By The Glass (Chris Poldoian)

André Terrail is the owner and operator of Tour d’Argent, Paris' oldest restaurant. He took over the prestigious eatery in his twenties and opened the company's boulangerie and épicerie, both next door to the Michelin-starred restaurant. André and Chris talk about balancing history with innovation, numbering each bird utilized for the signature pressed duck dish, winning the œuf mayonnaise competition, embracing his Finnish heritage, prepping for the Paris Olympics, getting an MBA at INSEAD, finding his own voice at work, bringing formal dining and kitchen culture into the 21st century, visiting Argentina, and tweaking the wine selections for the restaurant's Tokyo outpost. 

Otto Sanchez is the chef and founder of Magnol French Baking in Houston. He has served as pastry chef for Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon and worked in kitchens in Yountville and Dubai. In this episode, Otto and Chris discuss working service on Mother’s Day, leading the pastry team at the Burj Al Arab, building a wholesale bread program, coming to the USA from El Salvador, and perfecting pastries like the canelé and baba au rum.

Follow Magnol Bakery on Instagram at @magnolfrenchbaking 

Chris sits down with Chris Shepherd, the Executive Chef of Underbelly Hospitality, to discuss fish sauce, pho, and philanthropy. Chris & Chris hash out what it takes to safely reopen a restaurant as well as how to build a support system for FOH & BOH employees. Along the way, they taste through some of Chris’ favorite bourbon bottles and discuss his methodology for sourcing single barrels from distilleries like Willett, Buffalo Trace, and Weller.  

The year after winning the 2014 James Beard Award for his work at Underbelly, Chris founded Southern Smoke to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the non-profit pivoted to providing crisis relief to the Food & Beverage community. Since its inception in 2015, Southern Smoke has raised over four million dollars. Last year, he published a cookbook called Cook Like a Local that champions the ingredients and flavors that define Houston’s diverse culinary landscape. At this moment, his restaurants Georgia James, UB Preserv, and One Fifth all open at 75% capacity. 

To learn more about Southern Smoke, visit www.southernsmoke.org.

Kate Nye is a classically trained musician who studied in Austria and France before moving to Austin, where she worked as a bartender and sommelier. After years of working in wine distribution, Kate moved to West Texas to join the Marfa Spirit Company as the distillery's Head of Hospitality.

In today's episode, Kate talks to Chris about molasses, Italian red wine, the Austin Wine Merchant, the Marfa Dairy Queen's underground podcast, ranchwater cocktails, and the role of music in bartending and B2B sales.

Josefa Concannon is the Sales Manager for Louis Dressner Selections, one of the most venerable importers of minimal intervention wine. When she isn’t traveling the USA to sell cases of Beaujolais and Zibibbo, she is either running marathons or volunteering in her hometown of Chicago. For this Election Day episode, Chris talks with Josefa about how she found her political voice as well as the intersection of countercultural wine and progressivism. They discuss running the virtual Boston Marathon, preserving Chicago’s historical neighborhoods, selling natural wine before the term existed, and using her platform to enact change in her local community.

To learn more about the wines imported by Louis Dressner Selections, visit their freshly redesigned website at www.louisdressner.com

Sarah Troxell runs the bar program for two of Houston's hottest restaurants: The Toasted Coconut and Nobie's. But before Sarah was slinging martinis, she was cooking in restaurant kitchens. This episode, she tells Chris how going to culinary school influenced her approach to bartending.

Later, Sarah explains her passion for Tiki, a tropical subculture in the beverage world. A discourse on the identity of Tiki and the terroir of rum ensues. Towards the end of the episode, Sarah shares how the national cocktail competition Speed Rack has made her not only a better bartender, but also a more vocal supporter of women in the Houston beverage community.

Sarah can be found on Instagram at @barcheftrox, and Chris can be reached at @braisedthoughts.

For the first episode of By The Glass, host Chris Poldoian meets up with prolific wine director Sean Beck for a discussion on the sustainability of Mezcal, the importance of cultivating relationships with distributors, and the role of fine wine in Mexican cuisine. 

Sean Beck is the wine director of the James Beard Award-winning H-Town Restaurant Group, whose restaurants include Xochi, Hugo's, Caracol, and Backstreet Café. He attended University of Houston for undergrad and took over the wine program at Backstreet Café when he was 22 years old. For over 20 years, Sean has helped pair Chef Hugo Ortega's cooking with wines from all over the world. Every year, Sean oversees the city's annual Iron Sommelier Competition, which raises funds for The Periwinkle Foundation. Sean can be reached at sean@htownrestaurantgroup.com.

Adam Garcia is the Executive Chef and Director of Operations for PX Project, a non-profit that offers a paid culinary program to immigrants and refugees aged 16-24 in the Sharpstown/Gulfton area. Using the kitchen as the classroom to teach self-advocacy, financial literacy, time management, and problem-solving, PX Project provides displaced youth with career and life skills. Adam hops on the pod to discuss his move from restaurants like Rosie Cannonball and Coltivare to PX Project, and why everyone should know how to break down a chicken.

In continuation with last week’s collaboration with Wines of Germany, this episode is the first half of a two-part discussion on minimal intervention in German winemaking. In part one, Chris sits down with Jochen Beurer, former European BMX champion turnt Württemberg winemaker to discuss farming, biodiversity, Southern Germany’s most exciting red varieties, and the natural wine community within the country. Imported by Vom Boden and Demeter-certified Biodynamic, Weingut Beurer embodies the quality-driven approach to viticulture and vinification growing in Southern Germany. 

To learn more about Jochen Beurer and his winery, visit www.vomboden.com.

To learn more about Württemberg and the other 12 anbaugebiete (wine regions) of Germany, visit www.germanwineusa.com  

Andy Young makes natural wine in Oregon’s Willamette Valley under two labels: The Marigny and Saint Reginald Parish. In this episode, Andy describes his approach to carbonic maceration, the backlash to glou, Texas viticulture, and the wine that inspired his Piquette. Along the way, he and Chris hash out the pros and cons of the DTC winery model and the discography of Frank Ocean.

