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.
"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
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
Climate Change in the Kamptal: Andreas Wickhoff of Weingut Bründlmayer
“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 Wickhoff Climate 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Tegan Passalacqua of Turley and Sandlands
"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 Passalacqua This 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Justin Willett breaks down the Santa Ynez Valley
“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 Willett When 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Matt and Sara Licklider of LIOCO Wines
"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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Tom Jackson of Supergay Spirits
"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 Jackson June 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Nicola Libelli of Dr. Bürklin-Wolf
“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 Libelli Nicola 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Corinne Rich and Katie Rouse of Birdhorse
“I think joyful, colorful people can still make beautiful, classically-styled, serious wines.” – Corinne Rich The 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Alex Clark of Fort Hamilton Distillery
"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 Clark The 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
BONUS: What to expect from Skurnik at BCB
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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Noah Dorrance of Reeve Wines and BloodRoot
"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 Dorrance Noah 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Shane Fraser of Tenmile Distillery
"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 Fraser Tenmile 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Alice Jun of Hana Makgeolli
"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 Jun Alice 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 & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Ricardo Peñalba of Finca Torremilanos
“Wine has always been in change, in movement. The wine that we drink now is not the same wine that was drunk a hundred years ago, or a thousand years ago. For a revolution, you have to go back to the past to see what you have missed, and then bring it back.” – Ricardo Peñalba More than a winemaker, Ricardo Peñalba is a self-proclaimed "wine ideologist." When he's out walking the rows of his biodynamic vineyards in Ribera del Duero, he's thinking obsessively about wine and how it connects humans to our shared history and humanity. In this episode with Max Working, Ricardo shares a bottle of his Ojo Gallo from Finca Torremilanos and explains the region's ties to this traditional clarete style of wine, with an inspiringly philosophical perspective. Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here . Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Chris Mullineux
"If a wine is trying to copy somewhere else or be something else, it might taste good, but it needs to have an authenticity and a sense of place to it, and it must be balanced and beautiful to drink. If a wine can put those two concepts together, for me, it's a perfect wine." – Chris Mullineux For decades, South Africa’s Swartland region was dominated by industrial farming cooperatives that pumped out massive amounts of inexpensive bulk wine and diluted any hint of terroir. It wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that a fresh generation took notice of the gems right under their noses: forgotten old-vine vineyards and, thanks to hundreds of millions of years of tectonic activity, the oldest soils of anywhere on the planet. Chris and Andrea Mullineux, alongside pioneers like Adi Badenhorst and Eben Sadie, helped redefine the region with stunning Chenin Blancs and Syrahs, proving that Swartland wines could indeed deliver a distinct sense of place. Now their movement has grown beyond the Swartland to the broader Western Cape. Independent winemakers from Stellenbosch to Hemel-en-Aarde are dialing in their farming to express a uniquely South African terroir, one that in Mullineux’s case “tastes like sunshine.” In this episode, Chris Mullineux joins Desiree Russo for a flight of wines from three of his projects: Kloof Street , Mullineux , and Leeu Passant . They discuss regenerative farming, geek out on soil, and survey the unexpected varieties that may come to define the next chapter of South African wine. Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected one here . Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Daday Suárez of Alto Canto Tequila
