Podcasts about skurnik

In this episode of Business of Drinks, we sit down with Harmon Skurnik, president of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, one of the most influential importers and distributors in the U.S. With more than $200 million in annual revenue, a wholesale presence in nine states, and import reach across the nation, Skurnik has grown into a powerhouse while holding tight to its roots as a family-run, quality-first business.Unlike many peers, the Skurnik team has never chased scale for scale's sake. Instead, their approach has been defined by thoughtful, organic growth — expanding only when the opportunity was right. From rescuing a struggling Ohio distributor to launching what would become their top-selling brand, The Pinot Project, Harmon shares how Skurnik's strategy has delivered both scale and staying power. In fact, Skurnik's sales were up in 2024, while much of the wine industry contracted — a testament to their effective operations and strategic growth path.In this episode, Harmon shares:How Skurnik Wines & Spirits grew from a two-man operation in NYC to a national player with 270+ employeesWhy they still personally taste every wine and interview every employee — even with operations in nine statesThe story behind The Pinot Project, now their #1 SKU, selling 65,000 cases and $6 million annuallyHow the team turned around a failing Ohio distributor into a thriving business in Ohio, Kentucky, and IndianaWhy the company avoids expansion for expansion's sake, and only grows where it can add true valueHow Skurnik positions itself as a marketing partner, not just a logistics provider, for its suppliersWhat makes a good distributor in today's market — and why asking "how many reps do you have?" misses the pointLast Call: We dig into a provocative piece by cocktail historian and author David Wondrich: “Why Is My Drink So Damn Weird?” (via Punch). Erica, Scott, and Caroline debate:

Carli Skurnik is the founder and director of One Buyers Agency.  With 18 years of experience, she's a successful buyers agent in the eastern suburbs of sydney. In this episode you'll hear about: Her journey into real estate Being a female in a male-dominated industry. The story of One Buyers Agency The key differences between a buyer's agent and a seller's agent. What she does differently compared to others.  Plus you'll find out what made her give a young Gavin Rubinstein his first job in real estate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode features Mike Annis, who began his wine journey by bussing tables at Del Frisco's Atlanta in early 2014. By 2017, he was their full time Sommelier handling a list of over 350 labels. We talk about how we first crossed paths in the wine industry while he was working as a harvest intern out in Napa Valley, and he talks about how he seized the opportunity to temporarily move across the country to work a full 3 month harvest at Emeritus Vineyards in Russian River Valley as part his transition from floor service to distribution. Now, he is a Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine who works as a distributor rep for Northeast Sales showcasing the esteemed Kermit Lynch, Ethica, and Skurnik portfolios. He is also a founding member of the All In Wine ATL blind tasting group - and he is known for having some of the most descriptive, memorable tasting notes. His mission is to give anyone the opportunity to pursue learning about wine, regardless of position or experience, just as he was encouraged to by his early mentors. Mike is also a music nerd, cat dad, and gardener. You can follow his journey as he pursues the title of Advanced Somm by following his Instagram @Sommwhere_I_Belong. Recorded June 25, 2022 This episode is sponsored by Diane Carpenter and Ross Knoll Vineyard: https://www.dianecarpenter.org/wines --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/acorkintheroad/support

Today's Guest: Serge Lozach, VP-Managing Director, Wine in Motion USA -Importer of Kopke Port WinesListen to discover:How to sell the oldest port wine - Kopke - in the US market?Their new distribution partnership with Skurnik; & how Wine in Motion chooses American distributors for KopkePre-sale techniques: 2022 short listThe art of declaring a vintage (When and why)Tasting with SergeThe benefits for Kopke to be the first Port Wine house to release 50 YOAbout LozachBorn into a family of French restaurateurs based in Hell's Kitchen in New York City, Serge Lozach has had one foot in American culture and one foot in European since birth. Upon graduation from Queens College of the City of New York with degrees in Communications and Political Science, Lozach immediately focused on wine marketing and sales. Over his career, employers included The Hess Collection, Moet Hennessy USA, SOPEXA USA, and Paul Hobbs Imports. In 2006 Lozach was certified WSET (Wine& Spirit Education Trust) level 3 Advanced. In 2018 Lozach was appointed VP and Managing Director of Wine in Motion USA, an importer specializing in the wines of Portugal. The company's lead brand is Kopke Port, the oldest Port wine house (est. 1638). This Portuguese (as opposed to British) style Port House is an industry leader in the sales and distribution of Colheitas and Aged Ports, with some of Porto's deepest cellars. Lozach oversees all marketing and sales, including building the brand's national distribution network.Serge resides in Pawtucket, Rhode Island with his wife Irene and enjoys spending time with his new granddaughter Ellie June. When not working Serge can be found roaming the woods in search of prey with his two Cairn Terriers, Hudson and Farouk.About Kopke Port WineKopke Port Wine (Portugal), est. 1638, is the oldest Port wine house. Located in the upper Douro DOC, a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site since 2001, Kopke benefits from the imposing geography of the Douro Valley: the plunging valleys allow vines to be planted from altitudes of 1,900 feet on the upper ridges, down to 230 feet alongside the river, with immensely diverse terroirs. Kopke wines are sourced and produced in Quinta São Luiz, one of the most important estates in Douro region. This 300-acre estate has 220 acres planted to traditional Portuguese grape varieties, such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Cão. There are also small plots of Tinta Barroca and Souzão. Kopke is also opening a small inn, The Vine House, at Quinta São Luiz this coming July.Wine in Motion USA Kopke Port WinesInstagram: @ kopke1638 Be sure to follow Slice of Wine on social media: LinkedInInstagramTikTokSlice of Wine is produced by Slice of Media, Inc. 