You can purchase Andy’s wine online at www.streginald.com and www.themarigny.com

Follow Andy at @streginald and this podcast at @bytheglasspodcast

Felipe Monteiro teaches Global Strategy at INSEAD, Europe’s top MBA program. Professor Monteiro also serves as both Academic Director of the Global Talent Competitiveness Index and Director of the Programa de Gestao Avancada, which advises Brazilian CEOs, business owners, and top executives. 

Professor Monteiro is an avid wine collector and has researched globalization in the wine industry. In 2020, he wrote a case study about Quinta do Vallado and the international market for Douro Valley wines. For this episode, Chris and Felipe chat about the research that goes into writing a good case study for business school, the difference and convergence of new world and old world wine, the formation of the “Douro Boys” consortium, innovations in brand strategy, Brazil’s emerging sparkling wine production, the preponderance of unicorn tech startups in Brazil, as well as the intrinsic relationship between wine and travel.

Brandon Kerne pivoted at the start of the pandemic from steakhouse sommelier to e-commerce. During his tenure at Pappas Steakhouse, Brandon sat for the notoriously difficult Master Sommelier exam and now runs a boutique wine concierge service called Wines By BK. This week, Brandon discusses his approach to deductive tasting, his ringer for Cali Pinot (warm vintage Etna Rosso), and his favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman film.

To learn more about the virtual blind tastings that Brandon leads every Thursday, visit www.winesbybk.com  

Diego Roig & Shaunt Oungoulian run Les Lunes and Populis, two Orinda-based wineries that focus on organically farming old vines in California. Over the summer, they created a BIPOC and LGBTQIA mentorship program, which aims to create a more inclusive and diverse wine industry. Shaunt & Diego chat with Chris about positivity in natural wine, as well as the California wildfires, the evolving identity of their two brands, the importance of biodiversity in old Mendocino vineyards, and the education they received at wineries like Maison Valette in Burgundy and Domaine Léon Barral in Faugères. 

Christopher Huang is the founder and owner of Ninja Ramen, a ramen shop that specializes in Japanese and Taiwanese whiskey. Christopher chats with Chris about late-night guests, TABC quandaries,  bathroom signs, Hanoi vs Saigon-style pho, whiskey dilution, tonkotsu broth-hacks, and the secret to a good Asian perm. Christopher also goes on the record for the first time about his new bar, which will open later this year. 

Chris catches up with General Manager & Italophile Adele Corrigan to hear how 13 Celsius Wine Bar has weathered the COVID19 economic crisis. Along the way, they discuss Frank Cornelissen, Verdicchio, as well as the importance of both mortadella sandwiches and puzzles. 

Founded in 2006, 13 Celsius is one of Houston's most acclaimed wine bars. Adele Corrigan has worked at 13C for eleven years and has been tasked with overseeing the pandemic-induced shift from bar to retail shop. Adele can be found on instagram posting photos of her two cats and magnums of Riesling at @adeledrinkswine.

Levi Lemaster is an architectural designer for hospitality clients in Houston. He has helped design beloved spaces like Nancy's Hustle, Better Luck Tomorrow, and Penny Quarter (now Tongue-Cut Sparrow). Levi and Chris contextualize the Houston dining experience through history, architecture, and aesthetics. Levi talks about the changing scene in Montrose, the rare occasion for instant coffee, the perfect road-trip aperitivo, the pitfalls of the East River development, his top five destinations in Houston, and the How Long Gone tour. 

This week, Chris discusses with designer & illustrator Matt Tabor the history of restaurant and bar branding within the Montrose neighborhood as well as the challenge translating the core values of a restaurant into a visual identity that resonates with guests. 

Matt Tabor is the founder and art-director of Letterset, Houston's premier design house for the Food & Beverage industry. Matt supported himself through University of Houston by working as a barista at Paulie's Restaurant in Montrose. Through the Houston coffee network, Matt began designing menus for nearby spots such as Blacksmith, Anvil, and later Underbelly. Since those early years, Matt has become the go-to designer for Houston restauranteurs. With over a decade of experience developing menus and touchpoints, Matt has an artistic appreciation for the way in which people engage with beverages. His personal work can be found on Instagram.

An extra big thank you goes out to Letterset for designing the logo for this podcast!

Patrick Olds is the wine director for McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality, the group behind some of Austin’s best restaurants — Jeffrey’s, June’s All Day, Clark’s, Perlas, Josephine House, and more. 

In this episode, Patrick discusses opening Hotel Saint Vincent, MMHL’s first foray into New Orleans. He and Chris discuss favorite Pinot Noir bottlings from Sonoma, St Vincent's concert at Hotel Saint Vincent, Italian-focused wine lists, the parallels between Austin and NOLA, the best brands of vegan cheese, and Patrick’s wine aspirations for his hometown: St. Louis.

This week, Chris talks to Lyle Railsback about the intersection of couture and wine. Lyle is the National Portfolio Manager for Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, one of the most venerable importers of French and Italian wine. He's also one of the most well dressed guys in the wine biz. Through his travel throughout Europe, Lyle has developed meaningful relationships to tailors and winemakers. Amidst their talk of Sbagliatos and Côte-Rôtie, Chris and Lyle hash out their sartorial taste.

What are the differences in British and Italian menswear? How can clothiers and vignerons survive industrialized homogenization? Is there a connection between sprezzatura and natural wine? Where does one find the perfect flannel? All these questions and more are answered this week on By The Glass.

Chengyi Lin teaches strategy and digital transformation at INSEAD, Europe’s top-ranked MBA program. Before moving to France, Chengyi earned his PhD from Northwestern University and consulted for Bain & Co.

Chengyi spoke with Chris about his academic career in biomedical engineering, whether an MBA is worth it, the utilization of AI in the private sector, technological innovation at sweetgreen, supply chain challenges, NFTs, and sustainability.

To learn more about Chengyi’s research on Digital Strategy, you can find him on LinkedIn.

