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FREE delivery March 6 - 11
Ships from: ThriftBooks-Phoenix Sold by: ThriftBooks-Phoenix
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Adventures on the Wine Route Paperback – September 1, 1990
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Kermit Lynch's recounting of his experiences on the wine route and in the wine cellars of France takes the reader through the Loire, Bordeaux, the Languedoc, Provence, Northern and Southern Rhone, and the Cote d'Or.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherNorth Point Press
- Publication dateSeptember 1, 1990
- Dimensions6 x 0.72 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100374522669
- ISBN-13978-0374522667
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“One of the pleasantest and truest books about wine I've ever read.” ―M. F. K. Fisher
“Nearly all wine books are written by experts whose intention is primarily to inform or to educate. They give little aesthetic pleasure. Kermit Lynch is certainly an expert, but his book, Adventures on the Wine Route, is also a great pleasure to read. In Kermit Lynch's small, true, delightful book there is more understanding about what wine really is than in everything else I have read.” ―Victor Hazan
“Kermit Lynch's colorful portraits of some idiosyncratic vintners, and his commentaries on their wines, make for some of the finest reading since Joseph Wechsberg ate and drank his way through France in his book Blue Trout and Black Truffles.” ―Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : North Point Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 1990)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0374522669
- ISBN-13 : 978-0374522667
- Item Weight : 14.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.72 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #567,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #450 in Wine (Books)
- #495 in Alcoholic Spirits
- #574 in General France Travel Guides
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

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Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book provides interesting insights into wine production and local wines. They describe it as an enjoyable, charming personal memory of a wine merchant's buying trip in France. The writing style is described as lively and well-written. The narrative quality is described as conversational and captures the narratives of a group of winemakers who paved the way for biodynamics.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book provides insightful information about wine production and local wine. They appreciate the passionate writing style and mention it's an easy way to discover French wines. The book is described as an essential read for any serious wine lover, providing wonderful insights into the nature of wine production and the character of local wine.
"...enjoyment of the book; much more important are his entertaining interactions with winemakers (both positive and negative) and the pictures..." Read more
"...He takes the reader all through the fabulous French wine regions and introduces us to characters and wines we will never forget...." Read more
"...took place in the 70s and 80s, they provide wonderful insights into the nature of wine production and the character of local wine producers and the..." Read more
"This is an interesting and fun book, especially for me, as one who loves good wine, but doesn't take the entire wine world too seriously...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book. They find it educational and entertaining, with a charming personal memory of a wine merchant's buying trip in France's wine regions. The encounters are lively and well-written.
""Adventures" is a charming, conversational story of Kermit Lynch's efforts to maneuver around the unwieldy negociant system and import wines..." Read more
"...and selling them who Lynch encountered is both educational and very enjoyable...." Read more
"This is an interesting and fun book, especially for me, as one who loves good wine, but doesn't take the entire wine world too seriously...." Read more
"...Yes, it was written in 1988, but still compelling/reads well...." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing style. They say the encounters are lively and well-written.
"...my enjoyment of this book came entirely from his anecdotes and writing style...." Read more
"...It is well-written and filled with personal insights and comments as well as useful information and contains many enjoyable tales of Lynch's..." Read more
"...Yes, it was written in 1988, but still compelling/reads well...." Read more
"...This was quite a meal. It is so thoughtful , so well written and so packed with detail that I found myself going back and reading sections over..." Read more
Customers enjoy the narrative quality of the book. They find it informative and enjoyable, with many tales of Kermit Lynch's experiences. The book captures the narratives of a group of winemakers who paved the way for the bio/biodynamique movement.
""Adventures" is a charming, conversational story of Kermit Lynch's efforts to maneuver around the unwieldy negociant system and import wines..." Read more
"...insights and comments as well as useful information and contains many enjoyable tales of Lynch's experiences while seeking out wines to import from..." Read more
"...It captures the narratives of a group of winemakers who paved the way for the bio/biodynamique movement today...." Read more
"Classic story and fun to read." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2011"Adventures" is a charming, conversational story of Kermit Lynch's efforts to maneuver around the unwieldy negociant system and import wines directly from the winemakers in the mid-to-late 1980's. Mr. Lynch is very much a "terroir-iste", one who believes that a good wine is one that reflects the soil from whence it came with as little interference as possible from the winemaker. This means that "flavor enhancers" such as using new oak and chaptalization (adding sugar and therefore increasing the alcohol content), are no-no's. As are common modern wine-making techniques such as irrigation, filtration systems, sulfur dioxide, stainless steel tanks, and third-party bottling systems. Whether you agree with him or not will not affect your enjoyment of the book; much more important are his entertaining interactions with winemakers (both positive and negative) and the pictures interspersed among the text.
