Katherine Shapiro, DipWSET, South Sound Account Manager, Mark Ryan Winery, and podcast host, Tacoma, Washington (USA)

Years in the Industry:
I have spent over 20 years in the restaurant industry; including work as a sommelier, in a tasting room and running a wine bar. I am a proud holder of the WSET Diploma with Merit. I’m a seasoned wine writer and have a deep understanding of viticulture, winemaking, marketing and styles of the world of wines. My day job is in sales for a popular winery in Washington State and I have served as an international wine judge. ZenWine is a podcast I created that shares nuggets of wellness, through the lens of wine. I deeply connect to the up-and-coming, the under- appreciated and the under-valued regions and wines of the world. I teach how to elevate your vibe through wine.

My Top Three Challenges to Wellness:
The biggest challenge to wellness is balancing family life and career with self-care and 8 hours of sleep a night. The truth is that I need to carve out time every day to sit in silence, and move my body. The demands of being a mother and being deeply passionate about my work can be a challenge. The busier I get, the more I need to use the tools of my wellness practices.
 
Another challenge is being in an industry that glamorizes over-consumption. I have been working on knowing my limits with consumption, which has evolved into more tasting and less consuming.
 
Another challenge is my own conditioning, anxiety and limiting beliefs that I am never good enough or that I “should” be farther along in my career. The challenge for me is to be confident and keep going.

How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
I practice meditation, yoga, spin, HIIT, hiking and dance as my movement routine. I am learning to honor and take cues from my body, mind and heart. I taught yoga and meditation on and off for 3 years and meditate daily with both my daughters (which is beyond thrilling!). To me, movement is medicine and listening to my intuition is a big guiding factor in my daily decision making.

What Inspires Me:
Wine is how I find fulfillment and what inspires me most is the people that make wine possible. Wine can be a vessel for learning so much about life and humanity. It’s my goal and pleasure to seek purpose, passion and resilience, through wine.

A Quote I Love:
“You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” - Rocky Balboa

You can find Kat’s podcast on Spotify at ZenWine and follow her on Instagram.