Follow Chris on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/braisedthoughts/ 

Adrienne Ash and Cooper Anderson are winemakers at The Austin Winery. Cooper co-founded the winery seven years ago, and Adrienne also makes amphorae-matured wine under her own label, Ash Wines. They speak with Chris about learning from mistakes, deciding whether to can or bottle certain cuvées, fermenting in concrete, and championing Texas grape growers. 

Learn more about Cooper's personal wine label -- LØNG LIVE -- by following him on Instagram at @Long_Live_Wines.

Adrienne's traditional method sangiovese-picpoul sparkling rosé can be purchased on The Austin Winery's website. 

The tariffs on European wine went into effect back in October 2019 and created problems for importers, distributors, and sommeliers. Even once the tariffs were suspended in March of 2021, the wine industry is still dealing with their consequences. In this triple-decker episode, Chris chats with different wine professionals about the way their businesses handled this transatlantic clusterfuck.

First, Chris speaks with importer Pierre Gastaldello of Bobo Selections about the vulnerability of natural wine in this moment. Then, Chris gets the perspective of a mid-sized distributor by talking to Britania Perez of Victory Wine Group. Finally, Steven McDonald of Pappas Steakhouse discusses how the tariff-pandemmy combo changed the way he builds his BTG program and Burgundy verticals.

If you wanna listen to this episode in medias res, below are the time-stamps for each guest:

01:20 Pierre Gastaldello 

33:15 Britania Perez

56:08 Steven McDonald

Marc Hochar is the third generation of Chateau Musar, Lebanon’s premier winery. Founded in 1930, Musar is a story of perseverance: making wine every year of the Civil War except 1976 and 1984, despite the near constant threat of bombings. Once again, Lebanon has been thrown into turmoil; the August 4 explosion in Beirut has devastated the city, leaving over 200 dead and 300,000 homeless and creating a dangerous political vacuum. 

Marc walks Chris through Lebanon and Chateau Musar's shared history of resiliency. They also dig into the country's indigenous varieties, the aging potential of rosé and white wine, the role of volatile acidity, as well as the token wine tent at Munich's Oktoberfest.

Erin Smith Feges is the chef/owner of Feges BBQ, one of Houston’s best barbecue restaurants, with her husband, Patrick. She began her culinary career in New York at Michelin-starred restaurants like Per Se and Babbo before consulting with Williams Sonoma on bridging the gap between professional and home kitchens. She also is the co-founder of the non-profit organization I’ll Have What She’s Having, which advocates for women’s healthcare and empowerment in the hospitality industry. This episode, Chris busts out a bottle of Envínate, and Erin discusses pandemic parenting, sous-vide cooking, restroom decor, Basque Gastronomy, and workplace harassment. 

A bartender and certified sommelier, Charlie Reyes founded Audio Culture LLC, a music curation service for the hospitality industry. He served as the music director for New York restaurants such as Charlie Bird, Pasquale Jones, and Legacy Records. Charlie and Chris discuss the role of hip hop music in dining rooms as well as the importance of authenticity and respect. Along the way, Charlie explains the difference between Logic's albums and mixtapes, the versatility of Jay Z, his love for Zalto glassware, the famous Pasquale Jones clam pizza, the pitfalls of streaming algorithms, and the ideal BPM for brunch service.

Sommeliers around the world love to pair food with Riesling. In this two-part episode, Chris sits down with various wine professionals in Houston to discuss different styles of Riesling. In the first half, Chris chats with Andres Blanco and Dale Ellington about their experiences serving both dry and sweet Riesling in their respective restaurants.

Andres Blanco passed the Advanced Sommelier exam in 2019 and won the TexSom competition for Best Sommelier in Texas in 2017. Born in Mexico, Andres spent years working for James Beard Award-winner Chef Hugo Ortega at the coastal Mexican restaurant Caracol. Dale Ellington has poured wine at Houston's top two Japanese restaurants -- after tending bar at Uchi, he oversaw the wine program for sushi mecca Kata Robata. Chris, Andres, and Dale discuss getting guests out of their comfort zones, upending people's expectations with dry Riesling, and pairing oysters and unagi with wine.

Wines tasted during this episode:

• 2017 Josef Spreitzer Oestricher Doosberg Alte Reben Trocken
• 2019 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Kabinett
• 2019 J.J. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese

Thanks to our sponsor for today's episode, Wines of Germany. To learn more about German wine, visit www.germanwineusa.com.

Jurgen Gouws makes minimal-intervention wine in the Swartland under the Intellego Wines label. For BTG's first ever South Africa episode, Chris chats with Jurgen about the country's drought several years ago, the 2021 harvest, the collaborative spirit of Swartland, his PetNat experiment, the movement away from over extracted Pinotage, his approach to skin-contact Chenin Blanc, his love for Normandy Cider, South African grilled meat, natural winemaking, and the importance in drinking wines from around the world.

By The Glass has teamed up with Wines of Germany for wine education. For these commissioned episodes, Chris will be interviewing winemakers and importers to better understand the past, present, and future of German wine. For this first episode, Chris meets up with Lance Zierlein to go over the basics of German wine. 

Lance Zierlein is a sports commentator and NFL draft analyst based in Houston. He and Chris discuss the history of German viticulture, the best way to understand a German wine label, as well as the major grapes and regions within the country. 

To learn more about Wines of Germany, visit www.germanwineusa.com. 

Last week, Christian Varas waxed nostalgic on his time working at NYC's Windows on the World before moving to Anguilla, where he smuggled in jamón for his panini shop and poured Domaine Ott rosewater by the jero. For part two, Christian pops a bottle of Osoyoos Larose and talks about the eccentricities of managing a country club wine program, his foray into Chilean wine tourism, and the oenological potential of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. 

