“To work by animal traction, 40% grade vineyards, on slate, at 1,000m of altitude, that are 45 minutes from anything else—all the best producers are going more and more into geographically specific bottlings.” – Max Working

In December, we sent our Iberian wine specialists to take the pulse of what’s new and exciting in Portugal and Galicia. Matt Wolfe and Max Working tasted the wines of nine producers from Bierzo to Porto and returned with a wealth of stories, wineries to watch, and two souvenir tastevins from their surprise induction into a secret society. They reveal how some producers are returning to the past to move forward, what makes farming biodynamically so difficult here, why organic Alvarinho is so rare.

The itinerary included visits with Domino do Bibei, Anselmo Mendes, Aphros, Albamar, Bodegas Fulcro, Raúl Pérez, Filipa Pato & William Wouters, Revela, and Kopke.

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“What I’m looking for is very personal. It’s like a sound in the wine. And that sound is defined by something I love. Like a musician, I was always looking for my personal sound, and that sound comes easy with País.” – Pedro Parra

Pedro Parra is a world-renowned winemaker, saxophone player, and vineyard consultant from Chile—and one of the few individuals with a PhD from the Paris Center of Agriculture with a specialization in terroir. Under his eponymous brand, Pedro Parra y Familia Wines, Pedro is a leading member of the "New Chile" wine movement, crafting incredibly precise and artisanal wines that celebrate his country's underappreciated terroir.

In this episode, he and Cody Stephenson taste a flight of wines from Itata and discuss Pedro’s journey of pushing the limits, exploring the opposites, and discovering “the point of light” through revolutionary Chilean winemaking.

Wines tasted in this episode:

• País ‘Vinista
• Cinsault ‘Monk’
• Chardonnay ‘Resolution’ (only 694 bottles made)

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"Reducing the barriers to getting into Scotch, I think, is really important for bringing new consumers from all walks of life in and making them feel welcome. The whole point of Nc'nean is whisky for everybody." – Annabel Thomas

Annabel Thomas is the founder of the most sustainable distillery in the world, Nc’nean. Nestled in the Western Highlands of Scotland, Nc’nean is completely off the grid. The entire operation produces net-zero carbon emissions and is powered by 100% renewable energy. They use only organic barley, and the bottles are made from 100% recycled glass.

In a conversation with Skurnik’s Whisk(e)y Ambassador Gaby Eisenman, Annabel tells the story of her female-led, B-Corporation distillery innovating in a regional industry that deeply values and protects tradition. Nc’nean strides the future and the past by crafting whiskies that are as approachable for new drinkers as they are exciting for connoisseurs.

What Annabel and Gaby tasted in this episode:

• Nc'nean Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Nc'nean Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky 'Quiet Rebels – Amy'

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“I think many consumers, many somms, think of it as a great supermarket wine for the money. But I think Chile’s still got much more to show. Many people when they taste these wines, the first thing they say is, ‘But that’s not Chilean.’ But it is more Chilean than what your image of Chile is.” – Derek Mossman

Since 2006, Derek Mossman and his wife, Pilar, have been working alongside local farmers in Chile’s Maule Valley to revive forgotten centenarian vines and express their full potential. True to their humble origins, Garage Wine Co. ferments in a mismatched collection of repurposed milk tanks, wooden lagares, and Spanish tinajas. Despite working in the heart of a region known for its bulk entry-level wine, every one of Derek’s bottles is a rebellion against mass production—a tribute to forgotten terroirs and the people who are proud to tend them.

In this episode, Derek sits with Skurnik’s World Portfolio Manager, Cody Stephenson, to talk about his unlikely path from Toronto to the Maule, why regenerative farming isn’t just a buzzword, and what it truly takes to make honest wine in a world obsessed with efficiency.

Wines tasted in this episode:

• Cabernet 'Reelegido Vineyard'
• País '215 BC Ferment'
• Semillon 'Isidore Vineyard'
• Garnacha 'Bagual Vineyard'
• Cariñena 'CRU Truquilemu'

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"We're not making year-to-year decisions—we're making generational decisions. And that feels like the only just way to treat and respect all of the efforts that have preceded us." – Jason Kesner

Today’s guest is Jason Kesner, the longtime winemaker of Kistler Vineyards, one of California’s most esteemed producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Having worked alongside founder Steve Kistler for nearly two decades—first as his only assistant, then as his successor—Jason has played a central role in stewarding the estate through one of the most important transitions in its history.

In this wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation influenced by Rick Rubin, Jason speaks candidly about legacy, patience, and what it means to play the long game in a flashy valley that seems to be forgetting its humble farming roots. Despite the uncertainties facing California wine today, Jason remains deeply optimistic about the next generation of growers, the enduring power of Mother Nature, and the idea that wine, at its best, connects people to something larger than themselves.

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"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 Reims.

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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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