There are only 425 Masters of Wine in the world, and our alum Kathleen Van den Berghe (Brussels, Antwerp 03-09) is now one of them.
While she was raised in a family of wine-tasters, Kathleen didn’t start making wines herself until 2010. Earlier in her career, she managed construction projects in Belgium, then spent 8 years at McKinsey, rising to serve as an AP.
Join us below as Kathleen discusses her journey into organic winemaking in France’s Loire Valley.
What inspired you to transition from being an AP at McKinsey to owning and managing a winery?
It was a process. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and I wanted to do something for myself. In 2010, my husband and I were looking to buy a holiday home with a vineyard, because we love wine.
I was also searching for a new role, so we then had the idea of buying a larger wine estate and making wine, because I was born and raised in wine tasting. So we bought the Château de Minière. It needed a lot of renovating, but I like to do that kind of work, having also previously been a construction engineer. In September 2010, I first began making wine. We later also bought our second winery, the Château de Suronde, in 2016.
I’m constantly evaluating and analyzing my business – much like the work I did at McKinsey. I study the trends in the industry, and what is happening in the markets, so analysis and problem solving is still a lot of what I do.
Let’s move on to your new title: Master of Wine, the most prestigious in the wine industry. What motivated you to pursue this certification, and what were some of the most challenging aspects of the process?
I love learning, and I’ve been a student my whole life. I was an engineer first, then I did an MBA. Then at McKinsey, it's constant studying, which is what I liked about being there – learning about new things and new industries. So I was excited to study wine.
When I started in the wine industry, I first studied for a technical degree in viticulture and winemaking for 2 years, then I studied for three years at WSET [the Wine & Spirit Education Trust], which offers international education about all the wines of the world and teaches you how to taste technically. The logical step after that is to become a Master of Wine. Not everyone takes this step, of course, but I’m always asking myself, “What’s next?”
Honestly, if I’d known how difficult it was going to be, I might not have done it; it was hard to balance that intense studying while running two businesses and also having a family.
Most of the exams of the Institute of the Masters of Wine I passed quickly, but the most difficult was the blind tasting exam, which is also officially the hardest part of the process. It's a bit of a mind game; there's a big mental aspect to it. You need to be confident of what you taste and then write a page and a half about what you believe you're tasting. But I knew I could do it. I knew I was a very good taster. Then last year I passed the final stage, which is a research project.
If my calculations are right, fewer than 40% of those who hold the Master of Wine title are women. What unique challenges and opportunities have you encountered in the wine industry as a woman?
There are markets that are more open-minded – and then there are markets that are a bit more narrow-minded. I always say I have a château, but at the end of the day, I'm a just a farmer. Farming is done largely in rural communities, which are not always the most welcoming to newcomers. I was a woman, and from Belgium, so there were a couple of things about me right off that weren’t traditional, but the locals have warmed up to me.
I’ve never been too intimidated by being a minority in my field – after all, I used to work in construction – so it doesn’t bother me. I’ve also learned that the market appreciates diversity. I always look for the good and for the opportunities. I do a lot of speaking to groups of people about my story – especially to women and entrepreneurs – and I’m glad to share it.
Sustainability is a growing concern in the wine industry. How do you approach this with your wineries? What practices have you implemented to ensure the long-term health of your vineyards and the environment?
Sustainability is very important to me. In everything we do, we make the most ecological choice that we can. I make organic wines and use biodynamic practices in the vineyards. For our packaging, I try to use as little cardboard and ink as possible. I use recycled and recyclable materials. For my entry-level wines, I use very lightweight bottles. I don't have wooden boxes, because wood is very heavy, and it creates a lot of CO2 in transport.
In addition, animals do the weeding on our grounds, we recuperate the water from the roofs and reuse it wherever we can, and we insulate all our buildings very heavily to use less heating. Sustainability is really in every decision I make. If we all take little steps, then the world will be better in the end.
Running a winery involves a deep passion for wine, and also the practicalities of business management. How do you balance those two aspects?
It’s a very good question, because if you don't have passion, you won’t survive. It's very important to balance both of those pieces. Being in agriculture is a difficult business, especially with climate change, and being so dependent on nature for your production. It's very painful sometimes. There have definitely been years when I’ve thought, "Geez. Why do I do this?"
But I keep on believing it will work, and I am constantly remaking myself and innovating. For instance, we now do meals and overnight stays in the château, and that’s going very well. It's a big aspect of our turnover now. I’m going to be doing more of that, and making less wine, because that just gets harder every year.
I also look at what the market wants – right now light red wine is popular. I also make a white wine from red grapes, because that gives a story to tell. I always say that wine with a story tastes better.
What’s your favorite wine that you make?
I think my biggest contribution to the industry is my red sparkling wine, which is, I think modestly, the best red sparkling wine in the world. I call it my business card.
Any suggestions on how we should think about wine?
A slogan of mine is "Drink less, but drink better." I drink less wine than I used to, but I drink better wine, and I spend more on a bottle. I encourage everybody to do the same – drink organic wine, spend a bit more, and buy from real people.
For me, there is a story and a personality in every bottle. When you drink a good bottle of wine, it should give you an emotion, and a story, and encouragement to speak with the people around the table with you: a memorable evening with good food, and people that you appreciate. That, for me, is the meaning of a good bottle of wine.
People always say, "I don't know anything about wine," but I encourage everybody to explore. Get good advice from the people around you but trust your own taste and preferences. You don't have to like what is written in the magazines; you just have to like what you like. There's a lot of wine, and you will for sure find a good one.
Want to know more about Kathleen and her wineries? See this interview.