Katie Worobeck has an incredible smile and a sparkling gaze. From the very first moments spent with her, it becomes clear that her wines are just like her: they are luminous, sensitive, lively, and filled with a contagious energy.

Although she is originally from Canada, Katie did not necessarily set out to become a winemaker. After studying political economy, she gradually discovered agriculture and wine, worked for several years in the vineyards of Ontario, and then continued her training in South Africa.

In 2017, she moved to the Jura region and joined Anne and Jean-François Ganevat’s estate. She remained there for several years, learning from them a commitment to excellence, patience, and infinite attention to every detail.

She then launched her own project, Maison Maenad, and settled in Orbagna, in the Sud-Revermont region. Today, Katie cultivates her vineyards with a particular focus on soil health and the balance of her environment. In the cellar, she tends to her wines with the same gentleness: delicate pressing, gravity-fed processes, long aging in old containers, and no desire to mask or force the wine.

We visited her at the end of February for an extended barrel tasting. It was a truly delightful experience, not only because the wines were delicious, but also because our conversation with Katie flowed so naturally and was so enjoyable. Everything seemed simple, effortless, and joyful, even as each wine revealed impressive precision and depth.

A few months later, when she offered us a few bottles of her signature wine, the 2022 Chardonnay De l’Avant, we were obviously over the moon and particularly proud to be able to begin this wonderful collaboration with her.

De l’Avant comes from Chardonnay vines grown on the Au Carré Saint Laurent plot, three hectares acquired near Grusse. The grapes are pressed directly in an old vertical press, and the wine is then aged for two years in various old wooden vessels.

The result is a magnificent Chardonnay—dense and deep, yet always driven by remarkable energy and precision. A vibrant, complex, and deeply moving wine that speaks as much to its terroir as it does to the sensitivity of the winemaker who crafted it.