Skurnik Unfiltered

"That's the beauty of working with Pinot Noir: it's an incredibly transparent-to-site wine; it shows where it's grown. A perfect wine for me shows that it could not have come from anywhere else, while still keeping things food-friendly, medium-weight, delicious, and beautiful." – Catherine KistlerWhen you grow up in Sonoma, the daughter of a living wine legend, you have a knack for noticing things that others tend to miss. Subtle tasting notes among Pinot Noir blocks stand out boldly. Farming knowledge that took your father a lifetime to learn is innately ingrained in how you see the landscape. Observing changes at seasonal and generational paces releases pressure on your ego. This is how Catherine Kistler was raised.In this week's episode, she sits down with her friend and our American wine specialist, Jamie Schwartz, to reflect on her upbringing and the ways her father, Steve Kistler, prepared her for her vocation at the helm of Occidental Wines. They discuss the dramatic realities of farming on the True Sonoma Coast, the lessons in humility she's learned from her father, and what you can find when you obsess over a precise Pinot Noir clone grown in one small place.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"We will always seek out handcrafted products that are made by people, by families, that have the greatest quality at every price point. That will always be the ethos of who we are.” – Oren SimonSmooth transitions are crucial to sustaining a family business. Across our portfolio, we champion estates passed on from generation to generation. They last because their work is not just what they do—it’s who they are. They know that the vines they tend will produce the finest wines long after they’re gone, and they seem to feel a stronger sense of duty and satisfaction in what they do for the next generation than what they can reap for themselves today. For Episode 39, Harmon Skurnik sits down with his son David, the new president of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, and Oren Simon, the new CEO, to celebrate the first transition of executive leadership in our 39 years of representing the most remarkable winemakers, distillers, and specialty beverage makers from around the world.Topics covered in this episode:The advantages of a robust family business The key to good service and hospitalityWhat we do that other distributors don’tHow we hire and choose who to representWhy authentic products succeed in down timesWhat to expect from this new generation of leadershipAutomatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"It's really exciting to be a part of this new industry that's learning at a rapid pace—and watch out, because there are so many people coming who are making really exciting wines. But what sets Wiston apart is the fact that we're family-owned. We're here to learn and understand and make quality sparkling wine." – Marcus Rayner-WardThough the increasing prevalence of English wine might feel like a novel side effect of the day's changing climate, Vitis vinifera first took root in the British Isles in the year 43 AD; wherever ancient Romans went, so went wine. Since then, the motivations behind British viticulture have ebbed and flowed from the necessary to the eccentric to the nostalgic. Today, it's rather sensible. A warmer climate helps grapes ripen, and the same chalk that defines Champagne runs under the English Channel and reappears in the South Downs, where the Goring family (re)planted Wiston Estate. It's here that you'll find lively sparkling wines with verve and quintessentially English notes of citrus peel and green apple.This week's guest is Marcus Rayner-Ward, the estate's head winemaker since 2022. In this episode, he fills in the historical context often left out of the discussion on English wine and tastes through the estate's three core wines that deliver, in his words, "England in a glass.”Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"Massaya means twilight. It's 'el masa.' When you are walking in the street in a village in Lebanon or in Beirut, you say 'masa el-kher,' evening of grace, good wishes, to a passing by person." – Sami GhosnThe story of Lebanese wine is a story of perpetual revival. One of the oldest wine regions in the world, this well-protected and resource-rich section of the Levant has been producing and trading wine for millennia—as a global currency by the Phoenicians, in secret by persecuted Christians under Ottoman rule, and in spite of violent times today.Sami Ghosn relies on his ancestors to sustain his beloved culture. After fleeing the outbreak of civil war in 1975, he returned to the Beqaa Valley in the early 1990s where he started distilling arak and selling it from his parents' pharmacy. Eventually, he and his brother founded the iconic Massaya estate, which helped propel the latest chapter of Lebanese wine revival. In this week's episode, Sami supplements a lineup of his wines with the estate's arak, and tidbits of forgotten history and memorable encounters with Anthony Bourdain and the former prime minister of Lebanon.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