While other reviewers are correct that some of his information is out of date, my enjoyment of this book came entirely from his anecdotes and writing style. Unlike a wine ratings book or buying guide, his stories will never become obsolete.
As a bonus, if you live in the Bay Area, you can visit his shop in Berkeley and pick up some of the wine that he imports, by far the most sure-fire way to enjoy this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2012Do you know how it is when you are enjoying a book and you don't want it to end??? The characters become friends with whom you want to share years of enjoyment? The locale becomes home and you must get there immediately?
Last night I sadly completed Kermit Lynch's Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer's Tour of France.
I'm proud to call myself a Sommelier and a Certified Specialist of Wine, but after reading this book I feel as if I never really understood wine before at all. Oh sure, I knew a lot of facts. I had the knowledge of the different regions, the vines and varietals, the chemistry of how it all works. I was even pretty proud of my palate. But did I truly know WINE????? I'm not so sure.
Lynch's book was written 25 years ago, and yet it all made sense to me. In his book, he travels throughout France in search of new and perhaps undiscovered winemakers and growers who excite him and his palate. He takes the reader all through the fabulous French wine regions and introduces us to characters and wines we will never forget. Each named vintner he describes led me to grab my laptop and search them and their wines on Google. He does include some pictures in his book, which was very considerate of him since 25 years ago we didn't have Google to find these photos for ourselves! I loved discovering each of these "characters" and also learning about what is happening to their wines and wineries now. In many cases the sons, who were very young men we meet in Lynch's travels, are now expertly running many of these Domaines.
I am fortunate to have been to France tasting, but after reading of Lynch's adventures I can't wait to go back! I know that I will look at the experiences very differently now.
I also feel as if I finally "get it". I will never taste wine the same way again. I truly believe that I was overanalyzing it at times, instead of just enjoying the nuances and differences of each wine!
Thank you Kermit Lynch! You have given me so many new wines I desperately want to taste, as well as enhancing the way I look at wine in general.
Even though we've never met, I consider you my new friend!
- Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2013For any wine lover or Francophile this book will make an excellent read. This is a combination of a travelogue and introduction to French wines written by a man who has had a unique influence on American wine consumption in recent decades. It is well-written and filled with personal insights and comments as well as useful information and contains many enjoyable tales of Lynch's experiences while seeking out wines to import from France.
Although the events recounted took place in the 70s and 80s, they provide wonderful insights into the nature of wine production and the character of local wine producers and the areas they lived in in every major wine-producing region of France. Things may have changed somewhat since the book was written, both in the ways in which Americans consume wine and in the way the French produce it, but there is much that is still recognizable and relevant to our contemporary undstanding. And in any case, reading about the interesting wines and various personalities involved in producing and selling them who Lynch encountered is both educational and very enjoyable.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in French wines or in understanding this very interesting aspect of French culture.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016This is an interesting and fun book, especially for me, as one who loves good wine, but doesn't take the entire wine world too seriously. In the 1960's, living back East, I and my then wife enjoyed French wine which, in those days, was reasonably priced and often memorable. Mr Lynch, proprietor of a famous restaurant in Berkeley, California, began his wine travels in the 1970's and continued them in the '80s. This book tells the story of his adventures and of friends he made among the vignerons of France, mostly in the parts of the country less famous than Burgundy and Bordeaux. Mr. Lynch has his strong views, many of which seem sound to me. Wine going through the Panama Canal or across the country non-refrigerated is ruined. Filtering and fining is not good for wine. Apparently, the 1970's and 1980's saw a falling off in quality because of unfortunate fashions among consumers, which led to many questionable practices in the trade. I apparently experienced a golden age before the decline. This book is a joyful read and one may learn much which adds to one's enjoyment of wine.
Top reviews from other countries
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UtiliReviewed in Germany on February 23, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Zuverlässig
Hat ein bisschen gedauert, war aber auch so angesagt. Alles rundum zufrieden mit dem Service
- MURRAY LANCE EDWARDReviewed in Japan on June 2, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars exactly what I expected
Great book, great condition .. and fast shipping!
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Good books on food & wine are few and far ...
Fascinating read and very well written. Good books on food & wine are few and far between - a balance of travel, wine, topography and social geography. Why haven't both the French and US exiled Mondovino.
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Barbara OertliReviewed in France on March 13, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Redécouvrir le terroir français
Passionnant voyage à travers les différentes régions viticoles en France.
Une foule d'anecdotes et une vision de "insider" sur les méthodes de viticulture et vinification - qui mettent en avant la biodynamie et le vin non filtré. Cela donne envie de délaisser les grands châteaux commerciaux au profit de "petites" appellations authentiques à (re)découvrir.
- Whitechild76Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic
Love wine? Read this. I bought it on a recommendation from Noble Rot magazine and so glad I did. It's almost gonzo journalism. Wish I'd made the trip with Kermit all those years ago.