🎙️ Episode 55 | 🎻 A German Banjo Player, 🎼 An Opera Singer & 🍇 The Future of Verjus | Glass Rose
Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos · Released July 17, 2026 · Santa Ynez Valley, California
About this conversation
🍇 Can a German banjo player, an American opera singer, and a vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley change the way we think about wine?
It sounds like the beginning of a movie... because it almost is.
What happens when a German banjo player, classically trained opera singer, and entrepreneur walks into a California winery?
You get one of the most unexpected conversations we've ever recorded.
Glass Rose has lived a life that's anything but ordinary. From music and performance to creating Verjus, a centuries-old ingredient that's finding new life in modern kitchens and cocktails, this episode is about curiosity, reinvention, and asking better questions.
In this episode we discuss:
• What Verjus is and why chefs love it
• The surprising history of Verjus
• Why Verjus may be the future of non-alcoholic beverages
• Growing grapes for something completely different than wine
• Music, opera, and performance
• Moving from Germany to California
• Entrepreneurship and starting over
• Why curiosity beats certainty
Whether you're a wine lover, chef, entrepreneur, musician, or simply enjoy hearing remarkable stories, there's something here for you.
From Keith’s original Valley archive
The following material is preserved from the original episode post. Existing transcript text is an archive copy and may contain transcription errors.
Episode 55 | Glass Rose - Verjus • Zero-Proof Beverages • An Unlikely Santa Ynez Valley Love Story
Sometimes the most remarkable stories begin with a single unexpected conversation.
Or, in this case, a German banjo player playing music to a vineyard and an American opera singer living in Berlin who decided to send him a message.
In Episode 55 of Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos, Keith sits down with Max Huettl and Sarah Hershkowitz, founders of Glass Rose, for one of the most entertaining and unexpected conversations ever featured on the show. Together they explore the unlikely journey that brought them to the Santa Ynez Valley, the story behind their marriage, and the creation of one of California's most innovative estate-grown zero-proof beverages.
The conversation follows Max's path from German journalist, author, and winemaker to entrepreneur, while Sarah shares her career as an internationally acclaimed opera singer before a chance encounter during the pandemic brought two completely different worlds together. Their story eventually led to the founding of Glass Rose, a company producing sparkling verjus beverages crafted from early-harvest grapes grown in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Keith, Max, and Sarah discuss what verjus is, why they chose to create a true vineyard-based alternative instead of de-alcoholized wine, the rise of mindful drinking, regenerative farming, music, entrepreneurship, hospitality, and the importance of slowing down long enough to gather around a table with family and friends.
Whether you're interested in Glass Rose, verjus, zero-proof beverages, non-alcoholic wine alternatives, Santa Ynez Valley wine, California agriculture, entrepreneurship, regenerative farming, music, hospitality, or the remarkable people who make the Santa Ynez Valley such a unique place to live, this episode tells an unforgettable story about following unexpected opportunities and building something entirely new.
This is more than a conversation about wine.
It is a story about love, creativity, community, and how the most unexpected paths often lead exactly where we're meant to be.
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Who is GlasRose
Glass Rose is a Santa Ynez Valley beverage company founded by Max Huettl and Sarah Hershkowitz that creates premium estate-grown sparkling verjus and zero-proof beverages made from grapes grown in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Rather than removing alcohol from finished wine, Glass Rose harvests grapes early to produce verjus, the naturally bright, acidic juice of unripe wine grapes, which is then blended with botanicals such as elderflower, hibiscus, blood orange, and other natural ingredients to create sophisticated non-alcoholic sparkling beverages.
Founded by a German winemaker and banjo player and an internationally acclaimed American opera singer, Glass Rose combines farming, music, hospitality, and creativity into a unique approach to alcohol-free beverages. Their products are served at destinations including the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Rosewood Miramar Beach, San Ysidro Ranch, and restaurants throughout California.
Glass Rose represents a growing movement toward mindful drinking, offering an elegant alternative for people seeking the ritual, complexity, and community of sharing a beautiful beverage without alcohol. Every bottle begins in the vineyard, making Glass Rose one of the few companies producing estate-grown sparkling verjus directly from grapes farmed in the Santa Ynez Valley.