In the first half of this two-part focus on natural winemaking in Germany, Jochen Beurer spoke about about the Trollinger, Lemberger, and Riesling he’s making in Württemberg by maintaining biodiversity in the vineyard. In this episode, Chris speaks with Jenna Fields, the founder of The German Wine Collection, about minimal intervention from the perspective of an importer. Jenna brings to the USA classic producers from regions as diverse as Ahr and Franken. Jenna’s portfolio includes venerable estates such as J.J. Prüm as well as more modern producers such as Rebholz and Schäfer-Frölich. Jenna and Chris discuss the aesthetics of German wine as well as the way education and consumption has changed with a younger generation of winemaker and consumer.

To learn more about The German Wine Collection, visit https://thegwc.com

To find out more about By The Glass' partnership with Wines of Germany, visit www.germanwineusa.com

Vadim Grigoryan is an art aficionado and brand strategist in the spirits industry. As Pernod Ricard's Global Marketing Director of Creativity and Luxury, Vadim oversaw Absolut Vodka's strategic artistic collaborations, managed the repositioning of Chivas Royal Salute Scotch, and launched the tequila brand Olmeca across Europe.  His consulting clients include Hugo Boss, Art Basel, and LUNU -- a cryptocurrency platform that partners with luxury retailers.

In his talk with Chris, Vadim discusses the artistic merit of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, the British Monarchy, David Guetta, as well as the quinquennial Documenta festival in Kassel versus the annual Art Basel. He also explains the philosophy behind a thousand-dollar bottle of scotch, the role of the metaverse in art and alcohol, the beauty of calvados, the broken frameworks behind most marketing campaigns, and the universality of luxury. 

Learn more about Vadim's approach to brand strategy in this Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelliekarabell/2017/07/30/6-things-art-can-teach-you-about-brands-marketing-that-you-wont-learn-in-business-school/ 

Read the case study about his repositioning of Ararat Brandy here:

https://publishing.insead.edu/case/ararat-brandy-transforming-a-legend-a-modern-icon 

Follow his creative consulting practice here:

https://spiritandspirit.com 

Chris Kelly is the co-founder of Vintel, an Austin-based design company that focuses on low-intervention wines. Chris has created wine labels and consulted on packaging for some of the most exciting wineries and importers. The two Chrises hash out the aesthetics of natural wine as well as the art of consumer branding. Chris K talks to Chris P about collaborating with Chad Stock in Oregon, running the wine program at Lenoir, eschewing the stolid imagery of monastic Burgundy, connecting with a new generation of consumer, and pairing natch wine with the music of Sturgill Simpson.

Follow Chris Kelly on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/___crk___/?hl=en

Follow Vintel on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/vintelwine/?hl=en 

Follow Chris Poldoian on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/braisedthoughts/?hl=en

Birk O’Halloran is the founder of Iconic Wine and Rockwell Vermouth. He started Iconic Wine in 2011 while running a NY-based distributor that supported the New California wine movement. Recently, he created Rockwell: a project focused producing classic vermouth with American ingredients. For this episode of BTG, Birk chatted with Chris about foraging for Artemisia Californica, getting inspired by Dan Petroski, and navigating wine score submissions for Iconic Wines.

Chefs Robert Compagnon and Jessica Yang met while working at Guy Savoy in Paris. Together, they moved to New York and eventually back to Paris to open Le Rigmarole, a binchotan-fired restaurant inspired by Robert's time living in Japan, Jessica's Taiwanese heritage, and their shared expertise in French cooking. Later, they opened Folderol, an ice cream parlor that also happens to have an amazing wine list. 

In the last BTG ep of 2021, Chris chats with Robert and Jessica about the difference between fresh produce in NYC and Paris, the elusive texture of melon sorbet, the sustainable and democratic sourcing of seafood, the balance between omakase and a la carte menus, and the French name for the oyster of the chicken.

Follow Folderol at https://www.instagram.com/f.o.l.d.e.r.o.l/ 

Follow Le Rigmarole at https://www.instagram.com/lerigmarole/ 

We've made it one year, gang! To celebrate the BTG Poddiversary, Chris checks in with Adele Corrigan of 13 Celsius wine bar and Ricky Taylor of Alta Marfa winery. Both Adele and Ricky fill us in about the turbulence of the past twelve months. It's a double-guest episode for you double-vaxxed listeners out there. Cheers!

In the second half of this deep dive into the role of Riesling on a restaurant wine list, Chris speaks to Julie Dalton of Mastro's Steakhouse about pairing the wines of Germany with everything beefy: from dry-aged new york strips to marbled ribeyes to steak tartare. Julie also breaks down the complex concept of dry extract and recounts the time she convinced a couple of German winemakers to buy Lucchese cowboy boots.

Julie is a Master Sommelier candidate with a master's degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. Before moving to Houston as the head sommelier for the crown jewel of the Landry's Restaurant Group, Julie helped Raj Parr and Michael Mina open Wit & Wisdom, the restaurant inside the Four Seasons in Baltimore. She also worked for Terry Thiese, and her time on the import side informed the way she tells the story of German wine. 

Wines tasted during this episode:

• 2017 Josef Spreitzer Oestricher Doosberg Alte Reben Trocken
• 2019 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Kabinett
• 2019 J.J. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese

Thanks to our sponsor for today's episode, Wines of Germany. To learn more about German wine, visit www.germanwineusa.com.

Kristen Sandvig worked for a boutique wine importer before starting a luxury travel consultancy called Lionhound Travel. At the start of the pandemic, she created virtual wine tasting series called “Talk Taste Travel” that has featured destinations like Piedmont, Montevideo, and Central Otago. On today’s episode, Chris chats with Kristen to discuss the intersection of food, wine, and travel as well as her thoughts on vacationing in the midst of a pandemic. 

Rania Zayyat created the non-profit organization Wonder Women of Wine (WWOW) to advocate for gender equality in the beverage industry. In March of 2019, WWOW hosted its first conference, which featured panel discussions with winemakers, importers, and writers as well as a comprehensive wine tasting. Since then, WWOW has hosted empowerment workshops and created scholarship opportunities. Chris called Rania to learn how her experience working in restaurants and sitting for the Master Sommelier exam led to her decision to start WWOW. With the 2020 conference postponed due to COVID-19, WWOW has launched A.L.L.I.E.S., a partnership to amplify the voices of black women wine professionals. 