On this episode of the Food About Town podcast, Adam Schuman from Skurnik Wines and Spirits came over to the studio to talk about Skurnik, their mentality and portfolio, mezcal nerdery including a tasting, and spirits pairing philosophy. This episode is brought to you by CurAte and our next meal... The post F.A.T. Podcast Episode 137 – Skurnik Wines and Spirits first appeared on Food About Town.

MJ’s guest today is President of the Legendary Import and Distribution Company Skurnik Wines and Spirits, Harmon Skurnik. The company began with just a handful of relatively unknown estates in 1987 and has since grown to represent over 500 estates, most of which are family-owned and operated. Harmon has been a partner in Skurnik Wines & Spirits since 1989 - from tasting, to buying, to managing the business and its employees, Harmon is an integral part of the company's success. He and MJ talk about the early days of Skurnik Wines and the mindset it takes to grow such a successful business. They discuss past, present and emerging producers and what it takes to get them noticed and included in the Skurnik portfolio. MJ talks about the Skurnik “farm team” factor when it comes to finding and launching the careers of some of the most talented sales people in the wine business. In addition Harmon brings in four epic wines - two that make their tasting debut right on the show! For those who seek knowledge, history and a bit business savvy with their listening - you’re welcome! A huge thank you to Harmon Skurnik!Follow him on IG @hskurnikLearn, discover and purchase world class wine and spirits at Skurnik Wine and Spirits: https://www.skurnik.com/Follow them on IG @skurnikwinesThis episode’s in studio wines:Pierre GirardinMurgers des Dents de ChienSaint-Aubin Premier Cru, 2018Hillick and Hobbs2019 Estate Dry RieslingSeneca Lake, New YorkLanghe Nebbiolo Sori della Sorba20192017 MullineuxGranite Syrah Swartland, South Africa ___________________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers and wine drinkers! Don’t forget to subscribe and be sure to give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguy Thank you to our sponsor Acker Wines! Listeners of the show will receive $25 off purchases of $100 or more with code WINEGUY25 at checkout. (Retail store only) Love this podcast? Love the cool content? Get a producer like mine by reaching out to the badass team at Necessary Media. www.necessarymediaproductions.com@necessary_media_ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Harmon Skurnik is the President of Skurnik Wines, an importer and distributor of fine wines and spirits headquartered in the heart of New York City. Harmon has been the President of Skurnik Wines since he joined his brother, Michael, at the company in 1989 to run the now 33-year-old successful fine wine and spirits importation and distribution company. In this episode… The wine industry is grappling with a massive drop in business since the outbreak of COVID-19. While companies struggle to get a respite from that by pivoting their businesses to focus online retail sales, there is still the 25% tariff on wines imported from Europe to contend with. With seemingly continuous challenges posed against the industry, can wineries and other industry players still survive? For Harmon Skurnik, President of Skurnik Wines, what businesses need to emphasize right now are three things: integrity, opportunities, and resilience.  He also encourages everyone to learn more about the tariffs imposed on the wine industry in order to make informed comments and join in the conversation on the USTR website before July 26 Join Alexi Cashen on this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcasts she talks with Harmon Skurnik of Skurnik Wines about his company's success for the past 33 years, how the wine business is pivoting in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and why it's important for stakeholders in the industry to take part in the conversation about tariffs that are imposed upon them. Stay tuned.

