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.

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.

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. 

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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 

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. 

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 

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

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!

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.

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/ 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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...

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!

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/

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. 

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.

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. 

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

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.

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

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. 

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.  

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.

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 

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/ 

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.

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/

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.

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

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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  

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. 

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. 

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

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.

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.

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