Announcer: 0:00

Welcome to Spirited Discussions, a podcast by Alcohol Beverage Services, exploring alcohol products, trends, and policies in Montgomery County.

Jocelyn Rawat: 0:12

Thanks for joining us. I'm your host, Jocelyn Rawat. With the holiday season upon us, we're asking our experts for tips on party gifts, stocking stuffers, and seasonal spirits. To help us with that, we have the manager at ABS's Kensington retail store, Preston James. Preston has been with ABS for a whopping 23 years, working at eight different stores, and he is a certified Somalier. Hi, Preston.

Preston James: 0:36

Hi, how are you?

Jocelyn Rawat: 0:37

Good. So we're also joined by Robert Cavanaugh, who is the founder of Adventure Wine. He's an award-winning wine educator who has hosted seminars all over the world. So Robert's down-to-earth approach makes wine education fun for all levels of knowledge, and I can't say that strongly enough, having been in lots of the classes. And Robert was nice enough to join us for episode six about selecting French wines. And we're glad to have him back. Welcome, Robert.

Robert Cavanaugh: 1:01

Thank you, Jocelyn. It's good to be back. Good to see Preston again.

Jocelyn Rawat: 1:04

All right. So, Robert, I'm going to start with you. What's the relationship between Adventure Wine and ABS?

Robert Cavanaugh: 1:09

Well, we do a lot of staff training, live seminars, and in-store tastings around the county, usually funded by major wine regions. So there's usually not a cost to any restaurants or retailers.

Jocelyn Rawat: 1:21

It's a nice benefit to our community. So I want to dive right in with the most common question I get about wine. And that is "I want to bring a bottle of wine to a holiday party, but I don't even know where to start." Do you have any simple guidelines?

Robert Cavanaugh: 1:34

Well, I would say, first of all, check with your stores. Store managers have a really good idea of what is selling well, what is trending well, what people are buying and enjoying. And I wouldn't focus too much on cost, maybe more on different styles. Do they like light-bodied, crisp whites or rich, full, oaky, buttery whites, light reds, heavier reds, bolder reds, things like that.

Jocelyn Rawat: 1:58

And you say price doesn't really matter?

Robert Cavanaugh: 2:00

No, surprisingly, having been around the Montgomery County ABS stores for as long as I have, there are a lot of really good values on the shelves. Just every every time I go in there, I'm always surprised at just how good the prices are and especially the selections.

Jocelyn Rawat: 2:15

And how do you know? I mean, if I'm looking at racks and racks of shelves, how do I know that one is good or better than the other? I ask Preston?

Robert Cavanaugh: 2:22

Well, that would be my go-to person. So usually all the store managers are really well trained. They have a good idea of what is selling well, what is trending well, what makes a good gift. But don't be afraid to ask. I mean, asking saves a lot of guessing. And again, I wouldn't always necessarily follow price. There's just exceptional values to be had.

Jocelyn Rawat: 2:46

Okay, and I've heard sometimes, like red is a winter wine and white is for summer, or at least rose is for summer. Is that is that true? Should I stick with red in the winter?

Robert Cavanaugh: 2:55

Ahh reds, especially on cold winter nights. There's nothing like a big, full-flavored, full-bodied Côtes-du-Rhône wine or a Bordeaux wine. But, you know, are as vwines are as varied as the meals they're served with. So you can get a light-body crisp white to start a meal, especially a holiday meal, because that crisp acidity really sparks up your appetite, and then move on to maybe some roses and then finishing off with reds. And ABS carries quite a few nice dessert wines as well. Don't be afraid to ask about those. Something really unique.

Jocelyn Rawat: 3:28

Okay. So what kinds of dessert wines would you recommend? I'm not very familiar with them at all.

Robert Cavanaugh: 3:33

Big fan of the Sauternes wines from Bordeaux that ABS carries. They're usually made from Sémillon grape, rich, full-bodied with apricot, pineapple, fig flavors, and they go really well with something like smoked Marcona almonds, heavy cheeses like cheddar or chalda or something like that. And just it's really worth experimenting different wines.