Rania is an Advanced Sommelier, wine educator, and gender equality advocate in the wine industry. In addition to serving as WWOW founder and Board President, Rania also co-owns Vintel, a natural wine consulting agency, and is the Wine Director at Bufalina in East Austin. 

How is sake made? What is koji? When is sake meant to be consumed? What's the difference between Junmai and Honjozo? Matt Taylor is the beverage trainer for Uchi, a sophisticated Japanese restaurant in Houston. In this week's bonus episode, Matt explains how short-grain rice gets harvested and eventually fermented into the product we know as sake.

In last week's episode, we spoke with Monica Samuels of Vine Connections about the logistics of importing sake as well as the past, present, and future of US sake consumption. This bonus episode helps contextualize that conversation and educate newcomers on basic categories and production techniques. 

Rachel Delrocco Terrazas is a freelance wine, spirits, and travel writer. She currently serves as managing editor for The Vintner Project, a collaborative media outlet featuring beverage writers with diverse backgrounds sharing their expertise in an approachable way. Previously, she served as Associate Editor for Wine & Spirits Magazine, where she oversaw the tasting department, led the spirits writing, and served as a critic for the wines from Mexico, Spain and South Africa. 

She and Chris linked up before the election to discuss Canadian whiskey and citizenship. Rachel walks Chris through her transition from bartending to writing and outlines what she sees as the future of media, both in print and digital.

To learn more about Rachel's work, check out her website.

Gio LoGrasso is the General Manager of Uchi, a Japanese restaurant in Houston, Texas. After regaining electricity last week, Gio met with Chris to discuss the winter storm’s impact on his restaurant and his home. They discuss winterizing a dining room, dealing with other weather-related crises like hurricanes and floods, and finding a work/life balance in the hectic world of hospitality.

Mick Craven is a brash Aussie making vineyard-designated wine under his eponymous label to showcase the potential of old vines in Stellenbosch. He met his wife while working harvest in Sonoma, and they proceeded to travel from Domaine Dujac to Syria to South America to the Golan Heights before settling down in coastal South Africa. In this episode, Mick drinks a lot of beer and talks to Chris about skin-fermenting Pinot Gris and Clairette Blanche, contextualizing South African winemaking, and comparing braai to barbecue.

Sherry is one of the most misunderstood styles of wine. This week, Jaime Gil of Valdespino explains how Sherry is made and why the world should care about it. Along the way, Chris & Jaime discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Andalusia, the tapas bars of Jerez, and the success of En Rama bottlings in the export market.

Jaime Gil is the export manager for Grupo Estévez, the parent company of Valdespino, one of the most prestigious wineries in the Sherry Triangle. Valdespino's prized vineyard, Macharnudo Alto, has belonged to the Bodega since the 13th century and is the source of the winery's signature wines: Fino Inocente and Amontillado Tío Diego. Valdespino is relentlessly traditional, fermenting base wine in cask and fortifying with palomino grape distillate. 

Jaime also oversees Bodegas Hijos de Rainera Pérez Marín, which produces La Guita Manzanilla in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Jaime and Chris first met during harvest in Jerez in 2016 and have collaborated for various sherry events. 

Emily Tolbert moved to Houston to pursue a career in medicine at MD Anderson before pivoting into wine. She currently runs the wine program for Savoir, a neighborhood restaurant in Houston’s Heights neighborhood. For BTG’s final episode of 2020, Emily walks Chris through her NYE restaurant traditions (inventory and champagne), her tour of New Zealand wine country, and the chemistry of grape fermentation.

Eric Sandler is the Food Editor for CultureMap Houston and hosts a podcast called "What's Eric Eating" that reports on the Houston-area restaurant scene. This week, Eric walks Chris through his past ten months of restaurant reporting. Along the way, he talks about his favorite new restaurant to open in 2020, the challenges of executing a to-go menu, his safety precautions when eating out, and the future of fine dining post-pandemic.

Álvaro de la Viña started his Spanish natural wine import company in 2013. For today’s Texas Txotx-themed episode, Álvaro discusses the regional differences in Txakolina production, the challenges securing organic certification in Getaria, Selections de la Viña’s foray into South America, and his love of conservas.

Álvaro's wine and conservas can be purchased through Light Years in Houston and Lolo in Austin. Wines featured in today's episode include Jon Goenaga G 1200 from Getariako Txakolina and Ulibarri Artzaiak from Bizkaiko Txakolina. 

To learn more about conservas, read the New York Times feature on Álvaro's  Conservas Braseadas Güeyuma. Also check out episode 27 of this podcast, when we spoke with seafood company Jose Gourmet and importer A Priori Foods...

David Schroeder serves as a Brewery Ambassador for Guinness and is responsible for the brewery’s most innovative beer education. This week, he and Chris discuss their mutual love for cinema, the methodology of effective beverage training, and the gradual recontextualization of Guinness for American consumers. Along the way, they hash out the proliferation of hard seltzers, Ari Aster’s filmography, cheese categorization, and draught beer maintenance during COVID-19. 

David can be found on Instagram at gettothewell.

Find Chris on Instagram at braisedthoughts

For new episodes, follow bytheglasspodcast

Christian Pillsbury is the proprietor of Eden Rift Vineyards, a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir house in California's Cienega Valley. After studying at INSEAD, Europe's top-ranked business school, he served as Global Wine Director for Duty-Free and Director of APAC for Coravin.

In today's episode, Christian tells Chris about who actually buys wine at the airport, what perks come with being Bordeaux's biggest buyer, how both Big Napa Cab and Natty Wine jumped the shark, when Hong Kong became the global capital of wine, where an MBA can take you, and why Burgundian varieties thrive in the central coast of California.

