Skurnik Unfiltered

Skurnik Wines & Spirits
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

No reservations required—listening to these conversations feels like you've been invited to pull up a chair and share a glass with some of the most remarkable dinner guests, giving you a level of access that was previously gatekept for those in the know. Skurnik Unfiltered is a weekly podcast that curates deep conversations with some of the finest winemakers, distillers, and industry leaders about the world of wines, spirits and hospitality. The show is hosted by Harmon Skurnik of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, a leading importer and distributor of the finest terroir-driven beverages crafted at a human scale. Episodes are guest-hosted by sommeliers and experts in the subfields of wine, spirits, sake, and specialty beverages. Skurnik Unfiltered is recorded at Skurnik Wines & Spirits headquarters in the Flatiron District of New York City.

  1. 12h ago

    The heritage of Mexico's indigenous spirit with Javier Jimenez of Caballito Cerrero

    "This industry is way more antique than everybody thinks. This is an indigenous beverage, an indigenous spirit. We are using the same techniques as the ancient ones because that's what we learned, and that's what the people who live here know. They don't know how to cut corners." – Javier Jimenez Javier Jimenez can trace his roots back 15 generations in the Tecuane Ravine, a culturally significant canyon in Jalisco that is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site. Before European contact, indigenous people carved large circular pits into the volcanic rock here for making vino de indios, an early agave distillate. The site has remained the heart of production across centuries, as vino de indios evolved into vino de mezcal, then vino de Tequila, and finally, tequila as we know it today.  But the rules set by the government that regulate the ingredients and methods allowed for tequila came to feel inadequate, sanitized, and a bit arbitrary for Javier and his father. How does prohibiting all but one agave species and allowing for destructive harvesting of immature plants really protect the quality of the spirit and the tradition of their ancestors? Ultimately, they renounced the official denomination of origin in favor of an unclassified agave spirit much closer to their heritage. As Caballito Cerrero, they farm historical varieties and harvest only mature agaves, crafting rich, unctuous spirits unlike anything else on the market. With National Hispanic Heritage Month kicking off on Tuesday, September 15th, our expert on Mexican distillates, Justin Lane Briggs, sits down with Javier to discuss the forgotten history of Mexican distillation and how he and his father are keeping their heritage alive. Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here. Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    The heritage of Mexico's indigenous spirit with Javier Jimenez of Caballito Cerrero

  2. Sep 7

    Catherine Kistler of Occidental Wines

    "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 Kistler When 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    Catherine Kistler of Occidental Wines

  3. Aug 31 ·  Bonus

    David Skurnik and Oren Simon, President and CEO of Skurnik Wines & Spirits

    "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 Simon Smooth 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 leadership Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here. Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    David Skurnik and Oren Simon, President and CEO of Skurnik Wines & Spirits

  4. Aug 24

    English Sparkling Wine: Winemaker Marcus Rayner-Ward of Wiston Estate

    "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-Ward Though 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    English Sparkling Wine: Winemaker Marcus Rayner-Ward of Wiston Estate

  5. Aug 17

    Tasting Lebanon with Sami Ghosn of Massaya

    "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 Ghosn The 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    Tasting Lebanon with Sami Ghosn of Massaya

  6. Aug 10

    Graham Pirtle and Young Stowe of Unified Ferments

    “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 Pirtle Fermentation 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 Souchong Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here. Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    Graham Pirtle and Young Stowe of Unified Ferments

  7. Aug 3

    Vittorio Zoppi of Antica Torino

    "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 Zoppi Growing 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    Vittorio Zoppi of Antica Torino

  8. Jul 27

    How Gaetana Jacono pioneered the New Sicily wine movement

    "Wine is a culture of the people. This Frappato represents a link between the past and the future." – Gaetana Jacono Today’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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram

    How Gaetana Jacono pioneered the New Sicily wine movement
See All (42)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

No reservations required—listening to these conversations feels like you've been invited to pull up a chair and share a glass with some of the most remarkable dinner guests, giving you a level of access that was previously gatekept for those in the know. Skurnik Unfiltered is a weekly podcast that curates deep conversations with some of the finest winemakers, distillers, and industry leaders about the world of wines, spirits and hospitality. The show is hosted by Harmon Skurnik of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, a leading importer and distributor of the finest terroir-driven beverages crafted at a human scale. Episodes are guest-hosted by sommeliers and experts in the subfields of wine, spirits, sake, and specialty beverages. Skurnik Unfiltered is recorded at Skurnik Wines & Spirits headquarters in the Flatiron District of New York City.

Information

  • Creator
    Skurnik Wines & Spirits
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Skurnik Unfiltered
  • Show Website
    Skurnik Unfiltered