By The Glass

25. Blind Tasting with Brandon Kerne

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  

24. Saving Restaurants with Bobby Stuckey

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. 

23. Wine Label Design with Chris Kelly

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
 
 

22. Germany's Next Generation, Part 2: Andreas Hütwohl of Von Winning

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.

21. Germany's Next Generation, Part 1: Meike & Dörte of Meyer-Näkel

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.

20. Minimal Intervention, Part 2: Balanced Importing with Jenna Fields

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
 

19. Minimal Intervention, Part 1: Biodynamics with Jochen Beurer

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  

18. German Wine 101 with the NFL's Lance Zierlein

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. 

17. Cooking Under Pressure with Erin Smith Feges

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. 

16. Hip Hop & Hospitality with Charlie Reyes

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.

15. David Schroeder on Guinness & Midsommar

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

14. Syrah & Sustainable Hiring with Pete Stolpman & Ruben Soloranzo

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.