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Kermit Lynch calls
forth the gods of wine

I had promised not to do any more traveling this year, so I waited several days to pop the question. I could almost hear my wife's response: "This is insanity! You're a lunatic! I married an idiot!" Not to mention the stare of disbelief.

All I could think of saying as justification was, "But honey, it's Kermit Lynch! He's going to be there!"

But when I finally got around to broaching the subject, her answer was, "Well, you've got to go then."

And that was that.

If wine guys can have heroes, wine importer Kermit Lynch is mine. When powerful, blockbuster wines were emphasized, Kermit championed quality, purity, true-to-type, unique and --most of all -- drinkable wines. He did it in a way that was fun, no-nonsense and easy on the wallet.

The Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants trade show in San Francisco last month featured super-star winemakers from France (I consider them wine gods) --Olivier Humbrecht of Zind Humbrecht (the best in Alsace), Didier Barral of Domaine Leon Barral (world's finest Faugeres), Daniel Brunier of Vieux Telegraphe (Chateaunuf-du-Pape Rhone Valley royalty), Aubert de Villaine of A et P De Villaine (Domaine de la Romanee-Conti co-owner, in Burgundy) and Marcel Lapierre of Morgon (rejuvenator of old-style Beaujolais) to name a few of my favorites.

The Hawaii wino contingent to the trade show included Louis Barnett (Hoku's), Marvin Chang, Ryan Nomura and Brian Tamayori (R. Field), Ryan Shiinoki (formerly of R. Field) and myself. Most of us were already smitten, but those who weren't -- ask them now.

Like buffalo, we traveled in a herd. There we were, purple teeth gnashing, wine glasses stuck out like horns, clearing our throats for attention, moving around the room in a pack, back-to-back.

The tasting was sensational, the experience priceless. We gained valuable insight into the minds of these stellar winemakers. One trait rang true -- purity. Sometimes mistaken for simplicity, purity takes great insight to recognize and preserve. These winemakers did it.

More than 100 years ago, the Loire Valley of France was the summer playground of the aristocracy. Its lush garden estates and castles littered the region, granting it the nickname "Land of a Thousand Castles."

From the Kermit Lynch portfolio are two fabulous sauvignon blancs. The Domaine du Salvard 2004 Cheverny ($11.79) expresses a pretty, focused style with zesty flavors of grapefruit, lime zest, acacia and orange blossoms. Some might consider it crisp and light; I find it pure, refreshing and slurpable for the summertime.

Of a richer and nobler style, the Reverdy Sancerre 2003 ($23.99) reflects the versatility of the sauvignon blanc grape. Its body is of a medium weight, with more prominent citrus, lemon lime, thyme and tarragon notes to offer a longer finish than the Cheverny.

Of the two, the Sancerre is the more versatile food wine, to be served with seafood and lightly grilled dishes. Someone recently commented on how the Sancerre was a nice, simple wine. Its simplicity is wonderful, yet its purity (unmasked by oak or creamy malolactic texture) is what makes it spectacular and keeps you coming back for more.

And as for the rest of the year, I really have promised not to go anywhere else. After meeting and dining with Kermit Lynch, sharing space and drinking with my wine gods -- where could I possibly go?

But not to worry, there's lots of great wine to muse upon and demi-gods to decide upon over the summer.

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