Kevin Zraly is the author of "Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course". He is also the co-author (with Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen) of the book "Red Wine: The Comprehensive Guide to the 50 Essential Varieties and Styles". Kevin was for decades the Cellar Master of Windows on the World restaurant, located on the top floors of the North Tower of New York City's original World Trade Center.   Kevin describes his entry into the world of restaurants as a college student, and how a series of seemingly chance events led him to study and teach about wine. He recalls trips to California, France, Italy, and Spain to visit wineries, and some of the standout moments in those adventures. Then Kevin talks about his short lived career as a wholesale wine salesman in New York City, and explains how that quickly developed into a job opportunity as the Cellar Master at the brand new Windows on the World restaurant in the late 1970s. His role at Windows brought him into contact with legendary restauranteur Joe Baum, whom Kevin talks about at length.   Kevin talks about the philosophy behind the wine program at Windows on the World - from the selection to the pricing to the service style - and recalls a key trip to Bordeaux to source wines there with Alexis Lichine. He also explains how working at Windows led to his book deal, and to more and more teaching opportunities. Kevin became famous as a teacher and speaker about wine, and in this interview he discusses how he approaches speaking to a group about wine. He also recalls the origins of the New York Wine Experience, which he founded.   The interview with Kevin goes from highs to lows, as Windows on the World is closed by a bombing in 1993, and then totally destroyed as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Kevin shares the pain he has felt as a result, and gives his rationale for why he might have survived while his co-workers perished. He also talks about how he has coped with the aftermath of those terrible events on a personal level, and some of the challenges that he has faced as a parent.   This episode also features commentary from:   Martin Sinkoff, Martin Sinkoff Associates   This episode is sponsored by:   The NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting of New York State wines on September 22nd at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan.   DIAM Bouchage manufactures technological cork closures for still wine, sparkling, spirits and beer. DIAM closures are guaranteed to provide clean, consistent and reliable permeability from bottle to bottle. G3 is the exclusive distributor of the North American market.   Australian Wine Discovered. A comprehensive, free education program offering editable, downloadable content that you can access any time.  

Our guest is Jamie Graves, the Japanese Portfolio Manager at Skurnik Wines, which is a leading wine and spirits importer and distributor based in NYC. Jamie joined us on Episode 114 and discussed his interesting path to get into the world of sake, and the unique process of sake making. In this episode, we will talk about shoshu. Jamie recently visited 14 shochu distilleries in southern Japan. We will discover shochu through Jamie’s intriguing stories from the trip as well as his job at Skurnik working closely with family-owned, traditional yet innovative distilleries. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.

We’re back this week with a boozy double-interview featuring one shochu meister and one sake maven. In the first half of this week’s episode of Sake on Air, Christopher Pellegrini interviews Maya Aley, the first non-Japanese to receive the prestigious certification of Shochu Meister. Maya has been living and working in Kagoshima city since 2011. Starting as an English teacher before shifting to translation, interpretation, and local business development, she talks to us about the Kagoshima University Shochu Meister course, Kagoshima’s special place in the shochu world, and one of the city’s most famous shochu bars, Ishizue, where you can now find her regularly behind the bar. You can also find her on Instagram @maya.aley. For the second-half, Justin joins Christopher Pellegrini to speak with special guest Jamie Graves, the Japanese beverage portfolio manager for Skurnik Wines and Spirits in New York. After teaching English in the JET program for a year in 2002, Jamie found himself on the archipelago for an additional four more years where he worked various restaurant jobs, explored sake, and improved his Japanese until he was able to successfully pass the highest level of the Japanese language proficiency test. Upon returning to New York he slipped into the restaurant scene and wound up at the East Village shojin cuisine restaurant, Kaijitsu, run by head-chef Masato Nishihara. After cycling through the Japanese dining circuit, Jamie has now found a home at Skurnik, where he is responsible not only for sake, but shochu and all categories of Japanese spirits. Follow Jamie on his Instagram: @jamiefgraves, and we highly encourage our listeners to check out his insightful series of “Unfiltered” articles about sake and shochu on skurnik.com. We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Sake On Air. If you have any feedback, comments or questions, we would love to hear from you. As we’re currently restructuring a few things on the back-end (details coming soon!), our regular email, questions@sakeonair.com, is out of commission temporarily, but you can reach out to us at any time on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks again for tuning in. Until next time, Kampai! Sake On Air is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and made possible with the generous support of JSS (Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association) and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.

4 + Justin Lane Briggs / Curating a diverse mezcal portfolio Justin stopped by to talk about his work as a spirits specialist and educator at Skurnik wines and his unique approach to working with agave distillate brands. We discussed how industry and community are not mutually exclusive and how a diverse and robust portfolio can create the space to bring on smaller lesser known brands. Justin tells us the stories of Mezcal Tosba and La Medida Mezcal, 2 brands producing amazing mezcal but with very different origins.  We also talked about the trend to rest agave spirits in glass and he brought a really interesting mezcal expression for us to try that included hongos! Justin Lane Briggs is a Spirits specialist and educator for Skurnik Wines. @jlb802 FB Images discussed in this episode can be found at  TUYO NYC   ¡Hey Hey! Agave is dedicated to all things agave. The mezcal and agave distillates industry is booming in the US. Join us for conversations with industry experts, enthusiasts, producers and educators as we discuss the fascinating world of mezcal and agave spirits. ¡Hey Hey! Agave is a podcast from TUYO NYC Music: Milagro Verde Production: Sabrina Lessard and Gabriel Velazquez Zazueta Editor: Brittany Prater