“We use fermentation to help you taste tea in a different way, to refract it into something that can live in the same category as wine or higher-end spirits, where you’re tasting this storytelling that tea can do—of places, of regions, of people around the world.” – Graham PirtleFermentation can do many things. It can preserve our produce, rise our bread, give us a buzz, and multiply subtle flavors. That last function is the one that most fascinates Graham Pirtle and Young Stowe, the co-founders of Unified Ferments.From their 4-person facility in Brooklyn, they seek to draw out the hard-to-get-to flavors existing in thoughtfully sourced, single-origin teas through a kombucha-style fermentation process. Unlike commercial kombuchas that use fermentation to augment added fruit flavors, Graham and Young use fermentation as a means of translating or recontextualizing the core ingredient itself, without the interference of alcohol: tea.In this episode, they interrogate the overlooked terms of “kombucha” and “tea,” discuss the key decisions that differentiate their ferments from any other product in the US today, and survey the future of the blooming category of NA craft beverages. Ferments tasted in this episode:Wen Shan Bao ZhongSobaRhododendronLapsang SouchongAutomatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"Vermouth rosso is like the skeleton in a human body. It keeps the Boulevardier, the Manhattan, and the Negroni cocktails standing. Our goal was to produce Vermouth di Torino, which is the peak of the pyramid of vermouths." – Vittorio ZoppiGrowing up in Genoa, Vittorio Zoppi was born with an instinctive appreciation for good food and wine and a passion for all things Italian. As a young man, he made a career out of connecting Italian wine estates with American importers, and by the mid-2010s, savvy American drinkers were looking for craft spirits and wine-based aperitivi that communicate a sense of place the same way fine wines do. Vito jumped at the opportunity to combine his love for northern Italian flavors with his extensive network of American beverage professionals, and with its flagship Vermouth di Torino, Antica Torino was born. To date, the lineup has grown to include historic Piemontese classics such as Vino Chinato, Amaro, Genepì, and Genziana.In this week's episode, Uncle Vito, as he's affectionately known at Skurnik, discusses his journey from selling IBM software in Milan, to slinging Nebbiolo in San Francisco, to developing his uncompromising recipes for Antica Torino. He explains the appellation's rules for producing Vermouth di Torino IGP and shares the cocktail he's been obsessed with lately.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"Wine is a culture of the people. This Frappato represents a link between the past and the future." – Gaetana JaconoToday’s guest is Gaetana Jacono, the woman who pioneered a new style of Sicilian wine in the province of Ragusa. Before she conquered the market with her perfumed, elegant, and enticing wines from Valle dell’Acate, Sicilian wines were typically bold, oaky, Nero d’Avola-based wines pushing 15% alcohol. Her terroir revealed a more delicate and playful expression that redefined expectations and captured the attention of the wine world.In this episode, Gaetana joins Skurnik’s Italian Portfolio Director, Mark Fornatale, to discuss the evolution of this misunderstood grape, from its days as an important Sicilian export in the 1800s to its revival and worldwide acclaim among today’s curious and open-minded drinkers.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

“From an historical point of view, every century has always had a crisis, but wine has always survived. Wine culture will always survive. We still have a bright future ahead. There is no doubt.” – Andreas WickhoffClimate change has arrived, and weird things are happening in Europe. Hailstorms in March. Bud break in October. Deadly flooding during harvest. Despite it all, Andreas Wickhoff's radiant optimism is rooted in an historical perspective, that wine must survive. At the helm of Austria's iconic Kamptal estate, Weingut Bründlmayer, Andreas directs the precision farming and careful winemaking across classic Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, top-tier Sekt sparkling wine, and refined Pinot Noir and Zweigelt. In this week's episode, Andreas discusses the sobering realities of modern farming alongside a changing climate, the growing popularity of Sekt, and the creative ways the Bründlmayer estate continues to lead the Kamptal forward.