"You know, Champagne has built itself, at least since the '60s, on blending grapes together. Growers, we play a different card. We try to express wine from a singular place. And when you just think about the experience of tasting the same varietal made from different terroir, that's when I think you understand that wine is truly special."

Champagne Pierre Paillard is one of the most exciting domaines in France thanks to a fortunate marriage of pristine terroir and “bon sens paysan,” with a mix of innovative farming and old-school winemaking.

In this episode, Quentin Paillard credits the introduction of organically farmed and densely planted Pinot Fin massal selections, selective dosage, and vinifiying every cuvée under oak as the main factors behind the Bouzy estate’s rapid rise among the legendary growers in the Montagne de Riems.

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"Working in these vineyards makes me think a lot because you really want to treat them right. You don't want to be the last generation farming the vines that were surviving 4, 5 generations." – Christopher Loewen

Today’s guest is Christopher Loewen, the 33-year-old at the helm of Weingut Carl Loewen, one of the Mosel’s smallest and most impressive estates.

Christopher, along with his father Karl-Josef and just one other employee, farms some of the oldest ungrafted Riesling vines in the world from a fabled parcel planted in 1896 by the Schmitt-Wagner estate. By embracing traditional, low-intervention viticulture and “letting the wine decide” when it finds its balance, Christopher crafts Rieslings of astonishing depth, concentration, and energy. His wines aren’t about chasing numbers or trends—they’re about listening to the vines and responding to their needs like an attentive parent.

In this episode, Christopher sits down with Skurnik’s Austrian & German Portfolio Manager, Michael Lykens, to talk about the Mosel’s evolving climate, the magic of old vines on hard slate soils, and why making great wine is more about patience than intervention.

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“We are working with the same philosophy, the same idea, the same goal. To be in the wine business, it’s very important to have this kind of relationship. Because otherwise it’s just business and it doesn’t make sense.” – Giorgio Rivetti

Giorgio Rivetti is the man behind the estates of La Spinetta and Contratto in Piedmont, Casanova della Spinetta in Tuscany, and his own import company based in the US, Indigenous Selections, which imports cult favorites such as Chiara Boschis and Ciacci Piccolomini.

In this episode, Giorgio reflects on the many lessons he's learned over his long career as a keen businessman and attentive farmer. He shares his insights on the sparkling wine space, the challenges and advantages of farming organically in a changing climate, and how he built brands to support his passionate appreciation for indigenous Italian varieties, like Timorasso.

Above all, Giorgio is fueled by the human relationships that make the fine wine business unlike any other.

What Giorgio and Mark tasted in this episode:

• Contratto Millesimato Pas Dosé
• La Spinetta Barolo ‘Garretti’

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"It's agriculture, right? Not agri-business. This is part of our cultural history and something worth preserving." – Christina Turley

Christina is the 2nd generation of the Turley wine family. After cutting her teeth in the hospitality world as a college student in New York at Gramercy Tavern and becoming the sommelier and beverage director for David Chang's Momofuku family of restaurants, Christina moved back to California to go all-in on Zinfandel. Today, she feels a responsibility to honor and protect California’s historic old vines—particularly her favorite varietal, the one she calls “the Dolly Parton of American wine”—and create more opportunities to socialize through the age-old tradition of sharing a bottle of wine.

Dolly Parton's America podcast

Christina's Zinfandolly playlist

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“Can Sumoi, above all, is a project to connect with the farmers in the area, learn from them, pay them a fair amount—the highest possible per kilo of Sumoll or Xarel-lo or Macabeu. I dream of a Penedès where the valleys and the villages and the crus are the protagonists. It's the Burgundy vision for Penedès.” – Pepe Raventós

Pepe Raventós is the renowned winemaker and owner of Can Sumoi, Raventós i Blanc, and his eponymous brand, Vins Pepe Raventós, which produces Mas del Serral.

In this episode, he shares his family history in the northern Penedès for 21 generations and the unique climate, geography, and millennia of viticultural history that make the region worthy of worldwide acclaim. His focus today is sharpened on making world-class Xarel-lo and Sumoll with Can Sumoi, his remote project in the poorest and most neglected part of Spain, where farming is done respectfully and farmers are paid what they deserve.

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Brothers and business partners Michael and Harmon Skurnik discuss how their experiences with fine wines and spirits led them to establish Skurnik Wines & Spirits, what they value in the products they choose to represent, and how their guiding principles help them navigate uncertain times.

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No reservations required—listening to Skurnik Unfiltered feels like you've been invited to pull up a chair and share a glass with some of the most remarkable figures in the world of wine, spirits, and hospitality.

Don't miss the first episode drop on Monday, December 8th.

Voices featured in this trailer:

• Michael Skurnik, founder of Skurnik Wines & Spirits
• Harmon Skurnik, president of Skurnik Wines & Spirits
• Giorgio Rivetti, winemaker/owner of La Spinetta, Contratto
• Quentin Paillard, 2nd generation winemaker/co-owner of Champagne Pierre Paillard
• Annabel Thomas, founder of Nc'nean Distillery
• Pepe Raventós, winemaker/owner of Can Sumoi, Raventós i Blanc, and Mas del Serral
• Christopher Loewen, 3rd generation winemaker at Weingut Carl Loewen
• Hans Reisetbauer, distiller/owner of Reisetbauer Qualitätsbrand
• Jason Kesner, winemaker at Kistler Vineyards
• Christina Turley, 2nd generation proprietor of Turley Wine Cellars

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