On the Trail of Good Stories

You may have noticed that I’ve been blogging here on On the Trail for a few weeks, but I wanted to formally introduce myself: My name is Kate, I’ve been working behind the scenes as an editor for K&L for three years, and am thrilled to be in this new role as your roving reporter. I’m based in LA, so my posts will probably reflect what’s happening on the SoCal end of things, but I’ll try my best to give you insight into what’s up in the wine world and across the greater company. And a great company it is: one that I’ve found to go deep into classic categories like Bordeaux and Champagne, with room on its shelves for the up-and-coming or experimental, like natural wines, dry Furmint, or, say, wines from the Republic of Georgia. And there are some seriously knowledgeable, passionate people on this team that I’m thrilled to be working alongside. So, I’ll try to distill all of that into blog-length bites for you.

I came to wine from a different career entirely--I studied writing and literature, worked in publishing, then managed the University of Chicago’s Creative Writing program. I became obsessed with the subject of wine in 2012, when a friend convinced me to quit my job and help her open up a boutique wine shop in northern Chicago. Since then I’ve worked in wine retail, marketing, and journalism, soaking up this subject as much as I can. Since I came to wine later in my career, I feel like there’s always more to learn--and that’s the beauty of it for me. I’m an avid reader, and I hope to feature some book reviews on the blog, as well. (Currently in rotation are I Taste Red: The Science of Tasting Wine by Jaime Goode and Thirsty Dragon by Suzanne Mustacich.) During the last few years, I’ve also thrown a few kids into the mix--my husband and I have a 4- and 1-year old at home (maybe not relevant to my wine background, except that they drive me to drink!).

I like to consider myself an enthusiast more than an expert, so that’s the perspective I bring to this blog: one of digging into topics that pique my curiosity, singing the praises of wines that get my wheels turning, championing passionate producers, and overall enjoying the ride. I love meeting winemakers. I love the stories behind the vines. I love how a glass of wine can connect you to a person, a time, a plot of land. And it tastes good to boot.

Please feel free to drop me a line: [email protected]
Happy trails,
Kate