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"I love the Europeans for believing that their wines can't be emulated, but if that's a truth, Americans need to have that too. Zinfandel is the one grape that California does better than anywhere else in the world. And I'm proud to say that just as a Burgundian should be able to say that about Pinot Noir." – Tegan PassalacquaThis week's guest is Tegan Passalacqua, the legendary winemaker for Turley Wine Cellars and founder of Sandlands. As a leading historian on old-vine California viticulture, Tegan discusses his mission to protect centuries-old vineyards from being lost to modern industrial development. He shares the story behind purchasing Lodi’s historic Kirschenmann Vineyard planted in 1915 and tracks how the Sierra Nevada's unique granite snowmelt created deep, sandy soils that shielded these ancient, own-rooted vines from succumbing to phylloxera.At a time when some vineyard owners are abandoning their vines for cash crops, Tegan provides an optimistic view of California. He speaks about his work preserving pre-Prohibition Cinsault, championing new Lodi-grown Assyrtiko, and planting unexpected varieties in previously undeveloped regions. The episode ends with a look back on the personal challenges of pursuing his passion and the essential communal purpose of wine.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

“I think there’s this moment in wine now where people are being more honest with themselves. I want to make the wines I believe in and that I want to consume, and then I’m going to find my audience; I’m not going to make wine for an audience. For me, it’s more about a job well done.” – Justin WillettWhen people talk about wines from Santa Barbara, they're probably talking about the Santa Ynez Valley. But the range of varieties and microclimates found here makes the valley perhaps the most densely diversified wine region in the world, so what is Santa Barbara wine really? Justin Willett has a few answers. His projects Tyler, Lieu Dit, and Ad Ripa experiment with dozens of varieties and seek to produce classic European-styled expressions, spanning the valley from the Santa Rita Hills to Happy Canyon.In this episode, he breaks down the varietal differences between the three brands and explains the philosophical and practical reasons for planting certain varietals at certain sites. He also reflects on the transition from his very first label as an apprentice to building a home at Mae Estate and now stewarding the iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"We're in the business of making agricultural wines, and I think we need to make a distinction right here between agricultural wine and industrial wine. A lot of these vineyards that have these really amazing histories attributed to them also have people with interesting histories. It's not selling the widgets—it's teasing out the stories about these very authentic places and these interesting people and then being able to share those stories." – Matt Licklider Twenty years ago, LIOCO was founded to disrupt the California wine status quo of high-alcohol, oak-heavy bottles, proving instead that California soils could produce wines with the same energy, acidity, and restraint as Europe's classical regions.This week, Matt and Sara Licklider, the dynamic vintners behind LIOCO, discuss operating as a négociant producer, embracing an elastic model that prioritizes storytelling, regional transparency, and agricultural authenticity. They share behind-the-scenes stories of their legendary growers—from the late Jim McCutchen hand-planting Carignan in the early 1960s to John Balletto carving a full "Field of Dreams" baseball diamond out of his Russian River Valley Chardonnay vineyard.The conversation also tackles how climate change is forcing the industry to adapt. Matt and Sara discuss why Chardonnay and Pinot Noir may eventually migrate out of traditional regions, prompting LIOCO to explore heat-tolerant Mediterranean varieties and vibrant Albariño from the Sacramento River Delta. Finally, they dive into what "perfection" really means in the cellar, exploring how to balance microbial loads to ensure a wine's typicity always shines through.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"Spirits, when they are at their best, are about facilitating joy and connection and building community. If we can be a small part of that in any way, then I think we've done our job." – Tom JacksonJune is Pride Month, but Tom Jackson likes to say he's Supergay for 365 days a year. After an advertising career and founding the iconic GAYLETTER magazine, Tom launched Supergay Spirits with a flagship vodka. It was a natural place to start; vodka is known as "gay water" for its popularity among the queer community. He wanted to offer an alternative to massive, impersonal brands and overly pretentious craft distilleries, proving that a spirits brand can be fun and joyful while maintaining the highest quality standards. His would be a vodka made for and by the queer community, rather than marketing toward it from the outside.  