December 7, 2018
This is the first in a series of articles written by the people who make the wines & spirits that we proudly represent here at Skurnik. In our inaugural installment, Andrea Mullineux – winemaker & proprietor behind Mullineux, Kloof Street,... UNFILTERED
Sake Isn’t Picky About Food (But It Does Have Favorites) – Sake and Food Pairing
November 29, 2018
There is a saying in Japanese that nihonshu wa ryori o erabenai, usually translated that “sake isn’t picky about food” or “sake doesn’t get into fights with food.” While for centuries gourmands in Europe have discussed matching wines of a... Brandy is the Bedrock: A Q&A with Charles Neal
November 20, 2018
“Believe it or not, we’ve known Charles ever since he was the buyer for a small retail store in Huntington, Long Island…!! We became friends back then, so when he created a small portfolio of Armagnac producers in the late... Alzinger: Precision & Elegance from the Wachau
November 14, 2018
Leo Alzinger Jr.’s path to winemaking began when he was very young, watching his mother and father in the vineyards and cellars of the family winery. “There were no employees at this time; it was just them. I loved this... Zinfandel: American Heritage in a Glass
November 8, 2018
Crisp weather has arrived, Fall foliage is underway, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner, shifting our focus in the direction of the all-American grape variety: Zinfandel. Since its earliest mentions in literature from the 1820s, Zinfandel has been claimed... That Obscure Object of Desire: The Sherries of Bodegas Tradición
November 6, 2018
Bodegas Tradición is located at N° 3 Calle Cordobeses in an unassuming little plaza in the Santiago Quarter of Jerez de la Frontera. Along with the San Miguel Quarter, Santiago is famous as a Gitano neighborhood. Indeed, many of the... A Return to Classic: The Stylistic Evolution of California Wine
November 1, 2018
Wine styles are constantly shifting. Ripeness, acidity, body, alcohol all take turns on center stage as the wine pendulum swings. Recently, California has been in the spotlight, leading the way toward a return to a lower alcohol, higher acid, more... Spirits of Another Kind
October 30, 2018
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... Piaggia & The Hidden Treasure of Carmignano DOCG
October 24, 2018
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... Happy Brew Year! October Marks the Start of the New Sake Brewing Season
October 19, 2018
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...