Kate started early in the wine industry, at the age of 9, she picked grapes for the first time at Dr John Middleton’s Yarra Valley vineyard, Mount Mary and in the same year her father bought a piece of land on the Mornington Peninsula. For the next ten years she discovered first-hand what was involved in planting a vineyard and starting up the winery, Moorooduc Estate.
From 1991-1995 she completed an Arts Honours degree at Monash Clayton, majoring in Drama and Theatre studies with Honours in French language and literature. She spent six months of her Honours year studying in Lyon, researching a thesis on wine and food as an integral part of the French cultural identity.
In 1996 – 2000 she began her career in the wine industry at Philip Murphy Wine and Spirits. From 2000-2003 she worked as Business Development Manager for Italian wine importer and wholesaler, Trembath Taylor Tucker/T3 Fine Wine. In 2003 she combined freelance wine writing, wine education and study, with part-time work in the family business (www.moorooducestate.com.au). She became a full-time employee at Moorooduc Estate, in the role of Marketing Manager, in June 2009.
In 1998 Kate was the inaugural winner of the Negociants Working with Wine Fellowship and in 2001 was the Professional winner of the CIVC Vin de Champagne Award. In July 2003, Kate was inducted into the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne.
On Friday 3rd September 10, 2010, Kate was one of nine new Masters of Wine (world-wide) announced by the London based Institute of Masters of Wine (www.mastersofwine.org).
Kate qualified as a WSET approved educator in 2008 and has been involved since then in writing and teaching the WSET Diploma and III courses in Melbourne as well as training new Victorian WSET educators for levels II and III.