion. The French take the accordion more […]

And this continues the story of Retail Manager Steve Waters’ two week tasting trip through France.  Click here to read the first part of this series. Our first day of tasting in the Loire Valley was extensive.  We had morning visits at Domaine Charles Joguet in Chinon, Catherine and Pierre Breton in Bourgueil, and then […]