"Everything that we do is very pure. We are mingled or entangled with other species, with the trees, with everything. That's one of the purposes of this tequila: not only producing tequila, but maintaining the harmony and equilibrium with the surroundings." – Daday Suárez Daday Suárez is a completionist. When he was wrestling with questions of reality and being, he got a degree in philosophy. When he wanted to order wine at restaurants with more confidence, he became a certified sommelier. When he was looking for the perfect tequila, he used his degree in mechanical engineering to pave a road to the top of a mountain, then built the world’s highest elevation tequila distillery, Alto Canto . Of all he has accomplished, Alto Canto is Daday’s crown jewel. He built it with a lasting legacy in mind—of quality tequila, yes, but also as a promise to nature. The distillery is entangled with native flora whose wild yeasts spontaneously ferment only organic, mature agaves. Coyotes and armadillos roam across the forested Sierra del Tigre range. Bees swarm, drawn to the vinaza, or liquid byproduct from distillation, which gets repurposed as fertilizer for local avocado farmers. In this episode with Justin Lane Briggs, Daday shares his thoughts on what it takes to craft the highest quality distillate with as little intervention as possible, and where additive-free tequilas like Alto Canto fit in the flashy league of premium craft Mexican spirits. Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected one here . Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Bernhard Ott and Hans Reisetbauer
“Normally you have a best friend, and sometimes you see each other on weekends, but we are in the same business. We feel lucky. You can’t find it a second time in the world.” – Bernhard Ott If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. History is full of contemporaries who share visions of success, who, instead of competing, mentor and encourage the other to become greater than one could alone. Warhol and Basquiat. Lewis and Tolkien. Gauguin and van Gogh. Today in the world of craft wine and spirits, that pair is winemaker Bernhard Ott and distiller Hans Reisetbauer . Born into farming families in Lower and Upper Austria respectively, they followed a common thread of honest farming, pure fruit, and quality beverages that eventually brought them together. Like looking in a mirror, they immediately bonded over their shared interests and identical values. Now after 25 years of friendship, their collaborative approach to farming, fermentation, and life has produced the most elite wine and spirits in Austria. In this episode, they share their philosophies on biodynamic farming, their obsessive pursuit of pure fruit, and why doing things the right way doesn’t have to mean doing it the hard way when you always have a friend to lean on. Automatically generated transcripts often contain mistakes. Find a corrected version here . Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Sergio Vivanco
"I'm very proud to be Mexican. I love my people, I love my country, and we love what we are doing. We do our part with passion, with honesty, with everything that we can with our hands. We are people from the field. We are rancheros, and we feel proud of this. It's our task." – Sergio Vivanco For five generations, the Vivanco family has been growing agave in Arandas, in the Jalisco highland plateau, though they didn't establish their own destilería until 1994. Registered as NOM 1414, they soon launched their own family label, Viva México Tequila. The distillery built an enviable reputation, and the family took on contracts for brands seeking purity, quality, and transparency. Now co-owner and one of four master distillers, Sergio Vivanco has become one of the most respected figures in the tequila industry. In this episode, tequila educator and advocate Marissa Paragano sits down with Sergio to taste five expressions from Viva México and Plantador , discussing the production details that make NOM 1414 tequilas distinct, Sergio's five-step tasting method, and how a culture of multi-generational craftsmanship delivers excellent results. Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here . Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
Jasmine Hirsch
“This is one reason why family wineries are so important. My father is 82, and he’s supporting, in all the ways, the planting of vineyards that he will not see the full potential of. This multi-generational commitment to viticulture, this multi-generational commitment to caring for the land—that’s why families are so important.” – Jasmine Hirsch The Hirsch family are farmers, though it took decades for David Hirsch to realize after planting his first vines in 1980 that he's not farming grapes—he's farming soil. This epiphany came after a long evolutionary arc in an exceptionally rugged and sparsely populated region in the West Sonoma Coast. What used to be a redwood forest cleared for cultivation by early pioneers became a conventional vineyard and later a biodynamic farm under his stewardship. In this week's episode, Jasmine Hirsch, the second generation farmer of Hirsch Vineyards and first-generation winemaker, joins Jamie Schwartz for a discussion over a glass of Hirsch Vineyards 'Bohan-Dillon' Pinot Noir . The longtime friends discuss her family's farming philosophy rooted in spirituality, the physical and mental impact of the region's dramatic terroir, and how she embraces the ephemeral nature of wine through the Japanese principle of mono no aware . Automatically generated transcripts often make mistakes. Find a corrected version here . Skurnik Wines & Spirits Follow us on Instagram