Jocelyn Rawat: 3:58

And that really sounds like the rich type of flavors that you think of during the holiday season.

Robert Cavanaugh: 4:01

Yeah. Yeah.

Jocelyn Rawat: 4:02

Okay. So Preston, certainly it's true that ABS carries a huge selection of wine, but there are lots of good liquor choices too. So can you tell us about the volume and the types of spirits that you're carrying in the Kensington store?

Preston James: 4:14

Oh man, we have such a huge selection of liquors um from around the world. We have Pisco from Peru and Chile, Caçasa from Brazil. We actually have one that's locally owned. Mama Juana, we just got from DR, Soju from Korea, gin from all around the world. We have Canada, Canadian whiskey, European cordials. Like the the variety is endless. Like we really have a lot to offer.

Jocelyn Rawat: 4:43

Okay, that sounds like something for everyone. Okay, but what I what I hear about a lot, I'm thinking that bourbon is a really hot, popular holiday gift. Am I guessing right?

Preston James: 4:52

Super hot, white hot. We sell a lot of bourbon, to the point where there's some bourbons that are so hard to get, we had to come up with a program so everybody could get a chance to get a bottle in their hand. So every second Saturday, we sell highly allocated liquors and it's it's a really fun activity, but you got to be there when the store opens. So there's usually several people hanging outside waiting for us to open the door, and then they can get some of those rare whiskies that we sell.

Jocelyn Rawat: 5:18

Okay. So almost every time on the second Saturday, or sometimes the second Sunday, someone sends me a picture of the lines outside the store. I would like to remind folks that if you do want to participate in the second Saturday program to get some of these very hard-to-get rare products that are sold at manufacturers suggested retail price, that we do post a list of those products on our website on the Thursday before the second Saturday. Okay, so what what else? What about like seasonal products that you can only get at this time of year?

Preston James: 5:49

So right now it's the holidays. Eggnog is jumping. Eggnog is one of the biggest things people look to see that we have. And it, and you know, as a as a staff member, we know the holidays are here when eggnog shows up. So that's probably the biggest one. Also, mulled wines, uh, glogg wine, which you can serve warm. Get that, get grandma's crock pot, put some of that glogg wine in there, or some of that mulled wine that you can make yourself and you serve it warm in a little teacup. And that's one of the products that we sell during holidays.

Jocelyn Rawat: 6:24

Nice, nice for a cold winter's day. So you talked about eggnog, and I think some of the others are coming pre-mixed now, basically. We call that "ready to serve." That's a great convenience, especially if you are going to be traveling and you want to take it with you. But lots of people like to have a signature cocktail when they're hosting at their home. Do you have any good recipes to share with us?

Preston James: 6:46

Yeah, like I said before, the the mulled wine is really cool. You can get a little satchel of cloves and cinnamon and and warm your wine up. Or you can do like I do, I make a wonderful sangria and people really look for my sangria.

Jocelyn Rawat: 7:03

All right, let's get it.

Preston James: 7:04

So, all right, so you get a gallon jug and you get your fruit. So you can do melons, berries, citrus fruits, whatever, whatever you like. You can go to the grocery store. You know how they have those fruits that are already chopped up and ready? Easy. You can get a couple of those and put that in the bottom of your jug. Then you get a pint of gold rum and you soak that overnight.

Jocelyn Rawat: 7:35

Oh, this is a serious recipe. Okay.

Preston James: 7:37

That's right. And then the next day, you get your your red wine, because this is this is like Robert was talking about earlier. You want your your red wine this time of year. I would get two 1.5 liters of red wine, and you can select wine that is according to your sweetness palette. So if you like wine that's really sweet, get your sweet red wine. If you don't, get a dry red wine, and then you add that to your soaked fruit. And then you serve it just like that, room temperature, and it's really, really tasty.