Learn more about Eden Rift Vineyards by visiting their website: https://edenrift.com

Follow Eden Rift on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/eden.rift/ 

Follow Chris on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/braisedthoughts/

Follow BTG on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/bytheglasspodcast/

Matteo Parenti is the Director of Growth at Blue Horizon — a Zürich-based VC firm that invests in plant-based and lab-grown foods. Blue Horizon was one of the first companies to invest in Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, and their portfolio includes mycelium steaks, plant-based seafood, lab-grown breast milk, and more. Matteo worked in investment banking for Rothschild & Co in New York City and got his MBA at INSEAD in France before moving to Switzerland. 

In today’s episode, Matteo talks to Chris about biomass fermentation, Zürich’s bathhouses, using CRISPR to save bananas from extinction, upcycling food waste, the celebratory culture of meat, his grandmother’s meatloaf recipe, the difference between McDonald's in Switzerland and in New York, the trademark implications of making vegan cheese in specific styles, the branding and pricing strategy of meat alternatives, the location of these products in the grocery store, the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the food supply chain, and the most common pitfall when making a Negroni.

Learn more about Blue Horizon's approach to impact investing at their website.

Sisters Meike & Dörte Näkel are fifth-generation winemakers in Ahr, Germany’s northernmost region for red wine production. Their winery, Meyer-Näkel, is the regional benchmark for Pinot Noir, known as Spätburgunder in Germany. After taking the reins over a decade ago, Meike & Dörte have emphasized sustainability in their farming practices. They discuss with Chris what it means to inherit a venerable wine estate as well as Ahr's unique viticultural challenges.

The wines of Meyer-Näkel are imported to the USA by The German Wine Collection, and this episode of By The Glass was produced in partnership with Wines of Germany.

What's the role of bread in modern American dining? Is it a complimentary appetizer or a deceptively complex artform? A successful bread-baker must understand the intricacies of fermentation, and Drew Gimma is a master of flour and yeast.⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣ A prodigious beer drinker and bread baker, Drew is the co-chef of Squable, one of Houston's hottest new restaurants. Previously, he worked in New York City baking bread for the three-Michelin starred Per Se and moved to Houston to open the neighborhood bakery Common Bond.⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣ In this episode, Drew demystifies the role of water in bread baking as well as the financial impact of an in-house bread program. Along the way, he gives advice for quarantined home bakers and describes his favorite style of beer.⁣

This week, Chris talks with six different hospitality workers about their respective businesses' plans for the upcoming holiday.

Up first is Michelle Wallace of Gatlin's BBQ to talk about this year's influx of catering orders, her pivot to breakfast (brisket tacos!), and gumbo. To discuss Christmas Eve dinner, Chris hits up Marcus Gausepohl -- the wine director of Brennan's of Houston -- to learn about the restaurant's time-honored family meal tradition. Tommy Ho of Anvil Bar & Refuge explains the origin story of the bar's intricate Christmas decorations as well as the secret to making good eggnog. 

For Christmas Day activities, Chris first calls up Greenway Coffee co-founder David Buehrer, who is slinging white truffle biscuits, tenderloin sandos, and flat whites at Blacksmith Coffee in Montrose. Last but not least, Houston legend DJ Sun explains the annual James Brown-themed Christmas party that he hosts at his bar: The Flat. 

Below are the hours of operation for each establishment featured in this article of each event:

Christmas Eve:

• Gatlin's BBQ: 7AM-4PM 
• Brennan's of Houston: 11-2 & 5-8:30
• Anvil Bar & Refuge: 4PM-2AM

Christmas Day:

• Blacksmith: 8AM-2PM
• The Flat: 8PM-2AM

Winemaker Andreas Hütwohl is the Deputy General Manager and Export Director of Von Winning in one of Germany's most diverse regions, Pfalz. Joining the winery in 2010, Andreas has helped the 300-year-old estate of Dr. Deinhard rebrand to Von Winning, which is heralded for its Burgundian approach to Grosses Gewächs Riesling. Andreas and Chris discuss how the next generation of German wine professionals is redefining the Pfalz through innovations in farming, fermenting, and marketing. 

The wines of Von Winning are imported to the USA by Skurnik, and this episode of By The Glass was produced in partnership with Wines of Germany.

Valerie Trasatti worked as a pastry chef for nearly a decade in Houston and Las Vegas at hotels and restaurants. She now works as a private chef and culinary consultant. Drew Gimma has spent his career baking bread, most notably at Per Se in New York City. After opening Common Bond, BLT, and Squable in Houston, he took on the Director of Operations Role at Breadman Baking Company, the city's top bread wholesaler.

Valerie and Drew give Chris a full report on what's been going on in Houston since he moved to France. They discuss regressive politics of the Texas State Legislature, rising cases of the delta variant, vaccine-mandates in hospitality establishments, as well as the labor shortage in restaurants.

If you're looking to support the fight against SB8, below are a couple of organizations worth supporting:

I'll Have What She's Having

Lilith Fund

Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast

Djordje Bikicki makes minimal-intervention wine in Serbia's northern wine region of Fruška Gora. In this week's episode, Djordje and his importer, Grant Richardson of Pangea Selections discuss the natural wine movement of Serbia and Central Europe. Along the way, Grant and Djordje walk Chris through Serbia's geopolitical history, the food pairing potential of skin-macerated (i.e. orange) wine, and the underappreciated clairet-style of rosé.

Jasper Smith is the founder of Son of Man and makes Sagardo-style cider in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge. For this episode, Jasper discusses applying Basque cidermaking techniques to the heirloom apple varieties he sources from the orchards around Mt Hood. He also discusses spontaneous fermentation, Gipuzkoa mythology, the beer-wine binary, his love for Loire Valley Pineau d'Aunis, his culinary career, and favorite cider pairings.

Visit Son of Man's website to sign up for their “Club Sagardo” DTC service or to learn where the tall boys of cider are available in your local market. 

Stephen Bitterolf is the founder of Vom Boden, one of the top importers of German wine in the USA. The company began as a curated selection of Mosel bottlings but now is synonymous with minimal intervention wine from lesser-known regions like Baden, Franken, and the Obermosel.

