Valerie Kathawala

Valerie Kathawala is an NYC-based student of wine and a wine writer. She is WSET Level 3 and most recently completed Vinitaly's "Native Wine Grapes of Italy" seminar, taught by Ian D'Agata. Her wine journey began 20 years ago, with a shared bottle of Saint-Émilion. It has since taken her - and her husband and three children - to wine growing regions throughout Germany, Austria, Italy, Oregon, California and New York. Wines that matter most to her are those made by small-scale producers with a deep understanding of both tradition and potential. You can follow her exploration of wines of place on Instagram @valkatnyc

Articles by Valerie Kathawala

The Mountain Wines of Helmut Dolde 04.27.2019

These are deeply personal wines from an unfamiliar terroir, revealing fresh facets of grapes we thought we knew.
Read More
Weingut Roterfaden: A Bright Red Line Through Württemberg's Wine 03.29.2019

Talk to people with on-the-ground knowledge of the southern German wine scene and one name comes up again and again. A red thread, you...
Read More
Jochen Beurer: Power and Vision in Germany’s Most Dynamic Wine Region 03.17.2019

Württemberg, long the sleeping giant of German wine, is suddenly wide awake. Jochen Beurer’s ideas are inspiring a generation of young...
Read More
Donkey and Goat at 15: California Natural Wine Pioneers Take Stock 01.25.2019

"For us, natural wine is continuity from soil to bottle. It's about transparency, it's about making delicious wines." Tracey...
Read More
Features
Terry Theise Asks Us to Bring More of Ourselves to Wine 12.15.2018

In a meditative new memoir and study of wine, an influential importer and writer urges us to deepen our experience of wine by being fully...
Read More
RAW WINE: A place to feel the pulse of natural wine 10.31.2018

RAW WINE fairs are returning to North America in November! This is your chance to meet, taste and learn from the people and bottles that...
Read More
Cultivating a diva: How Bernhard Ott gets greatness from Grüner Veltliner 10.10.2018

Long-range thinking, healthy soils, biodynamics and diversity are key.
Read More
Why you should think (and drink) PFALZ FIRST 08.25.2018

If you want concrete eggs and amphora, funked-up pet-nats and glou, go elsewhere. But if you aren’t too cool to love the most achingly...
Read More
Inside the Wines and Mind of Bellwether’s Kris Matthewson 07.14.2018

"I think you need to be able to see what you're doing in winemaking way ahead of when it actually happens." Kris Matthewson
Read More
"Unheard of!" No More: Riccardo Baldi Wants to Put the Marche on Your Wine Map 06.01.2018

Riccardo Baldi of La Staffa in the Castelli di Jesi of the Marche wants you to know exactly where his Verdicchio comes from and what...
Read More
Annette Hilberg: Biodynamic Pioneer in the Piedmont 04.13.2018

Piedmontese winemakers Annette Hilberg and Michelangelo Pasquero are redefining biodynamics.
Read More
Northern Lights: A Closer Look at Michigan Whites 03.01.2018

Michigan whites are reaching their potential at a moment when the world is ready to give them a try.
Read More
What's Behind the Stunning Rise of Finger Lakes Wines? 01.20.2018

An inside look at the factors propelling this region to new heights.
Read More
Long Island Wines Reach for an Edge 10.30.2017

Experimentation, not mimicry, is what drives the most thoughtful winemaking here now. Valerie Kathawala on the state of Long Island wine.
Read More
Features
Isabelle Legeron Asks Us to Think About What We Drink (But Then Relax About It) 10.23.2017

Grape Collective’s Valerie Kathawala spoke with Legeron about the RAW WINE movement and upcoming U.S. RAW WINE fairs in NYC and LA.
Read More
The State of California Chardonnay 09.27.2017

"With close to 98,000 acres of vineyard planted to Chardonnay in California and the wine remaining far and away the most popular in...
Read More
Features
Making a Case for the Marche: Is Verdicchio Italy’s greatest native white grape variety? 09.07.2017

Valerie Kathawala explores the underappreciated Marche region, home to Verdicchio, one of Italy's great white grapes. Silvano Brescianini...
Read More
Winemakers
Nathan Kendall: Pushing the Limits of World Class Wine in the Finger Lakes 08.21.2017

What distinguishes Kendall is the tiny scale of his operation, his dedication to the study of individual vineyards and what they give to...
Read More
Understanding German Riesling: Zeroing in on Sweetness 08.17.2017

The sensory allures of German Riesling are immediate: sublimely aromatic, electric in their acidity, and unrivaled for their lithe,...
Read More
Element Syrah 2011 08.14.2017

Element Syrah 2011: Supercharged freshness and finesse from the FLX
Read More