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THE Transcript
Hey, everybody. It is 10:00 AM on a Saturday morning, and that means it's time for chopping it up on one of the last five independent radio stations in California on Crazy Country 105.9. And I am your host, Keith Sarloos, farmer, winemaker, local idiot. Uh, today , today on the back of the FCC chairman, we have equally interesting people that have done amazing things with their lives, and they're in the studio today to share what they're doing now, how they found the valley, and why they love it. Uh, please introduce yourself. My name is Max Huettl, and I am married to Oh, I'm supposed to say my name here? Yes. Yes. That's your cue. That's my- That's your cue ... that's my cue. Uh, Sarah Hershkowitz. Would you like to start over? Wait, let's try... Yeah, yeah. Okay, sorry. Wait. No, no. No, no, no. Should we just- We'll just... No, just keep going. Is there a- Welcome to- ... one right after? Welcome to live radio. Okay. This is fantastic. My name is Sarah Hershkowitz. Oh. I'm married to the guy sitting next to me. That is Max Hetzel, and we are the founders of Glass Rose. So tell us about yourselves. I mean, we can go back first or we can talk about Glass Rose first. But- Let's go back first ... I'm interested in all of it. Yeah. Yeah, let's, let's start on the- Okay, you start. Where are you from? 'Cause your accent sounds like Boston. I, I'm German. Oh. Baby, he's joking. It's a joke? That was a joke. Babe, that was irony. Oh, oh, okay. Got it. Got it. I love the fact, the fact that you have to explain irony to a German is one of my- You get it? That, by the way, that's a solid joke. Keep going. Okay. So, uh, yeah, came in the '80s to America as a writer, journalist. Uh- Really? ... wrote, ended up writing books. Ran the office for a big German magazine publisher, first in, uh, New York, then in Los Angeles, and then got disenchanted with talking to other people d- who do great things. What were you writing about? I mean, when I was in Los Angeles, mostly about, you know, celebrities and movies- Oh ... and, like, so we did a lot of productions. I actually bought the rights to Barbra Streisand's wedding and syndicated it all over the world. You know, stuff like that. Wow. You know? But, uh, it was really not- You're the TMZ of Germany. E- exactly. Uh, that, I didn't like that part any, so. But before that. Uh, but, um, I, so I eventually I kind of like, you know what? You w- you don't wanna write about other people doing things. You want to do things yourself, and I had so many... Yeah, I was played music all my life and a- and I was very much in love with wine and you know what? In this lifetime, you gotta figure out how to make wine, and you know what? There's a place very close to LA, and so, and I knew about the Santa Ynez Valley. Mm-hmm. And I came up here and, um, became the oldest cellar rat in the valley. I helped out at Cl- uh, Steve Clifton's wi- winery. Yeah. And, like, he taught me kind of the ropes a little bit, and I started a label back then, uh, uh, back then, uh, in... When was that? '17 or so. F2 Wines, right across from you. Yes. Yes. That was me. Okay. Got it. Now I got a face to a label. Perfect. Exactly. There's so much of wine on, in all honesty- Mm ... like the s- the stories are great, but putting a face to a label- Right. Right, right ... is, uh, always exciting. So then, um, 2020 came, COVID came, I, I didn't like the, the tasting room part of the wine-making- Yeah experience that much. I love grapes. I love being in a vineyard, and I love all that, but I did not really enjoy as much selling the wine. And, um, you know, and then- Somehow I got a text, a private message on Facebook from a woman in Berlin I'll jump in here. Perfect. And scene, go. Um, should I back up? No, you keep... Where were you gonna start? Okay, okay. Okay. We're in the river now. Okay. So, um, right. Okay, so I'm originally from Venice, California. I'm a third generation Angelina on my mother's side. Mm. And I had never been to Santa Ynez or even heard of Santa Ynez on the day, in 2019, when a random person on my Facebook feed appeared to be playing what appeared to be a banjo to what appeared to be a grapevine. Okay. And I was like, "Who is this man? Why is he playing his banjo to a bunch of grapes?" Okay, pause there for a second. I'm just gonna tell you, that's the only time that photo worked. That is, that is 100%. Anybody who went out into a vineyard with a banjo and is playing it to a vine- ... there is a very, very specific target audience- and you are sitting right in front of me. That's the one time that worked. You thought it was gonna be awesome- Well, uh, well- ... and sh- it... The hard part is you think it worked, but it did. A l- a lot, a lot of ba- ... a lot of banjo players and musician friends always start cackling when they hear that because- That's fantastic that's the, that's the only time anybody really- We made the Guinness Book of Records. Love it. It's the only time that's happened to a banjo player. I love it. I love it. It was worth practicing for 50 years. I say that joke with his permission, by the way. That, you know, as we like to say, banjo and ventriloquist are pretty close. Pretty close. Okay. Sorry, sorry. Sorry. Fast-forward. Yeah You meet the love of your life. I d- right. But I d- I, I got a psychic hit. I didn't, I, I, I, I sometimes get these hits and I, I'm not saying that I knew immediately, but I got this hit that I'm supposed to know this gentleman. I don't know why. Obviously, I thought he was handsome, but it wasn't like, "Oh yeah, this is gonna be..." I just got this hit, I'm supposed to know that man somehow. Okay. Fair enough. And so I- Seems like it worked ... I reached out and my, my opening line, I, as the kids say, I slid into his DMs- Yeah ... as the children put it, and I said, my opening line to him was, "I, hey, I really like your banjo videos." Okay. Just so you know, if we took a commercial break, this is where we would take it. Just 'cause this is both magnificent and deeply disturbing- ... both at the same time, at the same time. Okay. Okay. So, uh, from banjos- Back then ... to- We started geeking out. I, I think my second... Okay. So, so, so the first thing that's happened, I sent this text and I was like, "I see you have a daughter in LA, and I, like, live here half-time now, and so if you ever wanna have a coffee..." And then he left me on read. Okay? And when I say the shame I felt in my soul, like, I don't usually reach out to strange