Kermit Lynch

I'm always on the lookout for readable (or rather well written) books on food and wine). It all started with Robin Yapp's 'Drilling for Wine' and followed by Idwal Jone's wonderful 'High Bonnet'. one on wine, one on food.
Some are too travel guide, some too technical, some too anoraky. There is a happy medium whereby the author has experience, expertise, passion and lucidty.On these strengths I can add Kermit Lynch to this narrow shelf in my library.
I would love to hear about others that fit show more the bill for like-minded members... show less

A book with a wonderful topic in which you meet some colourful characters, but unfortunately it suffers from a self absorbed, tiresome, and repetitive narrator. Kermit Lynch doesn't like blind tasting, filtering of wine, adding sugar and oak to wine, rating wine with numbers, and using techniques which promote making money from wine. In the first presentation of his arguments on these topics he may make you think - he certainly offers a few reasonable arguments - but, then...they are show more repeated through both small quips and long reiterations over and over, then again and again. I found his continual lack of sympathy to wine makers who are just trying to make some $$ bordering on insulting. The job of the winemakers of France is not to ensure wine merchants catering to the wealthy of Berkeley CA have something worthy of their ego to sell. Lastly, some of his more unscientific comments, especially on the filtering process can be grating. The only reason this book was read aloud to the end was the vignettes on the French winemakers, the descriptions of the French country side, and the pleasant memories that returned when he spoke of places we'd been drinking wine on vacation. show less

I always thought there was more to the appreciation of wine than what I knew (either I like it or I don't). This book didn't teach me how to appreciate it more, but it taught me that I had a lot to learn and that if I did learn, it would give me great pleasure. Anyway, I'm from Berkeley and had shopped a couple of times in the author's wineshop (years before I read the book).

Our guidebook to France in 1998. Witty, informative, a great pleasure to read.