28-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Legendary Bay Area wine importer opening new shop for the first time in 53 years
The Bay Area's most famous wine importer is opening a new shop in Marin County.
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant will debut at Marin Country Mart in Larkspur in the fall or early winter, said company president Dixon Brooke. It will be the second-ever retail outlet in Kermit Lynch's 53 years in business, and it will look similar to the original Berkeley shop.
The importer is known for having introduced Americans to restrained wines from family estates in France and Italy. Along with his Berkeley contemporary Alice Waters, Lynch, beginning in the 1970s, popularized the flavors of the French countryside by making wineries like Domaine Tempier and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe available in the U.S. for the first time.
'Over the years, we've looked at opening a second retail location, but never found the right place,' wrote Brooke in an email. 'We've always felt that our strength as a retailer was building direct relationships and guiding our clients through the rewarding journey of navigating European fine wine.'
He noted Marin Country Mart's prime location near Highway 101 and a ferry terminal. The center is home to dozens of shops including Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop, the luxury sweater specialist Jenni Kayne and consignor the Real Real, plus restaurants like Loveski Deli, Hog Island Oyster Co. and Souvla.