men- Well, let's be honest- ... on the interwebs ... you got rejected by a banjo player. I did. Yeah, that's the deepest cut. I mean, let's be honest, that's the deep cut. Gives a new meaning to deep cut. It's a deep cut. Okay. Okay. So I was- Let's get to the fun part I was shamed. Yes. Sure. And I was like, I was like, "It's fine. We don't even live on the same continent." You, you, al- also, you don't have to public shame yourself right now. No, no, I have to. It's worth it. Okay. It's worth it. Okay. It's worth it. Continue. So, so, um, so I was like, "This is, this is mortifying. Whatever. I'll never run into him. I don't even know him." Um, he wrote me back a little while later, and fast-forward to our wedding three years later- I insisted that he left me on read for what was, like, 18 hours. He insisted it was not that. He pulled up the records, like, of the DMs of- on the computer- The man... Hey, never ask a German for receipts. They got 'em. You know what I mean? Okay, teach- Okay, wait. Fair enough. It was actually hard to find. So it was 13 minutes. Oh. But it felt like longer on my insides because I was- I was sitting on my horse- He was on his horse ... and you shouldn't ride and text. You know? It's dangerous to horseback ride and text. He was picking, man. Leave him alone. Okay, it was 13 minutes. Okay. Okay, it was 13 minutes. Yeah. So we lived to tell the tale. So from then on, we geeked out about all kinds of music. I'm very into, uh... I have a long... I, I became an opera singer professionally. But my, my- Boom. Drop that hammer. I d- I did drop that hammer. Boy, this, this... I'm just sitting across a joke right now. Because it's like an opera singer and a banjo- I know ... walk into a bar. Okay. It is, it is the start of a joke. However- It's literally walk into a winery- Literally ... which is even better. I know. Keep going. I know. But it turns out that what most people didn't know about me at that point was that I started my musical life in the whole, like, uh, folky, g- bluegrass, sort of indie country, indie, indie f- what they call Americana, this big banner of Americana music. Sure. So that's my ba- That was my first musical love. And so now I'm meeting this banjo player who also happens to be German. Mm-hmm. And I'm living in Germany at that point, so I've been living in Berlin- Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're in Germany- Yes ... DM-ing a German banjo player in the- In my home state ... San Luis Obispo Valley. In San Luis. So I am a native Californian- You... Here we go ... sitting in Germany in my apartment, where I've lived now at this point for almost 18 years- My God ... DM-ing a dude with a German name in my home state on a vineyard with his banjo. Okay. From my, like, Berlin apartment with all my opera scores. This is a terrible, like, Tom Hanks movie. You know what I mean? It's, it's a terrible... This is a very terrible Tom Hanks movie. We call it Schlaflos in Seattle. Slow clap. Okay, continue. Okay, we only have a half hour, so let's- Let's get to the, get to the- Let's- Okay ... I'm just letting you know. Very good. 'Cause, like, I could stay here for five days- Okay ... in all honesty. I get it. It feels ... Okay. We've got a lot of stories. We got a lot of stories. This is great. Okay. I love it. So- I love everything about ... This is good radio. That's good. If you tuned in. If you're tuning in, as- I hope everyone else is having as much fun as we are. Yes. An American woman in Germany, uh, texted or DM'd a German man in the Santa Ynez Valley playing a banjo. Correct. She was in love with folk music at the ti- or Americana. Yeah. And, uh- But professionally singing opera ... and- German, German music. And the name of the movie again is? Schlaflos in Seattle. Continue. No, Schlaflos in Santa Ynez. Perfect. Okay, continue. All right. I'll be here all week. Um, so, uh, uh, so w- I was home. It was, it was almost the pandemic, but not yet. It was, it was in fact the day before January, uh, January 2020, and we had started geeking out about music. We had started ... I think we even talked about food. Had you met? No. No. No, we hadn't met. Please continue. Just texting. We were just texting. Yeah. And we were talking about, I think our next topic was food. After music, we immediately jumped into the things that matter. Mm-hmm. So it was like, "What are your comfort foods? What are the foods that, that, like, connect you to your emotions, that connect you to home? Like, what are they?" And then you both started crying when you both said schnitzel at the same time. You. I know. There we go. Okay. I got the jokes. So, uh, so I, so he said, "Hey, listen. Let's, let's, let's get together." And I said, "Yeah, I've got time in four months from now," and I was not being coy. I, in fact, had only time in four months f- from then- Great ... 'cause I was about to go on tour. You, you left him on read for four months. Perfect. No, but he said, "Well, what about tomorrow?" And that was January 1st, 2020. And I said, "Well, yeah, tomorrow I could, I could, I could meet up." And he said, "Well, great. I'm gonna drive down." It was- Mm ... I was in Venice at my parents' house. And I didn't even know where Santa Ynez was. When he says, "I'm driving down," I thought Santa Ynez was in Napa Bum, bum, ba-bum, brr I literally thought it was Northern Calif- Yeah ... I had no clue where it was. And so he drove down. We met on Abbot Kinney- By the way, that's one of the greatest, uh, battles this wine industry is currently facing, right? I, I realize- It's like the whole s- LA, 13 million people, "Just so you know, right over the hill, it's pretty awesome. It's pretty awesome." I, I know. I realize confusing Santa Ynez for Napa is... I've just outed myself in a bad way, but- Yeah ... I've, I've since learned. I live here now That's the sound of a million radios turning off instantly. I know. It's like- Continue. Okay. So, uh, so we met up for coffee a- at Intelligentsia C- Cafe on Abbot Kinney- Great ... in Venice. Great coffee. And, um, and I, he walked in and we w- you know, like, in the first hug, like I w- I already knew I was in trouble. Good trouble, but I was like, "Oh, I'm in trouble." Like, even before the hug had happened, I was like, "Oh, I'm in deep trouble." Mm-hmm. And then we, we had, what was supposed to be a one-hour coffee date turned into a nine-hour coffee date. And we went to have sushi, and three hours later we were like, "Man, the service really sucks in here. Like, we've been here for three hours and still no food." And