Jocelyn Rawat: 8:06

How long does that last in your house? So we're going to be out holiday shopping. What other gifts do you recommend?

Preston James: 8:15

Not very long. Oh, we have lots of gifts right now. This is gift set season, so we have a lot of products that come with items. So you might get a tequila that comes with a glass, you might get a whiskey that comes with a stir and a and a jigger. There's a lot of different things like that right now, all throughout the store.

Jocelyn Rawat: 8:34

Okay, so here's here's my favorite that I get. I just buy a bunch of them and have them on hand. So I like to get a little gift bag at a miniature, and then also maybe slide in a gift card depending on how much I like you, whether you get a miniature or a miniature and a gift card. A beautiful stocking stuffer. Absolutely. Lovely. And a gift card is always the right size.

Preston James: 8:55

Yeah, and all of our stores have gift cards. Okay. Sometimes you're shopping with you're shopping for someone, you don't know what to get them, and we'll go through the shelf and we'll say this or this, and you really just can't make up your mind that that gift card really comes in clutch.

Jocelyn Rawat: 9:08

Yeah. And the the gift cards that we're selling in the stores, they're really cute. Nice designs on them. Yeah, and and you know that they're us, nice branded cards. So Robert, I think that the most iconic part of the holiday when it comes to alcoholic beverages is the popping of the cork on New Year's Eve. So, can you tell us about the different types of bubbly beverages?

Robert Cavanaugh: 9:28

I will be happy to. And also I want to make sure that I am on your gift card receiving list. So because it sounded fantastic. First, you start with a gallon of champagne. Same gallon champagne.

Preston James: 9:39

Yeah, right.

Robert Cavanaugh: 9:40

No, there's a there are a number of different styles of sparkling wine, champagne, of course, being the benchmark. But I hate to burst champagne's bubbles. They were not the first. The first one was Limoux, and the ABS stores carry the original one back in the 1500s. Sparkling wine, Saint Hilaire Limoux, about $15, $16 a bottle. Doesn't break the bank, made from the Mauzac grape. Prosecco, which is Italy's little version of sparkling wine, made from the Glera grape, mostly found in the north part of Italy, Spanish Cava, all sorts of different ones. I noticed the stores recently started carrying Zardetto Rose, which is, I think, going to be a real fantastic gift. Uh, the prosecco this year as well.

Jocelyn Rawat: 10:27

Oh, I've been working here a long time, and you just said a couple of things that I didn't know about, and so now I'm on my way to the stores. Tell me about the bubbles themselves. Is it true that they're not necessarily the same size or produced the same way, depending on the type of wine?

Robert Cavanaugh: 10:41

Yeah, there's a couple of different ways to make it. The traditional, Méthode Champenoise, is the most expensive and difficult way, and that's primarily used in the Champagne region, goes through nearly a hundred different steps, usually hand-bottled, very hand everything. But what you generally want to look for in sparkling wine is smaller bubbles are better, and the longer that they last is a sign of quality. Absolutely.

Jocelyn Rawat: 11:08

Okay, but you don't know how long they last until you open the bottle. So you just got to try, right?

Robert Cavanaugh: 11:12

That's why you open several bottles, and I would not wait for New Year's Eve. We ran a promotion recently. It's called "Try It on a Tuesday." There is no reason with these prices, especially in the stores, that are many of them are under $20. There's no reason why you can't try a couple of sparkling wines during the week. If you're looking for a special occasion to open a bottle of wine, dinner. Dinner is a really special occasion. And if you think it's not a special occasion, skip it one night and see if it is a special occasion. But don't wait for New Year's. Try these sparkling wines during the week. You'll be really glad that you did.

Jocelyn Rawat: 11:48

Okay. And speaking of sparkling wines, this brings me to my absolutely most favorite cocktail of all time, the kir royale.

