146: Penedes, Spain, Croatia & Kosher Wines with Kate Dingwall

What’s it like biking through the Penedes wine region of Spain? How can you find great Georgian wines without leaving North America? What makes a wine kosher, and why should you try kosher wines even if you’re not of the Jewish faith? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Kate Dingwall, who writes about food and wine for Forbes, Toronto Life, The Toronto Star, Wine Enthusiast, among others. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.   Highlights What’s it like to spend a week biking through the Penedes region in Spain? What were some of Kate’s favourite Cava finds from her trip to Spain? Which important wine lesson did Kate learn in the Languedoc region of France? Which producer should you visit on a trip to the South of France? What types of Georgian dishes did Kate discover that pair well with amber wine? How can you try Georgian wine without leaving North America? Why has orange wine become so popular? How did Kate’s passion for wine and spirits organically start her food and drink writing career? Are there commonalities between the fashion and wine industries? What’s Kate's take on failure? What would Kate do differently if she were to start over her wine career? How have restaurant patrons' tastes changed since the pandemic?   Key Takeaways I loved listening to Kate’s adventures biking through the Penedes wine region of Spain, as well as her tips on favourite Cavas, such amazingly great sparkling wines for the price. She also had some great tips on finding Georgian wines in North America. These wines are experiencing such a huge revival. It’s worth seeking them out and pairing them with her suggestions. Kate also had some great insights from her trip to southern France as well as a great producer to visit, Gerard Bertrand.   Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on Wednesday, September 22nd at 7 pm eastern. You can save your spot for free right here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_91B7vKhMSliq77btHvXZBA. I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it together so that I can answer your questions in real-time. I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?   About Kate Dingwall By day, Kate Dingwall is a seasoned writer and editor covering the intersection between spirits, business, culture and sustainability. By night Kate is a working wine professional. She's a food and beverage business contributor at Forbes.com, the drinks writer at Toronto Life and The Toronto Star, a columnist at The Whiskey Wash, wine writer at MAXIM, and a regular contributor to Liquor.com and The Spruce. Her work also appears in Elle InsideHook, The Spruce, Liquor.com, Toronto Life (print + online), Eater, MAXIM, Canada's 100 Best Restaurants (print + online), Porter Magazine, Wine Enthusiast, Foodism (print + online), VinePair, DuJour, CultureTrip, and The Bourbon Review (print). Outside of writing, she finished her Masters of Brand Management program with a thesis on innovation in the American wine world. She spent a large chunk of her career working in New York City and consulting with a variety of beverage and hospitality powerhouses in the realm of brand development. She is currently based in Toronto and is a wine server at one of Canada's top restaurants.   To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/146.