January 28, 2020
In October, we held an “old style” sake seminar with expert and former sake brewer Justin Potts and former Master Brewer Tomoyuki Minami. Tomoyuki is one of the leaders of the shizenha style of sake that emphasizes connection to agriculture, avoiding treating or altering sake after... UNFILTERED Archives: Japan
New to California: Our Japanese Sake Portfolio
January 9, 2020
Skurnik Wines is pleased to announce the addition of a premium Japanese sake portfolio to California! The vast world of sake making covers the entire Japanese archipelago and has a rich history stretching back at least 1400 years. Just as... Welcome to…
December 6, 2019
In July 2019, we announced our acquisition of Vintner Select, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based fine wine distributor. With this acquisition, we have increased our direct wholesale distribution network to eight states, adding Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana to our existing stable of... Before the Bottle, Growing Sake Rice in Japan
October 17, 2019
Many know rice as one of the great staple crops of the world; it provides essential calories for more than half of the world’s population, and outside of Asia it is one of the fastest-growing foods. Japan has a particularly... The Chu-Hai: Our Favorite Cocktail That You’ve Never Heard Of
October 9, 2019
Chu-Hai — don’t respond with gesundheit! By now you must have read our Intro to Shochu: Japan’s Terroir-Driven Spirit. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into one of Japan’s (and now our) favorite drinks: the Chu-Hai — a shochu highball.... “Selling Sake in Your Bar and Restaurant” Webinar Featuring Skurnik’s Jamie Graves!
September 26, 2019
Jamie-san with a group of producers at our 2019 Grand Portfolio Tasting! Although sake has been sold for decades at Japanese restaurants around the country, consumer awareness of ‘craft sake’ has been low until very recently. Great sake is surprisingly... 2019 Grand Portfolio Tasting: Where It All Comes Together!
March 11, 2019
It seems like our grand tasting gets even grander every year, which is why we’ve taken over the entire Met Pavilion. We wanted you to be able to explore all the sake, cider, wine, and spirits that we have to... 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... 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... An Intro to Shochu: Japan’s Terroir-Driven Spirit
September 13, 2018
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...