Robert Cavanaugh: 11:55

Oh, that's a wonderful, wonderful one. It's usually one part creme de cassis or Chambord to maybe five parts sparkling. Usually a white sparkling wine, a clear Blanc de Blanc champagne or Limoux, or uh, you know, Cava is also a good choice. Prosecco is always fun. But if you don't if you can't find Chambord, cream de cassis works. And you're not just limited to blackberry flavors. You can also use orange cream soda. And sparkling wine is a good choice, lemon lime, strawberry infused waters. Get creative. It's the holidays. Have fun. Make an evening out of it. Get a couple of bottles of sparkling wine, try a couple of carbonated beverages, see how they work together, and don't forget the garnishes -- cherry orange flags, dragon pineapples, things like that. Always really liven up the drink.

Jocelyn Rawat: 12:51

Okay, so I know sometimes these wines, particularly the French wines, can be a little bit unapproachable because you're afraid to try to pronounce these big words. And I know that you have an index on your webpage. So if you want to know how to pronounce some of these wines, visit uh Robert's website and learn how to pronounce them. But I I will share a story with everybody. I went to Paris, and so I wanted to have my favorite cocktail, kir royale, the n and I ordered it in a restaurant, and they brought me a sparkling water. So don't be embarrassed, folks. It happens to everybody.

Robert Cavanaugh: 13:24

The key is to try the different wines. You'll get more fluent the more fluid you get. Absolutely. So all right.

Jocelyn Rawat: 13:31

So Robert just went through a whole lot of different ingredients that we might want to try. Can we get them all in your store, Preston?

Preston James: 13:37

Absolutely. We carry all of those items and more.

Jocelyn Rawat: 13:40

Okay. And what about what about the sales that are going on in December? I heard they're fantastic.

Preston James: 13:45

We have a lot of good deals going on in December. I just got an advanced copy, y'all. Uh, up to $60 in savings. Johnny Walker Blue is on sale. That's a big deal. Bailey's is on sale. Captain is on sale. Courvoisier is on sale. We got a lot of good deals going on in December.

Jocelyn Rawat: 14:02

All right. So if you want spirits, December's the time to do it. Robert, you're always my go-to source for wine. And thank you for coming. And Preston, you and the staff at the ABS stores are great resources. I encourage everyone to ask you for holiday recommendations. And so, no matter how you celebrate, with or without alcohol, we at ABS wish everyone a happy holiday season. And that brings me to the most important part today. And that is that the happiest holidays are when everyone is healthy and safe. So please remember to drink and serve alcohol responsibly.

Preston James: 14:34

Absolutely. Don't be afraid to call, get that app going. Ride share, it's here to help you be safe. You definitely don't want to have have any trouble on the road.

Robert Cavanaugh: 14:45

I think the key is to pace yourself. Uh a lot of water, a lot of food. Just enjoy, be in the moment and really enjoy yourself. We have a little joke that we do pace yourself, start stop at two, sometimes 2: 30. But you know, definitely do stop yourself. lots of water, lots of food, and think responsibility.

Jocelyn Rawat: 15:06

Yeah, and you know, food makes wine better, and wine makes food better anyway. So why would you want to forget the food? Also please, when you are hosting an event at your home, please remember to keep alcohol out of the hands of people who are under the age of 21. All right. So thank you, Preston James and Robert Cavanaugh, for participating in today's spirited discussion.

Robert Cavanaugh: 15:27

Thank you. Thank you for having us.

Jocelyn Rawat: 15:29

If there's a topic you'd like us to cover on the podcast, email us at abs.spirited discussions@montgomerycountymd.gov. And thanks for listening.

Announcer: 15:39

Alcohol Beverage Services is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine, and spirits for Montgomery County. And it operates neighborhood retail stores. ABS also manages alcohol licensing, enforcement, and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Profits are used to pay for resident services that otherwise would be funded by county tax dollars. This podcast is brought to you by County Cable Montgomery, your source for news and information from the Montgomery County government. Connect with us via cable, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube by searching for County Cable Moco.