they were like, "You guys never ordered. You were, you were in such deep conversation, we didn't dare disturb you." We never ordered. Perfect. So then, then I said, because as one does, is, at, at that point I had a, a pretty busy season. I was singing all over Europe- Great. At least, at least you thought you did At least I thought I did, before the pandemic happened. Yeah. And, but I was, I was doing a concert. This is a whole other sidebar, but I f- found out in 2017 that I have an ancestor who was a composer who studied with Alban Berg in Vienna, and I share a last name with him. And when he died with no heirs, he left a box full of sheet music for soprano and chamber orchestra to the, uh, Vienna Public Library, and they contacted me to see if I would consider singing it for the radio station. Wow. So th- there's a whole, total sidebar. All right. So I was singing that- Sit back. Let's hear it. Well, I was performing that, and so I said to this German guy who I'm now on a first date with- Mm-hmm ... as one does, as a singer, I was like, "Hey, I'm, like, performing in January in Vienna at, with the, uh, with this orchestra r- on the radio if you wanna come." Like, you don't expect someone to get on an airplane and fly to Europe for your second date- That's exactly what he did. He got on an airplane for our second date, and he, and he made it slick, too. He was like, "Well- By the way, romantic German, tough. Tough. That's as weird as the banjo player. Yeah. So, so he, uh, he was slick about it, too. He was like, "Well, my dad lives not too far from there, and I was thinking of visiting him anyways then." Yeah. So it made it sound like- Of course ... it was, like, not too much pressure. Like, he wasn't flying around the world just for me- Yeah ... ish. It was, it was a good strategy. Yep. So he came- Can't seem too needy. Ex- So he came, he flew, and we had our second date in Vienna, and he came to hear me sing, and that was our second date, and then we spent a weekend together. And then the world shut down. Yep. And then I was in France, and I was singing there. And- And I was back in the, in the valley at... I mean, I, I was- He was in his tasting room. Got it. And my whole world shut down, and I couldn't get across the border to my apartment in Germany 'cause the borders were closing. I was scared to get on an airplane because, uh, I, I thought I would give my dad, who's immu- immunocompromised, the COVID. And it was like, you know, it was these early days. It was, like, March, when no one knew what was happening. Yeah. So- The fog of war ... it was the fog of war. So my girlfriend, a girlfriend of mine who plays the cello, who lived in rural Provence said, "If you can get your butt here, you can stay in our little guest house right on the vineyard." Mm-hmm. Well, all the trains stopped running. There was no way to fly there. I'm in Pa- I'm in, uh, uh, not Paris. What's the place that I was? The place... Tours. Tours. Tours. Sorry. Oh, yeah. I was supposed to be singing in Opera Tours. Like I know. Like... So it sh- it shut down. The government, uh- Yeah ... shut, shut all the opera houses down. And you were supposed to have a government-signed permission slip at that point- Mm-hmm to leave your home, and you, only two reasons for leaving your f- So France and Italy and Spain, you had to have a government-signed permission slip to do anything except go get groceries, walk your dog, or go to the pharmacy for medicine. So now here I am, I'm in a taxi going from, from- Going a very long way to get some penicillin it's an eight-hour, it's an eight-hour taxi drive. It was my 40th birthday. Mm. And I thought, "I'm gonna get arrested by the French police on my 40th birthday, and I am gonna spend my 40th-" in French prison because I'm not supposed, 'cause it's illegal to be on the road right now. Mm-hmm. Didn't happen, but I got to this village safe and sound, and I got into my friend's house, and I sp- what, what we thought would be a three-week, uh, like a... You know, we all thought the pandemic would be over in three weeks. You mean two weeks to flatten the curve? Two weeks. Yeah. Sure. Two weeks. So it turned into a nine-month, uh, sabbatical. It turned into a nine-month hiatus where I just planted myself for nine months in this little French village, which is basically the French version of- Da, da, da, da, Saint-Innocent Saint-Innocent. Yeah. It was surrounded by lavender, horses grazing, vines everywhere. Yeah. It was the French version of what my life was about to be. I love it. So then I got to know this guy, and he taught me, actually, because in order to get groceries, I had to drive this, like, little stick ship car that belonged to my friend. Stick. And I couldn't drive- Stick shift. Stick shift. There you go. Thank you. Ship, stick ship. You're good. Stick shift. You're good. This is, this... Remember, radio. Stick shift. Yes. I didn't know how to drive one, and so this guy actually taught me how to drive stick on FaceTime in this little village. Yes, call the German. So he was like, "If it makes- No, no, no, no. No, no. Nein, nein, nein, nein. Nein, nein, nein, nein. Exactly. Yes, I got it. It was like, "If it makes vroom, vroom, vroom, then you're doing too much." Okay. "Back off." So I'd, like, run in the house, 'cause there's no Wi-Fi in the car, and I'd be like, "Okay, it made, like, ee, uh, uh." And he'd be like, "Okay, so back off the gas." This is fantastic. And I just drove that car in first gear all around my neighborhood real slow, and the French neighbors were like, "Who is this insane American?" Like, "Is she well?" Not trying to pu- "Why is she driving?" Not trying to push you here, just so you know, but we got 15 minutes left. I've got to go. Sorry. Okay. Fast-forward. As much as, as much as I wanna hear about- Okay. Let's fast-forward ... learning how to drive stick- Let's fast-forward. Yes. Let's fast-forward this. Perfect. Okay. At a certain point, we were like, "We gotta find out if this is, like, internet romance or the real deal." Mm-hmm. And the only way to do that is in person. And the name of this movie is? Schlaflos in Saint-Innocent. Keep going. So we were like, "All right. We gotta figure out if this is real, so that means we have to be in the same place in person." And I flew home. It was Octo- September... No. No, no- No, it's okay ... December of 2020. He picked me up at my parents' house. He drove me up. He's like This buddy in, of mine and I are gonna do this project at this, like, ranch, and I think we're gonna turn it into, like, a