In this week's episode, Tom explains the strategic and intentional choices that define Supergay, from using a 100% corn base for a softer, slightly sweet profile to finding the sweet spot with a three-pass coconut charcoal filtration. The conversation also tracks the evolution of the brand’s lineup with the new Fire Island Dry Gin, featuring kelp from WNBA hall-of-famer-turned-kelp-farmer Sue Wicks. Tom details the unique formulation hurdles of their low-sugar "Two Fruits" ready-to-drink canned cocktails, highlighting their two newest summer flavors: a savory Black Sesame Espresso Martini and a fiery Chili Mango Spritz. Finally, he talks brand identity, discussing why a bold name sometimes requires working twice as hard on a quality distillate, and what "Farm to Disco" truly means for LGBTQ+ community support during Pride Month and beyond. Supergay Spirits supports New York City's LGBT Center year round, and you can too.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

“If you want to make exceptional wine, you have to feel at home because it’s about so many little things—little things that you have to observe and feel and catch over the season to make the wine. It’s always important to be there and to feel the place.” – Nicola LibelliNicola Libelli feels at home in the Pfalz. Though he was born and raised in Northern Italy, a taste of 1992 Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese completely changed the course of his life, compelling him to move to Germany and learn everything about German wine.At the age of 26, he was unexpectedly thrust into the head winemaking role at one of Germany's most historic estates, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, where he has since earned his reputation as one of the best Riesling winemakers in the world.In this episode, Nicola reflects on the mentors who shaped his life and how a culture of friendship and healthy competition among winemakers can move the wine industry in the right direction. Meet Nicola at FLXcursion in Geneva, NY June 27-29, 2026. Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

“I think joyful, colorful people can still make beautiful, classically-styled, serious wines.” – Corinne RichThe standard California playbook of Chardonnay and Cabernet often overshadows a rich history of alternative varieties perfectly suited for the modern climate.This week’s episode features two guests: Corinne Rich and Katie Rouse, the partners and winemakers behind Birdhorse. Balancing their own independent label with day jobs at respected wineries, they discuss how they built a brand from scratch, choosing to champion forgotten, climate-resilient Mediterranean grapes through close grower partnerships rather than traditional landownership.The conversation centers on the unexpected potential of Valdiguié—a historic, bulletproof grape once known as “Napa Gamay.” Corinne and Katie explain how working with lesser-known varieties creates an even playing field for drinkers, stripping away the gatekeeping of traditional “wine speak.” They share their vision for making the industry more inclusive through approachable pricing, thoughtful low-intervention winemaking, and joyful, colorful labels designed to bring everyone into the conversation.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"As a brand, you have to have an identity. It's easy to just make products, but why you exist is much more important that what you produce. The "why" for us is recreating this classic New York rye style that hadn't been around for over 100 years." – Alex ClarkThe Battle of Brooklyn began over stolen fruit in a neighborhood watermelon patch, a piece of borough history that now inspires one of New York’s most distinctive spirits.In this week's episode, Whiskey Specialist James Pellingra talks with Alex Clark, founder of Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton Distillery. Alex traces his path from London DJ to the center of the New York classic cocktail boom, sharing how his hospitality roots and love of American Revolutionary history inform his approach to distilling.The conversation centers on Fort Hamilton’s reason for existence: bringing back the pre-Prohibition style of New York rye whiskey. Long before corn subsidies made bourbon dominant, rye was a true foundational spirit of American distilling. Alex breaks down what makes an Empire Rye Whiskey and what it means to resurrect a distillate that the US government sought to eradicate.Alex also reintroduces Fort Hamilton’s New World Gin. Built on a New York corn base, it balances cucumber with fresh watermelon, a direct tie to that historic battlefield skirmish located just a block from the modern distillery in Industry City. BCB is held at Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on June 9th and 10th. The Skurnik bar will be open both days from 11am-7pm in Building 7 for you to meet our spirits specialists and visiting distillers. Register for BCB here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