Stephen talks with Chris about planning Vom Boden's summer camp, organizing Rieslingfrier, supporting the Ahr wine region after the July flooding, finding beauty in asymmetry, pairing Riesling with pizza, defining Sylvaner for American consumers, exploring Saale-Unstrut, championing varieties like Portugieser and Elbling, reevaluating the trajectory of German winemaking, and never losing sight of the big picture.

For information about Vom Boden's efforts to support the Ahr wine region, follow the link below.

https://www.vomboden.com/help-the-flood-ravaged-ahr-valley/

Wines Tasted in Today's Episode:

• Hild Trocken Elbling  
• Julian Haart 1000L Riesling  
• Keller Limestone Kabinett Riesling 
• Stefan Vetter Steinterrassen 'Schale, Stiel und Stengel' Sylvaner 
• Enderle & Moll Liaison Spätburgunder

Today's episode was made in partnership with Wines of Germany. Learn more about German Wine by visiting their website or Instagram account.

David Neilson runs the popular Back In Alsace website and Instagram page. When David moved from Edinburgh to Strasbourg, he fell in love with the natural wines of Alsace. In addition to wine writing, David helps manage Raisin, the preeminent natural wine app. In today's episode, David and Chris open a bottle of Eric Kamm's 2020 Fusion Riesling to discuss the most exciting parts of Alsatian wine culture. They also talk about the restaurant scene in Biarritz, Copenhagen siphoning the rest of the world's Jura allocations, the popularity of skin-fermented white wines, the dichotomy between cremant d'Alsace and pet-nat, the recent rollout of the "vin méthode nature" designation, generational shifts at heritage wineries, and the role of wine fairs in a pandemic.

Lisbon-based Jose Gourmet is one of the most recognizable brands in the conservas market, thanks to the company’s artisanal production, commitment to sustainable fishing, as well as Luís Mendonça’s artistic packaging.

Premium Iberian canned seafood has grown in popularity over the past decade, and sales have skyrocketed during the pandemic. Jose Gourmet Sales Director Vasco Motta discusses the past, present, and future of the brand, while Matt Caputo, CEO of US distributor A Priori Foods, discusses the regional differences and cellaring potential for conservas.

First-generation Chilean-American Christian Varas grew up in Queens, NY. He went to film school to become a director and ended up working at Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World, located in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Eventually Christian moved to the Caribbean island of Anguilla, where he managed the wine program for the luxury resort Cap Juluca. In this first half of their two-part conversation, Christian discusses the legacy of Kevin Zraly's approach to wine education, the impact of 9/11 on his restaurant career, the perfect panini, and the logistics of importing wine and charcuterie to Anguilla.  

Running a sustainable winery means more than thoughtful viticultural practices. This week, Pete Stolpman and Ruben Solorzano of Stolpman Vineyards walk Chris through their Syrah bottlings from Ballard Canyon in Santa Barbara County as well as their approach to hiring. Pete talks about labor practices from the standpoint of a managing partner, while Ruben explains how his vineyard team handles high density planting and dry farming.

Ruben Solorzano worked his way up from harvester to the role of vineyard manager, overseeing the year-round crew while managing the Cuadrilla Project, a cuvée made specifically by the vineyard workers, who receive the wine's profits. 

Stolpman Vineyards was founded over twenty years ago and is now one of the top producers of Rhône varieties in California. Recently, they planted Trousseau and Chenin Blanc for their collaborative project, Combe, with Rajat Parr. For more information about Stolpman's commitment to conscious farming and hiring, check out their website.  

Kerith Overstreet is the winemaker and proprietor of Bruliam Wines in California. She sources Pinot Noir from Petaluma Gap, Santa Lucia Highlands and Russian River Valley. Prior to pursuing a wine career, Kerith completed residency and fellowships in pathology — her father said she had to graduate med school before making wine.

In this episode, Kerith discusses winning gold in the Houston Rodeo Wine Competition, maintaining relationships with growers in sought-after vineyards, producing elegant Zinfandel, developing meaningful relationships with wine buyers across the country, and self-medicating with Russ & Daughters smoked fish.

Michelle Wallace is the Executive Chef of Gatlin’s BBQ in Houston, TX. With a background in French cooking and high-end catering, Michelle has helped expand Gatlin’s beyond brisket and ribs. She also is obsessed with creating the perfect sandwich. As they drink a bottle of Donkey & Goat Isabel's Cuvée rosé, Michelle tells Chris about her love for bologna, the role of gender in the world of barbecue, and her favorite wine pairing. Michelle is also a big believer in giving back to the community and talks about the importance of supporting black-owned businesses and empowering young women. 

Michelle grew up in St. Louis and has worked for Gatlin’s BBQ since 2016. She and Chris worked together at Houston's Restaurant and have collaborated on various barbecue & wine tastings. She can be found on Instagram at @betweentheslices, and pickup orders for Gatlin's BBQ can be placed on their website.

Sake is one of the world’s most versatile beverages. So why do most people only drink it with sushi? Monica Samuels is one of our country’s most passionate sake educators and has helped build US demand for sake through her leadership at Vine Connections. This week, she and Chris talk about the logistics of importing, the basics in umami pairing, as well as the friction between innovation and tradition in brewing.

Monica serves as Director of Sake & Spirits for Vine Connections, which has been importing sake since 2001. Born in LA to a Japanese mother and an American father, Monica grew up around sake and eventually became one of our country’s leading experts on the beverage. Previously, Monica served as the sake sommelier and corporate buyer for the restaurant group SUSHISAMBA as well as the Sake Brand Ambassador for Southern Wines & Spirits. Monica annually judges for the US National Sake Appraisal and helped develop the coursework for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Sake Award Sake and has lectured on sake for the Culinary Institute of America’s academic program. 

David Lebovitz worked as a pastry chef and line cook before becoming one of the world’s most celebrated cookbook authors and food bloggers. His most recent book, Drinking French, was released in March of 2020 and covers the culture surrounding France’s most iconic beverages. David and Chris discuss adapting a book tour in the midst of the pandemic, researching vintage chartreuse bottles, recipe-testing cocktails before noon, launching a Substack newsletter, getting lit at the James Beard awards, working at Chez Panisse, and navigating the changing world of food writing.

https://www.instagram.com/davidlebovitz/ 

https://www.instagram.com/braisedthoughts/ 

Rachel rejoins Chris to discuss the sexual harassment scandal recently exposed by The New York Times.