regenerative farm, but it's, like, a big construction site. But how about you come up and, like, help me with the animals, and also we get to know each other and see if we're meant to be, and also we're gonna be living in an Airstream bus? And the name of this movie is? Um- Keep going ... Practical Magic. Perfect. Keep going. This, this, this is a movie. Yeah. I mean, like, I'm already fan-casting this in my mind- ... okay? Just so you know. Ooh, who's gonna play me? Oh. Ooh. Um- Careful. Careful. Let me think. No, no ... Minnie Driver. Yeah. Oh, I like it. Yeah. There you go. I like it. Yeah. Okay. Good call. Thank you. Um, yeah. So we, I, we drove up, and basically the rest is history. I basically never left. That was 2020, and three years later we got married. Um, we've since produced- Congratulations ... thank you, the most perfect, incredible 12-month-old- I love a love story ... baby daughter. Mm. She just, her birthday was yesterday. Congratulations. Her name's Claire. Thank you. First? It's my first, his fourth. Well done. So we have a, a, a beautiful baby at home. And, um, in the meantime we've produced two albums in our little recording studio on site. Um, we've made lots of music together. We've performed with the Amarillo Symph- We've done a bluegrass opera. Um- Imagine, imagine that, Keith. Okay. I- The, the German banjo player- Again, again ... gets, gets to play with a 80-piece orchestra- Yeah. Yeah ... in Amarillo, Texas. Yep. Oh, as one does. Buck- bucket list. It is. Bucket list. Bucket list. Uh, if you don't, didn't have it, that's k- Mm ... that's really one of those things. I, I, uh, yeah. But to cut to the chase, um, about three years ago, we- Honestly, this conversation is like throwing a puzzle, like, down on the thing. And every little piece you're like, "How does, how does this fit together?" Yeah. And, and you're assembling it. Right. This is beautiful. So, so, so about two years ago, um, Max decided, and I'll let him talk about this, but, uh, um, he is the winemaker who did a dry January. Mm-hmm. Liked how he felt because he could practice the guitar and banjo better without swollen fingers from the inflammation, and never went back to drinking. Yeah. And we're like, "We're sitting on this gorgeous vineyard, and also we want something to drink," 'cause, like- Yeah ... everything we tasted at Erewhon we weren't so thrilled with. Sure. And we were like, "We gotta make something." And so- Well, if you talk about the dealkal- alkalization of wine- Mm ... you know that it's... We've had a little off, you know, conversation about that, and somebody brought it up to me and I'm like, "Phew." Yeah. It's like, it's like talking to a, a clone. Yeah. Right? Because it's like, ugh, you stripped the soul out of this to me. Yeah, right. Let's, uh, let- To me, it's like, to me it's like heart, heart surgery without putting the heart back in. Correct. And, like, it's, to me it's, th- we- I was adamant that I did not wanna de-alcoholize wine. Yes. So I, I love it too much. Yeah. And I have too much respect for, you know, for the history of it and, you know, for the product itself. But I, I just felt I c- I c- my drinking days were just over. I f- it, I, I couldn't find... And I'm still trying once in a while. I, I still taste wine here and there- Sure ... and spit it, but I, I, I just j- I just doesn't, I don't do well with it. And so, so our idea was, okay, how about we press super early, we pick at 11, 12 brix, we make verjus, like, and, uh, and do it by varietal, and, and now we blend it with hibiscus tea and elderflower. And so that's how this whole idea of Glass Rose was born. Do you wanna say what verjus is, in case listeners don't know? I mean, it's, it's called green juice in France. Yeah. Uh, it's, it's early picked grapes. We do it very intentional. In the past, uh, it's m- mostly a byproduct of the wine industry. Dropped fruit gets pressed. Yep. Um, we really farm for it. Yeah. And- So when- Mm ... wouldn't, uh... What, what brix do you pick at? And this is- 11, uh, about- definitely in the weeds here. So brix is a measurement of sugar, and sugar is what the yeast eats and turns into alcohol. Mm-hmm. So that is the byproduct of making wine is, in the vinification project, is alcohol. Yep. So if you're picking at... 11, 12 brix. Right. Yeah. So you're ta- very, very low. Nice acid. N- nice acid, about 2.8, 2.9- Yep ... a- um, acid. And then, uh, what we do, we f- we filter im- uh, directly after, um, after pressing it. We, we... It's sitting there on enzymes for m- maybe 24 hours, and then gets filtered, and we filter all the yeast out. Hmm. And then, uh, for the straight verjus we sterile bottle it. Um, and then-- But then we have the sparkl- sparkling, and that's kind of what's has really taken off. Hmm. We, we make these sparkling drinks where a third is verjus, and then there's hibiscus tea or elderflower tea- Hmm ... blood orange- Sure ... uh, pepper, and, um, and then, uh, we pressure carbonate it. And it has become a, it's just really taken off. I mean- Did you say you force carbonate it? Yeah. Okay. Got it. Yeah. And, um, it's, it's super exciting because it's almost like, um, y- you have a, um, a canvas and paint, and you can, "Okay, I've got... Here's, here's got my acidity here. I got this, and I've got these flavor." And y- you can't just create things, you know. Where wine, the rules are very clear, and then you break them. But it, it- Mm ... I mean, there's a, there's a very clear format in how you, how you do it, how you make it, you know? One, one of my favorite parts about wine and just me in general, being a farmer, winemaker, the, you know, Ground to Glass, is, is you see the personalities behind a bottle of wine. Right. Right? And, and you describing the wines that you're making, as I look at you, it is only the wine a German banjo player- ... who married a American opera singer Would make, right? It makes perfect sense. Sure would. It makes perfect sense. It's, but it is a real... I mean, I feel it's a total trip, and I'm, you know- I felt it's, it... The wine world is super competitive. There's a lot of amazing people in it. Mm-hmm. I mean, and I got to meet a lot of really, uh, s- so many talented wine makers. But it's, it's hard to, and, and especially right now when I feel people are drinking less. Uh, and or we s- did... What do they call it now? Zebra striping. Oh, yeah. Uh, it's worth noting that, that the majority of our, of our community who, who, who drink and buy Glass Rose- Yeah ... uh, do not consider themselves sober. They still enjoy wine. Sure. They just wanna maybe drink a little less. And so they call it zebra striping. That I can understand. Yeah. I mean, one of the things I've- we've talked about it a little bit on this radio show, but, you know, a lot of people are like, "Oh, people are drinking less," or they're, they're, you know, uh, exploring other options and things like that. But one of the, the core values that I've always thought, and which is exactly what you're talking about, is wine comes from a place. It comes from a person. Right. Um, if it has alcohol in it, great. If it doesn't, great. If it, it doesn't matter if it's 14 or 2 or whatever. The beauty of what wine has always been to me, and this is me kind of... I'm not pushing this on you in any way, shape, or form, but it's always community, right? Mm. Right. Mm-hmm. When you're opening a bottle of wine, the whole point is to not drink it by yourself, it's to drink it with- Share ... a group of people and share. 