Starting tomorrow, you will be noticing a new name appearing on our blog!

As of April 1^st, Marie Griffin is retired from her career as Wine Supervisor at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, and we welcome Kathleen (Robinson) Anderson from her former position as Wine Consultant at our Lake Wales store as the new West and North Central Wine Supervisor! Kathleen’s expertise will be in German wines, just as Marie’s was, while also covering the regions of Austria and Alsace. Kathleen got her start in becoming a wine expert while she was living in New Orleans studying theater, working in the service industry to pay the bills. There she began working under Ralph Brennen, head of The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, and eventually started attending wine tastings every Saturday—a method she found to be the best way to really learn about wine. When asked what her favorite wine is, much like asking a parent to pick their favorite child, Kathleen said It depended on the season or what she’s eating—in the winter she tends to have more reds, while in the summer she leans toward whites. Overall, she enjoys red blends and Pinot Noir, though. Least favorite wine? Kathleen admitted, “There’s not a wine I couldn’t drink.” Brave, Kathleen, very brave!

When she’s not drinking wine, Kathleen prefers craft beers, and a particular favorite is La Fin Du Monde (It scored a 96 rating with Beer Advocate… maybe she should be a Beer Consultant, too—in her spare time?) And if she wasn’t working for ABC as a Wine Supervisor, Kathleen thinks she would be in the acting business, perhaps doing stage managing. A stage manager who knows how to make a killer Pinot Noir reduction sauce, that is. While chatting with Kathleen I asked her one final question—if she was hosting a dinner party and could invite any three guests—dead or alive—who would they be? Her response: Robert Mondavi, JFK and Winston Churchill: “It would be an interesting conversation,” she added. We hope you enjoy your new position on the Wine Supervisor team, Kathleen! Happy travels!