Pictured above: Kate Janecek, Buying Director at U'wine

Kate Janecek has quite the resume, with stints at four of the UK's top distributors (Acker, Berry Bros. & Rudd, Goedhuis Waddesdon, and Justerini & Brooks) since joining the fine wine industry in 2007. While continuing to run her own wine buying consultancy, Kate moved to Bordeaux in January 2024 to head the buying department at U'wine.

Discover Kate's favourite bottle shop in Bordeaux and the Piedmontese Chardonnay producer she believes is on the rise.

Wine Lister: Tell us about your current "house wine".

Kate Janecek: At the moment it’s likely to be the RR Riesling from Weingut Keller and Reserve de la Comtesse from Pichon Lalande. I’ve always bought the basic wines from the great producers of the world because it was all I could afford at one time - but they also tend to be excellent quality.

WL: What do you drink when you're not drinking wine?

KJ: I tend to have a nice dram if it’s late or if it’s cold. I’ve always loved Daftmilll and Macallan but now I’m living in Bordeaux I’ve been trying new French whiskies which are lighter and very enjoyable. Otherwise it’s Vichy Catalan or Badoit – sparking water is my second love in life.

WL: What does "fine wine" mean to you?

KJ: Fine wine is anything that tastes like a sense of place, no matter where it’s from in the world. Zarate makes some of the greatest white wines, and, at less than €30 a bottle, you get a wine that can age 20 years. It tastes of the sea that it's next to - terribly romantic stuff.

WL: The best restaurant wine list in Bordeaux?

KJ: Ressources is my personal favourite because what they have on their list is a fraction of what they have available. Just let them lead you. Otherwise, Point Rouge which has great bottles from top producers and Au Bistrot which has very fair prices.

WL: What emerging region are you most excited about?

KJ: Spain in general is shining right now with exciting producers in the Canary Islands, Galicia, and Jerez. I have to say that Tenerife and Gran Canaria are making some exceptional reds and whites worth following.

WL: What is your standing on natural wine?

KJ: I used to say I hated it but the definition is so foggy and the variety so broad that it’s hard to have an overall opinion on it. My general rule is that sulfites are necessary if you want your wine to survive beyond one year and to be exported further than 100km.

WL:  Your go-to wine shop in Bordeaux?

KJ: Autres Châteaux is by far the absolute best wine shop in Bordeaux. Incredible selection and the guys who work there are so nice and helpful. They know their stuff and recommend based on what you're really looking for.

WL: If you could share a glass of wine with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you drink?

KJ: It would have to be Aubert de Villaine drinking 1945 Romanée Conti from DRC. Imagine overseeing the greatest and most sought-after domaine in the world for all those years! The stories he must have, the people he has met…

WL: If you weren't working in wine, what would you be doing?

KJ: Working in finance in the City of London and earning loads of money so that I could buy more wine.

WL: To finish, can you share with our readers one producer to watch?

KJ: I am really excited about Giulia Negri in Piedmont. She is the new generation of great winemakers and is making exceptional wines from Chardonnay - a grape variety ideally suited to the Piedmontese climate. She is also incredibly kind and passionate about what she is doing.