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Michael Skurnik. In 1977, after graduating from UMass Amherst, Michael took a waiter’s job at Windows on the World while he waited to land a “real job.” He progressed quickly to sommelier and had the opportunity to taste thousands of wines from their extensive cellars. Michael left Windows in 1980 to work on the distribution side of the business. In 1987, he founded Michael Skurnik Wines (now just simply Skurnik Wines) in order to bring in a few boutique wineries from California and the rest is history. The business grew rapidly and now Skurnik Wines represents a host of wineries from California, Oregon, Washington, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary and even New Mexico and Israel!

It’s Cider Issues on Cooking Issues! Dave Arnold is joined by two bad-ass cider makers, Leif Sundström of Sundström Cider & John Reynolds of Blackduck Cidery. Together, they talk about some cider history and solve some listener questions related to apples, keeving and cider making. The Cider Makers Sundström Cider is a new cidery based in the Hudson Valley of NY.  Leif Sundström began Sundström Cider after 10 years of working in the wine industry.  Beginning in Portland, OR Leif worked as opening beverage director for Le Pigeon restaurant before transitioning to more intimate aspects of the wine industry, first as harvest assistant and cellar hand at Boedecker Cellars and later moving to NYC to work as Portfolio Manager of Terry Theise Estate Selections at Skurnik Wines.  After leaving Skurnik, Leif spent a harvest season at Weingut Leitz in Rüdesheim, Germany before moving to the Hudson Valley to pursue the challenge of maximizing the potential of cider.  Sundström Cider focuses on select wild harvest apples, older heirloom and cider apple varieties, as well as several species of crab apples in an effort to make vinous, age-able ciders that seek to speak of the place they come from.   John Reynolds co-owns Blackduck Cidery with his wife Shannon and their two out of control red headed daughters, Pippin and Idunn. He’s spent most of his adult life involved with fruit and hard work, although not necessarily at the same time. The orchard was planted fifteen years ago and culminated in our first vintage in 2013. In his spare time, The Lawrence Welk Show and the intricacies of Dr. Seuss’s word play consumes many long mindless hours.

Terry Theise is a wine importer who focuses on German and Austrian wine, as well as Champagne for his Terry Theise Estate Selections.

Jerry Skurnik is the political consultant to political consultants, working behind-the-scenes, gathering information, crucial to the success of political campaigns. With experience dating back to the Koch campaign, Skurnik discusses campaigns then & now.

Legendary wine importer and distributor Michael Skurnik stops by the show to share stories from his time as a sommelier at Windows on the World and his 25-year old, landmark company Michael Skurnik Wines.

Mark and Francis travel to the Vinitaly wine conference in Verona Italy, one of the most important wine conferences in the world, and interview some very important people from each link of the chain that brings quality wine to you. Silvia ...

Doug and his "Wiseguys" join up again to discuss the Iowa Caucuses. Political Consultant Hank Sheinkopf and Prime NY’s Jerry Skurnik join Doug to share their thoughts and predictions.

The plasmid-encoded outer membrane protein YadA of enteropathogenic yersiniae is associated with pathogenicity. Recently, collagen binding of YadA-positive yersiniae was reported without detailed characterization (L. Emödy, J. Heesemann, H. Wolf-Watz, M. Skurnik, G. Kapperud, P. O'Toole, and T. Wadström, J. Bacteriol. 171:6674-6679, 1989). To elucidate the nature of collagen binding to YadA, we used a recombinant Yersinia strain expressing the cloned YadA gene. Direct binding of YadA-positive yersiniae to collagens was demonstrated in affinity blot experiments on nitrocellulose filters. A spectrum of collagen types in a wide concentration range were tested for their ability to block binding of 125I-labeled collagen type II to YadA-positive yersiniae. The results indicate a specific binding site(s) for YadA in collagen types I, II, III, IV, V, and XI. In contrast, collagen type VI did not bind to YadA. To characterize the binding site(s) more precisely, isolated collagen chains and cyanogen bromide fragments were investigated. These studies revealed that binding of YadA to collagen type I is confined to the alpha 1(I) chain, whereas the binding site within collagen type XI is localized in the alpha 3(XI) chain. alpha 2(I), alpha 1(XI), and alpha 2(XI) did not bind to YadA. Most interestingly, in the alpha 1(II) chain the specific binding site for YadA resides in the cyanogen bromide fragment CB10. The latter might indicate a binding site that does not depend on conformation. Based on these findings, further fragmentation and the synthesis of peptides may allow definition of the peptide sequence(s) relevant for YadA binding.