100%. And at its very base, I think what the problem, just in general in wine industry, quote-unquote, is that people are sharing less. Right. People are sitting down at tables at people's, other people's homes less. Right. People are asking less people to come over on a random Thursday night- Yeah ... uh, just to eat dinner. Because they're, we are now competing with everything, everyone's- Yes ... attention. Right. And in where people are staring at their phones while a TV's going on and splitting their attention, how can you possibly sit down and enjoy- Right a bottle of wine with no phones? But you- Right ... you just put your finger exactly on it. Yeah. And that, uh, uh- And, and the- Nobody wants to listen to me, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. I, I, and the- You're 100% right ... and the, the interesting thing is, so, so my daughter now said, "Okay, I gotta help you guys. You're old. Uh, you don't understand marketing anymore." Yep. "Uh, uh, so I, I will do your Instagram." What the kids want. Um, and, uh, and she created an Instagram that went wi- viral because of that, because it shows us- Sure ... family, sitting around a table eating cake, drinking, cooking together. Sure. And it, it, it gives this sense of community that has not, and that's not on... Funny enough, it's on Instagram. But, um- Sure ... uh, but it portrays that kind of, you know- This thing we're all missing ... that we're all missing so much. That sitting around a table together. But while we're talking about that, um, you being in, in Par- in France- Mm. Right? Mm-hmm. Describing the beautiful, bucolic nature- Mm of where you were located. Mm. And you describe that place as the Santa Ynez Valley of, of France. I didn't know it yet, but it was. Right. Well, you found the man- Mm ... who's playing banjo to vines in the actual Santa Ynez Valley, right? And what you were describing, as soon as you both started talking about that, this is just me looking at both of you- Mm 'cause you, you guys are wide open books, right? Um, the beauty of what you're describing is exactly the thing everyone is currently starving for, but doesn't know how to put into words. Like, the slower life that- Yeah ... you guys are talking about- Yeah. Yes ... with farming and growing something from the ground and- Yes and working so hard for very little. Yeah. Um, but then at some point, pleasure is a form of payment. Mm. Exactly. Yeah. And as you have a community, like we just met and already we're friends, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that's one of the things I love so much about- You have to come over to our place for cake- I'd love it and coffee. That'd be fanta- oh, coffee, yes. And, uh, I mean- We haven't gotten into that yet And I mean, for me, obviously, I, I am so happy that I get to do something with grapes, uh- Sure ... because it was like three years where I was kind of like, "One of... I, I really love-" Again- Yeah ... a German playing banjo. This is ex- How... You might as well. I mean, put the, the photo that he sent you- Yeah ... that, that made you fall in love with him. How is this not a label? Well, you won't be surprised, Keith, but that this is still part of our process, and I still- Understand ... I, he still plays to the grapes, and I sing to the grapes. We do, we d- we split up the vines, and like he'll be like, "You take the Malvasia block. I'll take the Pinot block." Yeah. Fantastic. I'll go do some Bill Monroe. You go do some Puccini, and we'll call it a day. I'm in love with the weirdness. I am. I truly am. I truly am in love with the weirdness. It's fantastic. It's true. And, and honestly, we, we don't make this shit just up. We, we kind of really love doing it. We, we, we think it's really f- it's, it's actually real fun. I love it. Yeah. So you have a... We have only about three minutes. I know we could talk for five hours, and I- Totally ... I hate the fact that this show's a half hour long. It needs to be four hours. Um, t- this is your moment to humble brag, right? You, you... We've, we've heard about how you met, which is a fantastic story, and the name of the movie is... Schlafly Rose in Santa Ynez. Perfect. Um, tell us about how they can find your product. Tell us about what you're proud of. This is your three minutes just to humble brag. You do it. There is no... Anybody who's listening right now, know what, there's zero judgment. This is you just saying what you do, why you love it. Mm. Go. Okay. You can find Glass Rose at the San Ysidro Ranch, at the Rosewood Miramar, um, at Pico Los Alamos, at- The Lark. The Lark, at SYV Pantry. And, um, what are we proud of? I- And we are, we are... I'm really proud of the fact that we are the official- Oh, yeah NA of the Hollywood Bowl, uh, that Carolyn Stein, uh, who I really admire as, uh, in the food world, is, uh, I mean- Well, that's blending of worlds right there, just you guys at the Hollywood Bowl- Oh ... making wine. Fantastic. Speaking of, speaking of the Hollywood Bowl, we're also, we're also pouring for the Walt Disney Concert Hall- Oh in LA. Yeah. And we're gonna be- Magnificent ... pouring- Where she just sang. Where I just sang in March. I just made my debut there. But- Awesome ... they were gonna be pouring for the Béla Fleck/Renée Fleming concert, which is kinda poetic- Banjo and soprano ... 