May 25, 2026
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... UNFILTERED Archives: Interviews
Noah Dorrance of Reeve Wines and BloodRoot
May 18, 2026
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... Shane Fraser of Tenmile Distillery
May 10, 2026
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... Alice Jun of Hana Makgeolli
May 4, 2026
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... Ricardo Peñalba of Finca Torremilanos
April 27, 2026
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... Chris Mullineux of Mullineux Wines and Leeu Passant
April 20, 2026
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... Daday Suárez of Alto Canto Tequila
April 13, 2026
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... Celebrating German and Austrian Women in Wine
April 10, 2026
We were proud to welcome an inspiring group of women from across Austria & Germany for our “A Celebration of Austrian & German Women in Wine” tour. Each tasting featured a broad selection of wines from each winery, representing the... Bernhard Ott and Hans Reisetbauer
April 6, 2026
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... Sergio Vivanco of Viva México and Plantador Tequilas
March 30, 2026
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...