Kermit Lynch & His Band

In what promises to be an unforgettable night of food, wine, music, and friendship, renowned wine importer, Kermit Lynch, will host an event to celebrate 37 years at his Berkeley based shop, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, and the release of his new CD Man's Temptation. This music, food and wine extravaganza will take place at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California on Wednesday, October 7th at 7 pm.

The night will feature Kermit Lynch wines and a menu designed by one of Lynch's long-time friends, Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley . All proceeds from the event will benefit Waters' Chez Panisse Foundation. 

The highlight of the evening will be a featured performance by Lynch and a number of the backing musicians who played on the new CD Man's Temptation, including the Berkeley based producer Ricky Fataar (Beach Boys, Boz Scaggs, Bonnie Raitt), guitarist Rick Vito (Fleetwood Mac), keyboardist Michael Omartian (Steely Dan, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer) and guitarist George Marinelli (Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt).

“Wine and music make great partners, and I like blending the two together. Plus I miss playing with my band.  Recording the new CD in the studio was fantastic…but the studio sessions weren't enough,” says Lynch “so it will be a great experience to perform live with my musicians to see if I want to continue or stick to the recording studio. After all, this is my hobby in a way…and I do what it pleases me to do.”

And Kermit Lynch is a man who has always followed his own path. For more than 35 years, the internationally renowned importer The New York Times calls ‘Berkeley 's Wine Radical' has enjoyed a one-of-a-kind journey that's taken him from tiny wine shop proprietor to recipient of France 's Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur award. Along the way, he's written two best-selling wine/travel books, been named Wine Professional Of The Year by The James Beard Foundation, acquired the historic Domaine Les Pallières vineyard in Gigondas, and single-handedly brought French wine culture out of the realm of snobbery to uncork its simple pleasures for everyday palates. And all along this journey, he never lost his passion for music.

“When I left music in 1971, the songs kept coming,” Lynch says. “There's not a faucet you can just turn off. And I'd say that a good bottle of wine is like a terrific song. When you go into a winery, there are several barrels. Sometimes wine is in a big oak cask, sometimes it's in a stainless steel tank. Some is from grapes picked the first day of harvest, others from the last day. When you blend, it's like composing. Recording Man's Temptation was the same way. We took different styles, musicians, and emotions and made them harmonious.”

So it should be no surprise that Lynch has delivered an album that's strikingly similar to the wines he prefers and chooses to import: unfiltered, expressive, unique and authentic. Man's Temptation is a collection both down-to-earth and off-the-beaten path, featuring distinctive covers and Lynch originals that travel through rock, country, folk, blues, R&B, and gospel with the spirit of a born wanderer and the soul of a true artist.

“This is a party for all my friends and long time customers to celebrate thirty-seven extraordinary years of wine adventures,” Lynch says. “We'll try to make it a night to remember: full of delicious wines, finger lickin' good food, and some live music.”