By The Glass

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.

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!

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. 

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 [email protected].