Thanks to Derrick over at An Obsession With Food for the tip. Kermit Lynch, one of the best importers and sleuths of undiscovered European wines will be signing his new book (read the old one!) at Cody’s Books in Berkeley on Saturday (as well as pouring some of his wines apparently. Here’s the press release.

CODY’S BOOKSTORE – SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4 KERMIT LYNCH writes of INSPIRING THIRST: VINTAGE SELECTIONS FOR THE KERMIT LYNCH WINE BROCHURE. One of the world’s most revered wine merchants and importers, Kermit Lynch changed the way Americans drink wine and the way the French make it. His retail shop in Berkeley is a legendary mecca for people who enjoy good wine. Lynch is also an admired writer on the subject. His monthly brochure has been the medium for expressing his philosophy since the early seventies, offering readers not only a wine education, but also entry into moldy old cellars and glittering three-star restaurants. It’s full of passion, principle, and humor, and peopled by a cast of characters like Patricia Wells, Richard Olney, Lulu Peyraud, Jim Harrison, and many others. In INSPIRING THIRST, Lynch presents the best of his engaging, highly personal (sometimes cantankerous) accounts of winemakers and their rare potions. Kermit Lynch has been named Wine Professional of the year by the James Beard Foundation and has won the French Chevalier de l’Ordre de Merite Agricole award; he is the author of Adventures on the Wine Route. His new book is a thirst-inspiring treat for wine lovers everywhere. 6 PM at Cody’s on Fourth Street, with tastes.