It’s a crisp, fall afternoon. The sun is shining and the air seems full of vigor. It suddenly strikes you as the perfect day for a picnic in the park. It may not, however, have occurred to you to enjoy your lunch in the bucolic setting of your local cemetery. And yet, a century and … Read More
Tuscan legend has it that when Catherine de’ Medici of Florence was married to King Henry II of France in 1533, they exchanged important wedding gifts. The Medici family gifted the French royals forks, which were already widely used in Italy, but unknown in France; and the French gifted the Medicis Cabernet grapes, which were … Read More
Is there any better time of year to be in Japan than October? We don’t think so. The punishing dripping heat of summer subsides to brisk fall weather. Foraged mushrooms begin to appear on restaurant menus. The delicate Pacific saury fish, known locally as sanma, is caught and grilled whole. And of course the fruits … Read More
With the barrels being filled, the tanks frothing away, the presses put to slumber, and the birds eagerly eying their leftover treats, the 2018 harvest in France is beginning to wind down. Join us as we look through the eyes of the people on the ground, who for the past month have toiled night and … Read More
Late summer. Greenmarket bins are overflowing with heaps of ratatouille-friendly tomatoes, squash, and eggplant, but try as global warming might to make Eternal Summer a reality, change is in the air. The first new crops of Mutsu, Macoun, and the rest of the gang hint at the impending onslaught of snacking apples, and as the … Read More
Thank you to all that could join our Booze & Bubbles Tasting, our fall tasting where spirits are now a headlining act! Craft Spirits has remained our largest growth category for seven years running! We’ve been adding suppliers at a furious pace (600 SKUs available now). Actually, we do our best to say “no,” but … Read More
“More than any other great grape, Riesling has suffered from prostitution of its name. The word Riesling has been filched for incorporation into the names of all sorts of vine, many of them mediocre.” Jancis Robinson, Vines, Grapes and Wines, 1986. At the end of Prohibition, over one million gallons of “Riesling” were produced, and … Read More
“Traditional,” “rustic,” “authentic,” “not without its subtle nuances and soft contours,” “gutsy,” “spicy,” “earthy,”—these are just a few of the words professionals have used to describe the wines of Cosimo Taurino. Allow me to add more: “a gem in the rough”—for Puglia, one of Italy’s largest bulk wine growing regions, Taurino stands head and shoulders … Read More
What a great time in history to be able to spritz. Spritz is, indeed, a verb, and one that we’re fond of employing here at Skurnik. The action delivers all that the word implies; not only the promise of a cocktail in hand, but in the making, a setting of intention to refresh oneself with … Read More
Duck into just about any local izakaya pub in Japan, wind through a tight squeeze of boisterous diners, clusters of friends and coworkers reenergizing themselves after a long work day with skewers of grilled yakitori, potato croquettes and platters of local sashimi carefully folded into waves. Sit down, refresh yourself with a hot oshibori towel, … Read More
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