200: German-Speaking Wines and Biodynamic Winemaking with Valerie Kathawala

Are you curious about German-speaking wines and which ones you should try? Why is biodynamic winemaking particularly important for viticulture? What’s the real difference between natural wine and biodynamic wine?   In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm interviewing journalist and co-founder of TRINK magazine, Valerie Kathawala.   You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights What was it like to be a German translator at the UN in the time of the Iraq War? How did Valerie’s interest in language - German in particular - develop? What was the catalyst for Valerie to start her wine journey? How did Valerie’s lifelong love of storytelling and writing show up before her wine career? What made a writing trip to visit Rudi Tossen in the Mosel region of Germany the highlight of Valerie’s wine career so far? What was the most painful mistake of Valerie’s wine career so far? How does Valerie find the balance between connecting with people to get the story while asking the hard questions? What is biodynamic winemaking and why is it particularly important for viticulture? How do biodynamic practices offer some protection against climate change? What are some common misconceptions about biodynamics? Why is biodynamic farming an empowering tool for growers? Where did biodynamic viticulture come from? What are the characteristics of German-speaking wines? How do you know when you have a great story? What was Valerie surprised to learn about the natural wine scene in the Mosel? What’s the difference between natural wine and biodynamic wine? Which German estate played an important role in the resistance movement during World War II? How did a labour scandal spotlight poor practices in the natural wine industry?   Key Takeaways I loved how she described German-speaking wines as sharing a certain mindset, tradition and values, grape varieties, winemaking approaches, geography, and climate. I agree with her that biodynamic winemaking provides an excellent framework for wine growers to keep vines in equilibrium to stay healthy. Her explanation of the differences between natural wine and biodynamic wine was insightful.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. 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? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Valerie Kathawala Valerie Kathawala is a freelance journalist focused on the wines of Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, and Switzerland, with a particular interest in biodynamics. She’s a lifelong student of German culture and language and has lived and worked in both Germany and Austria. She crossed over from translation and editorial work at the United Nations to writing about “German-speaking wines” and hasn’t looked back since.     To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/200.