'cause like banjo and soprano. We're gonna be pouring our drink there because we can't make this shit up. This- Sorry. Oh. It's cursed on the internet. We got beeped. Okay. I think it's- It's not the internet ... I mean, uh- Keep going ... I meant radio Yeah I mean, I, I'm really proud that this is, this became... I mean, it was, that this idea became reality. And to me, n- nothing is more exciting in life when you kind of like, you cook something up and say, "We should do this," and then you make it happen. And I, I think Sarah and I, we have this- That's what we do ... we, we have this magic together. We kind of make, "Okay, let's play with an orchestra in, in, uh, in Texas." He's a air, he's an air sign and I'm a fire s- See, now my Venice beach is coming out. Yeah. He, he's, he's- He- okay. You didn't have to say it. I, I got it. Continue. Air and fire make each other like, you know- Yeah, steam ... there's a thing that happens. Yeah, so that's what happens. So yeah. That's, um- I'm so glad that we ended that on an astrological note. Listen, I'm, at this point I'm sitting in the backseat just- ... riding along this. Um, I just wanna say, number one, uh, it's such fantastic to meet you. Likewise. And- Likewise So much likewise ... I'm, I'm hoping everybody who's listening in now feels like they made two of their weirdest friends in the same... You know, you're pretty high up there on the weirdest group of- ... weirdest two people I've ever met in the Santa Ynez Valley. But again, that's what this show is about, right? This show is the unique tapestry of what the Santa Ynez Valley is. Mm-hmm. And the fact that we all live here, and we all love it, and we're all pursuing our dreams and our passions. Um, there are very, very few people, or few places on planet Earth that a banjo player- ... from Germany And an opera singer from Venice- Mm-hmm would possibly meet, Get married- Have a baby ... have a baby, and then start a de-alco- or a, uh, zero alcohol wine- Well, yeah ... and then sh- and then sell it at the Hollywood Bowl. Bowl. I mean- I mean, when you put it like that ... you can't make, you can't make this up. I, I, I love that, uh, way of f- kind of fr- Yeah framing and putting it all in one- Yeah ... picture. Beautiful. Thank you for that mirroring, Keith. That was great. That was great. That was a very n- that was a really great- No ... mirroring moment. That's, you know, that's the... When I first started this radio show, it was just really telling the stories of the Valley. I mean, that's really what I wanna do. I mean, um, I have no business doing this, but the fun part about it is, is y- I reached out and you said yes. And when- whenever anybody comes in here and sits across from me and- You said, "Heck yes." Heck yes And slides up to a microphone, I literally don't know what is going to come out. What's gonna happen. And I'm gonna tell you right now- And I'm gonna tell you right now, I did not expect this. Zero chance. Mm. No. The fact that, I mean, it- Oh my God ... I could sit here and laugh for 20 minutes with you guys. I can't. Right? And, and we have many, many more stories like that. We do have many, many more. I know, but we spent, we spent 15 minutes talking about how you FaceTimed Todd or how to drive the stick. The pick, yeah. I mean, but I think that's an important- Stick ship ... stick ship. So everybody, everyone- Right ... where c- where can they find your product in the Valley? Um, in the Valley you can find us at SYV Pantry. Thank you. Um, we are also at- And the label ... oh, and the label is Glasrose and- Mottley Crew has it. Oh, Mottley Crew, of course, and also Industrial Eats. And your Instagram tag is? @glasrosefarm, and Glasrose is with one S. G-L-A-S-R-O-S-E. Mm-hmm. Perfect. And your website, glasrose.com? Glasrose.com. Well, thank you guys so much for coming in and sharing your absolute weirdness. And I say that with as much possible respect- Yeah. ... as I possibly can, because- It's felt ... it is. I mean- It's felt ... I think that's the one, one of the most, again, not to get too, you know, in the weeds, but I think the most beautiful part of the Valley is, um, you could sit on any street corner on any day and you could see every type of car drive in front of you, right? You could see a Rolls-Royce, you could see, uh, a recumbent bicycle, and it's everything in between. And the tapestry of the Santa Ynez Valley is really made up of all of our interesting stories, all of us- Going out every day working way too hard for far too little. Um, but also n- looking around the world and saying, "I don't wanna be anywhere else." And I think you guys are an excellent version of that. So thank you guys for joining us. Thank you. I very much appreciate it. It was an honor. We had so much fun. Thanks. It was great. So this is Keith Sarloos. And the name of the movie is? Schlaf los in Santa Ynez. Perfect. You have been listening to- Why do I say it like that every time? I don't know, but it's- What, what is that? It's ... I, I'm, listen, I'm- I don't know ... I'm 100% into it. I don't know what voice that is. It's great. Sorry. It's perfect. Schlaf los in Santa Ynez. So I'm gonna ... If you're ... I'm gonna, now I'm gonna put you on the spot. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna, you know, finish the show, and I need a little opera. Just a little touch. Oh. Just a touch. Golly. Okay. What can I sing? You got three seconds. Oh, oh. So you have been listening to Chopping It Up on 105.9 Crazy Country. Go. O mio babbino caro, mi piace, è bello, bello. I told you it was weird. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. I can guarantee that's never been on this radio station once. Fantastic.
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Topics Covered
opics Covered in Episode 55
Glass Rose
Max Huettl
Sarah Hershkowitz
What Is Verjus?
Verjus
Estate-Grown Verjus
Sparkling Verjus
Zero-Proof Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Wine Alternatives
Mindful Drinking
Dry January
Zebra Striping
California Wine
Santa Ynez Valley Wine
Santa Barbara County Wine
Estate-Grown Grapes
Early Harvest Grapes
Regenerative Farming
California Agriculture
Viticulture
Winemaking
Hospitality
Gathering Around the Table
Community Through Food & Drink
Entrepreneurship
Building a Beverage Brand
Small Business
Family Business
Creative Entrepreneurship
German Winemaker
Opera Singer
Americana Music
Bluegrass Music
Banjo
Music and Farming
Hollywood Bowl
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Rosewood Miramar Beach
San Ysidro Ranch
Santa Ynez Valley
Life in the Santa Ynez Valley
Remarkable People of the Santa Ynez Valley
Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos
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FAQ
🍇 What Is Glass Rose?
