Kathleen van den Berghe has become the first Dutch-speaking female Master of Wine. She obtained the prestigious title last February. And that is not so easy: you need to have in-depth wine knowledge and a study period of at least two years is required to pass all stages of the English-language exam. Worldwide, only 512 professionals (including 151 women) have succeeded since the Master of Wine programme was founded in 1953. In Belgium, with Kathleen there are five, and in the Netherlands three Masters of Wine. Kathleen first worked for years as a structural engineer and as a consultant at McKinsey & Company before making the leap to the wine sector in 2010. She bought her first estate in the Loire, Château de Minière, where she produces premium organic wines and focuses on wine tourism: you can stay, eat and organise or attend seminars. She has also set up an artist residency there and a contemporary art collection. Meanwhile, she wrote her researchreport on faulty aromas in wine such as 'cork': A comparative analysis of different techniques to reduce haloanisoles in contaminated wine.
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report on faulty aromas in wine such as 'cork': A comparative analysis of different techniques to reduce haloanisoles in contaminated wine.
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