Interview – Kati Vainionpää Wine Australia

Kati Vainionpää

Kati Vainionpää is from Finland. More specifically - Ikaalinen, a small country town surrounded by lakes and forest – a sizeable 15,000kms and a world away from Sydney, Australia. Yet one summer evening in 2003, “during a family barbeque where there was a lot of indulging in wine” Kati’s interest and love of wine was “sparked”, starting her journey down-under where she now manages the education programme for Wine Australia across the Asia-Pacific. Kati’s role is to help drive the organisations significant push into the region though education, something she has embraced through her own study and love of Australian wine.

Ashley Pini caught up with Kati after she graduated from the Sydney Wine Acadamy’s WSET Diploma course along with the 2018 alumni at Hubert’s Restaurant in Sydney.

Ashley Pini: When did you arrive and what drew you to the Australian wine industry?

Kati Vainionpää: I arrived in Australia eleven years ago and started traveling around the country pretty much straight away. While I was exploring wine regions I learnt more about beautiful landscapes and met so many welcoming people with ‘can do’ attitudes, which I like. I felt I found something extraordinary that could trigger my passion even further. I always knew my career will be in the alcohol industry, I just didn’t know precisely in what category and how to get involved.

AP: You are now running the education programmes for Wine Australia in Asia. What does this role involve?

KV: My role as an Education Manager involves managing a brand-new education program ‘Australian Wine Discovered’ for Asia Pacific markets, and supporting international wine educators with the resources they need to share the Australian wine experience. Also, planning and organising educational activities are on my daily task list.

AP: You’ve just graduated with a diploma in wine from the Sydney Wine Academy and TAFE NSW. What motivated you to do the course and how do you hope it will now benefit you in developing your career?

KV: I spent a couple years of thinking of studying a Diploma as I felt like I was stuck in the same space and going nowhere. Finally, when I made the decision, I understood how well a Diploma would impact my career, uplift and increase my knowledge of the wine world. Also, having a WSET Diploma is something that no one can take away from me. It’s a great stepping stone for many new opportunities such as teaching WSET and networking with the global wine sector.

AP: I believe the course was over three years and was quite intensive. What were the most challenging aspects and how much time did you have to dedicate to the course?

KV: The most challenging aspect was balancing work, studies and my personal life (thanks to my fantastic friends for understanding the lack of social life at the time). Over the last couple of years, I’ve been travelling regularly interstate and overseas for my work and my biggest challenge was to find time to study and concentrate. I aimed to spend 10 to 15 hours per week for theory study, which unfortunately didn’t always happen.

AP: How did it fit in with your work schedule?

KV: I had some challenges. One of the most important skills I learnt was to work and study without life getting in the way. I’ve been fortunate to work with people who have mentored and supported me, even when I’ve been on the road. I discovered that it’s important to be a bright student: learn, listen, ask questions and be open-minded when I am on the go. I have tasted a variety of wines and met great personalities behind some of the most fascinating wines from beautiful regions in Australia and overseas.

Reading on the plane was a great plan but was always an ultimate fail, at least for me. Of course, I scheduled my theory studying at home and tasted wine wherever I could. There were times that I couldn’t make some of my exam dates or in class dates but luckily my study buddies kept me informed. I might not have been the best student to attend all study days, but I always understood the extra layer of work involved. It’s also important to have a functional group of study buddies. We supported each other during tastings, theory or everyday matters. As we are different types of students with the same aim. It’s incredible to feel strong support from likeminded people.

AP: What were the most enjoyable aspects of the course?

KV: One of the toughest subjects for me was ‘Spirits’, and it became one of my favourite units. I really enjoyed having enthusiastic teachers that made a huge difference in learning – practice tastings, online classroom, explaining the characters and reasons for the product examples that I tasted. This really helped my study journey with a topic that I wasn’t so familiar with. AP: Have you already felt that the skills developed in the course have helped you in your current role? KV: Absolutely, I now have a WSET teaching opportunity which is very exciting. Personally, I’ve learnt how to study smarter, be around those passionate people and concentrate on the right matters which is excellent in my current role. We had a tasting group that really helped – it’s also a great way to discuss the wines and see why someone else had somewhat different opinions on wine. I feel like by having regular wine tastings, my view on Australian and world wine has grown immensely. I trust my opinions more than ever.

AP: What advice would you give anyone considering the diploma in wine?

KV: Listen, learn to write essays, take advice and remember to enjoy your fascinating wine learning journey and freshen your mind with some fun too!