Glass Rose is a Santa Ynez Valley beverage company founded by Max Huettl and Sarah Hershkowitz that produces premium estate-grown sparkling verjus and sophisticated zero-proof beverages crafted from grapes grown in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Unlike traditional non-alcoholic wines, Glass Rose never ferments its grapes into wine before removing alcohol. Instead, the company harvests grapes early to create verjus, the naturally bright, crisp juice of unripe wine grapes, preserving the freshness, acidity, and complexity of the vineyard from the very beginning.
Founded by a German winemaker and an internationally acclaimed American opera singer, Glass Rose blends farming, music, hospitality, and craftsmanship into every bottle. Their beverages are served at destinations including the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Rosewood Miramar Beach, San Ysidro Ranch, and acclaimed restaurants throughout California. Glass Rose represents a new generation of vineyard-driven beverages that celebrate community, thoughtful drinking, and the experience of sharing something beautiful around the table.
🍇 What Is Verjus and Why Is It Different from Wine?
Verjus (pronounced vair-ZHOO) is the fresh juice of early-harvest wine grapes picked before enough natural sugar develops to produce alcohol during fermentation. The name comes from the French phrase vert jus, meaning "green juice."
For centuries, verjus has been used throughout Europe as both a culinary ingredient and a refreshing beverage because of its vibrant acidity and delicate fruit flavors. While wine is created by fermenting grape juice into alcohol, verjus remains completely unfermented, preserving the grape's natural brightness and freshness.
Glass Rose grows and harvests grapes specifically for verjus production rather than treating it as a byproduct of winemaking. By farming for verjus from the beginning, they create beverages with remarkable balance, complexity, and a true sense of place that reflects the vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley.
🥂 How Is Glass Rose Different from Non-Alcoholic Wine?
Most non-alcoholic wines begin as traditional wine. Grapes are harvested, fermented into wine, and then specialized equipment removes the alcohol after fermentation. While this process creates alcohol-free wine, many producers must work to replace aromas, texture, and body that are lost when the alcohol is removed.
Glass Rose takes an entirely different approach.
Rather than making wine first, Glass Rose begins with estate-grown grapes harvested at approximately 11 to 12 Brix, well before fermentation would normally begin. The resulting verjus is naturally alcohol-free and retains the vibrant acidity, freshness, minerality, and character of the vineyard. It is then blended with carefully selected botanicals such as hibiscus, elderflower, blood orange, and other natural ingredients before being lightly carbonated to create an elegant sparkling beverage.
This approach allows Glass Rose to create drinks that are not trying to imitate wine—they are creating an entirely new category rooted in agriculture, craftsmanship, and the vineyard itself.
🌿 Why Are More People Choosing Verjus and Zero-Proof Beverages?
The popularity of mindful drinking continues to grow as more people look for beverages that offer sophistication, complexity, and the ritual of sharing a drink without alcohol. Many people aren't choosing between drinking and not drinking—they're simply choosing to drink differently.
This trend has become known as "zebra striping," where people alternate between alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages throughout an evening or choose zero-proof options during certain occasions while still enjoying wine at others.
Glass Rose embraces this philosophy by creating beverages that belong on the same table as fine wine. Their sparkling verjus isn't designed to replace wine—it offers another thoughtful choice for celebrations, dinners, restaurants, concerts, and gatherings where everyone can participate in the experience together.
🌄 Who Are Max Huettl and Sarah Hershkowitz?
Max Huettl is a German journalist, author, musician, winemaker, and entrepreneur who eventually traded publishing for farming grapes in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Sarah Hershkowitz is an internationally acclaimed American opera singer whose career has taken her to concert halls and opera stages throughout Europe and the United States.
Their story began with an unlikely Facebook message after Sarah saw Max playing banjo in his vineyard. What followed was a transatlantic romance during the COVID-19 pandemic that eventually brought them together in the Santa Ynez Valley, where they married, started a family, and founded Glass Rose.
Their shared passion for music, agriculture, creativity, and hospitality now forms the foundation of everything Glass Rose represents.
🚜 Why Is the Santa Ynez Valley the Perfect Place to Produce Verjus?
The Santa Ynez Valley is internationally recognized as one of California's premier wine-growing regions thanks to its unique east-west mountain orientation, cool Pacific Ocean influence, diverse soils, and exceptional Mediterranean climate.
These same conditions make it an ideal place to grow grapes specifically for verjus. Early-harvest grapes retain vibrant natural acidity while developing complex fruit character that gives Glass Rose its distinctive balance and freshness.
Every bottle reflects the vineyards, climate, and agricultural heritage of the Santa Ynez Valley, making Glass Rose not simply a beverage, but a true expression of place.
🎙️ Why Did Keith Saarloos Feature Glass Rose on Chopping It Up?
Keith Saarloos created Chopping It Up to tell the stories of the remarkable people who make the Santa Ynez Valley unlike anywhere else in the world.
The story of Glass Rose perfectly embodies that mission.
A German banjo-playing winemaker. An American opera singer living in Berlin. A chance social media message. A global pandemic. A family. A vineyard. And the creation of one of California's most innovative zero-proof beverage companies.
Their conversation explores entrepreneurship, agriculture, hospitality, music, creativity, family, community, mindful drinking, and the power of pursuing an unconventional path.
More than a story about beverages, it's a story about the people, relationships, and ideas that continue to shape the Santa Ynez Valley into one of the most fascinating communities in California.
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Photograph reused from the original Saarloos + Sons episode post.
