Capitol Hill Wine Stories: Brett Freeman and P&C Market

Photo courtesy of P&C Market.

“It’s a special thing to be a part of this neighborhood,” explained Brett Freeman, director of sourcing for food and wine at P&C Market, as we sat down for drinks at The Chesapeake Room. “Our customers are passionate about food and wine.”

For Freeman, it’s a good thing that Capitol Hill is home to so many foodies. For 45 years, the corner store at East Capitol and 11^th Street focused on the basics – eggs, milk, beer, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. Today, the basement store at Lincoln Park’s west end has been transformed into what its owners describe as, “the quintessential European market… (with) great wine, amazing cheeses, French pastries & breads, and all kinds of gourmet products.” The store still sells milk, but it’s a bit more expensive than what’s carried at Safeway as it comes from cows that get “all the sunshine and free grass they want” at the Pennsylvania-based Trickling Springs Creamery.

Trickling Springs milk is a good microcosm of all that P&C sells. As Freeman explained, “P&C is a shop that sells items that have a story behind them. We work hard to bring in items we’re passionate about — and we’ll even seek out items that our customers are passionate about.”

Freeman’s passion for food started at an early age. His great aunt was a prolific chef who introduced Freeman to the pleasures of cooking and eating. His appreciation for wine began at Virginia Tech, where he first realized that, “wine isn’t just about the drink, but also about the art.”

Upon graduating from Virginia Tech, Freeman moved out to Hollywood, landing jobs at Paramount and Disney. After several years in Los Angeles, though, Freeman decided that the city was no longer a great fit. (“My decision to leave Hollywood wasn’t very exciting,” he told me, “as it had nothing to do with cops, drugs, or booze.”) So he moved back East.

Shortly thereafter, Freeman’s stepfather passed away – helping Freeman recognize the brevity of life. That’s when he decided to pursue a career food and wine.

He enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, where he studied baking and pastry. While there, he also took classes in the school’s wine program, studying under Michael Weiss, a legendary wine educator. After finishing, Freeman worked as a pastry chef in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Britain, and the U.S., working for famous chefs like Antoine Westermann, Gordon Ramsay, and Michel Bourdain. He eventually wound up back in DC, first at the Sofitel’s Café 15 and then at Yannick Cam’s Le Paradou.

Eventually, though, the 115-hour weeks that restaurants demanded became too grating, so Freeman decided to switch his focus. Fast forward several years (after a stint at Best Cellars, where he was the chain’s director of operations), and Brett got to know Pablo Espitia and Chase Alan Moore, the “P&C” behind the market.

All of P&C’s wine – just like the market’s food – has a story to tell. Even though the entire store is just 600 square feet, Freeman purchases wine from 20 different importers. Most wines are only on the shelf for 4-6 weeks, as Freeman wants to introduce the market’s customers to new varietals, producers, and regions on a regular basis.

“It’s important for people know that when they come to P&C, there are no misses,” Freeman explained. “With wine, people want to know that what they’re tasting will be a good experience. The selection we’ve put together at the store will give our customers a good experience, no matter the context.”

Freeman can talk your ear off about just about every wine P&C sells, and he opens several bottles for tasting every Sunday from 3:00-5:00pm.

These days, he has three favorites — Champagne Jacquesson, which Freeman describes as a “Champagne lover’s Champagne”; Haut-Marin’s Cuvée Marine, a white wine from southwest France; and the Rosé from Linden Vineyards in Virginia.

P&C Market
1023 E. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003