The biggest spirits event of the year is right around the corner. Bar Convent Brooklyn is an annual 2-day festival of tastings and seminars from the best in the spirits business.In preparation for Skurnik’s third appearance at BCB, we’re giving you a bonus episode inside our spirits portfolio with Adam Schuman (Spirits Portfolio Director) and Amanda Elder (Spirits Content & Education Manager). In this episode, they survey the beverage landscape from the early 2010s cocktail boom to the spike in demand for consumer education during COVID lockdown, and how Skurnik is meeting the moment in a world still dealing with ripple effects from the pandemic and new challenges brought by trends and the global economy.BCB is held at Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on June 9th and 10th. The Skurnik bar will be open both days from 11am-7pm in Building 7 for you to meet our spirits specialists and visiting distillers. Register for BCB here.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected one here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"If you're really tapped into what wine is, giving back is a very natural extension of that. You realize that wine exists in this harmony with its environment, and if you're not giving back out to that environment, you're like the dead end in the ecosystem. It's important that the ecosystem keeps moving around and that good keeps flowing in all directions." – Noah DorranceNoah Dorrance's philosophy is clear and consistent: wine is connection. Paying close attention to the weather and the rhythms of the seasons connects him to the health of the planet. Donating a portion of his revenue to local nonprofits helps him connect with his community in and beyond the Sonoma Coast. And involving his wife and teenage kids in the Reeve Wines and BloodRoot projects brings their family closer together.In this week's episode, New York sommelier Mackenzie Khosla guest hosts Noah for a discussion over a bottle of Reeve Wines 'Rice-Spivak' Pinot Noir. Together they reflect on ways to find connection, generosity, and intentionality through the making and sharing of wine.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"Perfection in a spirit is to do things very consistently and don't change things. I'm certainly not perfect, but I think what we're doing at the distillery is close to the best whisky I've made for a long, long time. It's grain to glass, and it's all grown and made in New York State." – Shane FraserTenmile Distillery in Wassaic, NY is making the closest thing to Scotch outside of Scotland, thanks to their secret weapon, the acclaimed master distiller Shane Fraser from Aberdeen. Tenmile's focus is on American Single Malt Whisky, a relatively unheard-of and misunderstood category only officially defined as recently as 2025. In this episode with whisk(e)y expert James Pellingra, Shane describes the ins and outs of producing single malt whisky, the advantages of aging whisky in California Pinot Noir casks, and how he defines perfection in a category still establishing its identity.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram

"Sool is an ancient style of rice wine. It has over two-thousand years of documented history. Our style is distinctly influenced by the style of brews that I grew up with—a wilder, more natural, more gastronomical style of Korean wine. And for those who are curious about going deeper, there is always something more." – Alice JunAlice Jun remembers makgeolli as an important ingredient of her upbringing in the '90s in her Los Angeles Korean American community. Her father, a first-generation immigrant, taught her how to brew the mixed-culture sedimented rice wine at home. His style, brewed from brown rice, was rustic and traditional—much stronger and drier than the lighter, aspartame-sweetened version exported to grocery store shelves, which many in the Korean diaspora had become used to.In this week's episode, Alice tells the story of how she went from bootlegging her father's recipe from her NYC shoebox apartment to starting Hana Makgeolli, the first craft makgeolli brewery in the US, and how the explosion of Korean pop culture and a rapid consumer-driven appetite for craft Asian beverages is changing the landscape of American gastronomy.Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here.Learn more about the different types of sool.Skurnik Wines & SpiritsFollow us on Instagram