To read the NYT article: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/dining/drinks/court-of-master-sommeliers-sexual-harassment-wine.html 

To read Rachel's recent article about the Bâtonnage Forum's mentorship program:

https://vintnerproject.com/changemakers/finding-mentorship-in-a-virtual-age/

Laura Rhys serves as development manager for Gusbourne, one of England's top sparkling wine houses. Before joining the Kent-based winery in 2015, Laura managed the wine program at the Michelin-starred London restaurant La Trompette. Laura earned the UK Sommelier of the Year title in 2009 and passed Europe's Master Sommelier exam in 2010. 

In this week's episode, Laura and Chris talk about the past, present, and future of English Fizz, as well as the differences between pandemic lockdowns in London and Houston. 

Gusbourne is imported to the United States by Broadbent Selections. For more information about English sparkling wine, visit https://www.winegb.co.uk 

Chris Nguyen is a design director with Judson Designs and moonlights as an interior consultant. His work has been featured in Architectural Digest Mexico, HGTV, and Apartment Therapy. An avid car collector and whiskey drinker, Chris also co-hosts the automotive podcast New For ’96!

Chris & Chris discuss Japanese craftsmanship at both the Yamazaki distillery and Toyota factory, the rise and fall of community tables in restaurants, the democratization of car auctions, the timelessness of Eames furniture, the inescapability of mid-century modern, and of course Virgil Abloh’s missed opportunity with Mercedes-Benz. 

Follow Chris Nguyen at www.analogdialog.com or on Instagram.

Will the Hospitality Industry survive 2020? Bobby Stuckey is in this race for the long haul. In March, he helped create the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) to fight for the 11 million independent restaurant employees in the USA.

Bobby Stuckey is the co-founder of some of Colorado’s best restaurants. The former wine director for The Little Nell in Aspen and The French Laundry in Yountville, Bobby Stuckey earned his Master Sommelier pin in 2004, the same year he opened the Friuli-focused restaurant Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. In the years since, Bobby founded an Italian winery called Scarpetta as well as two restaurants in Denver’s bustling Union Station: Tavernetta and Sunday Vinyl. When Bobby’s not running service at his restaurants, he’s running sub-three hour marathons. He and Chris discuss training for virtual races, logging 100 miles in one week, and lobbying Congress on behalf of the IRC.

Visit www.saverestaurants.com to learn more about the IRC, and follow Bobby on Instagram @bobbystuckeyms. 

Itziar Insausti is the winemaker of Doniene Gorrondona, one of the wineries responsible for reviving txakolina production near Bilbao through the creation of the Bizkaiko Txakolina DO in 1994. Itziar works with 100+ year-old vines of indigenous Basque grapes like Hondarrabi Zuri, Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia, and Hondarrabi Beltza. For this episode, Itziar walks Chris through the regional differences in the three Txakolina DOs, the challenges farming organically in such a humid climate, as well as her experimentations bottling without sulfur and aging red txakoli.  

This episode was made in coordination with Texas Txotx, a state-wide celebration of Basque Cider and Wine. The next few episodes will focus on these unique beverages. Visit www.texastxotx.com to learn more!

Nick Wong is the Chef de Cuisine of UB Preserv, one of Houston's most celebrated restaurants. Before moving to Houston in 2018, Nick worked in NYC and SF at restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, and Incanto. For his BTG convo, Nick talks about staffing a kitchen amidst capacity reductions, adding rice cakes to his Szechuan-style crawfish boils, sourcing local produce after February's winter storm, exploring EDM TikTok, supporting Chinatown, and navigating Asian-American stereotypes in a kitchen. 

To learn more about the organizations Nick references in the episode, use the links below:

Chow Down in Chinatown

https://www.facebook.com/groups/chowdownhouston/ 

https://www.instagram.com/chowdownhtx/ 

Food is Love HTX

https://burgerchanhtx.com/food-is-love

https://www.instagram.com/foodislovehtx/ 

Pepe Raventós and his family have been making wine in Penedès for 21 generations. In today's episode, Pepe walks Chris through the family's decision to leave the Cava D.O. in 2012, the Mediterranean climate of coastal Catalunya, his years living as an ex-pat here in the states, the influence of Didier Dagueneau, Emmanuel & Anne Houillon, and Frank Cornelissen on his approach to winemaking, the importance of supporting small farmers and preserving old vines of Xarel·lo, Sumoll, and Montònega. 

On March 27th, host Chris Poldoian phoned wine writer Jeremy Parzen to discuss the impact of COVID19 on Northern Italy's wine region and the past, present, and future of Italian sparkling wine. 

A former rock musician and songwriter, Jeremy Parzen is Houston's preeminent Italian wine scholar. After obtaining his PhD in Italian Literature at UCLA in 1997, Jeremy moved to New York and began editing and writing for La Cucina Italiana. In 2007, he founded his blog Do Bianchi, which offers a historical perspective to Italy's rich gastronomic culture. 

Venturing into the unknown is never easy. So why did two self-taught natural wine lovers decide to plant Negroamaro and Petit Manseng in the mile-high, volcanic soils of Texas Davis Mountains AVA? This week, Chris chats with the husband-and-wife team behind Alta Marfa to learn more about Texas viticulture and self-actualization. 

Katie is an professional cook, and her husband Ricky works a Monday through Friday office job. But on the weekends, they head 500 miles west to work on their vineyard in the desolate outskirts of Fort Davis. As they wait for their vines to reach maturity, Katie & Ricky have made wine from organically farmed sourced fruit. In 2019, they released their first wine, a zero-sulphur rosé of Tempranillo made from the Robert Clay Vineyard in the Texas Hill Country. Learn more by checking out Alta Marfa's website.