Interview with Malgorzata Kielak - FIND YOUR WINE MATCH
In July 2021, Malgorzata Kielak opened her eclectic wine store in Kollwitzkiez in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg. Malgorzata, who likes to introduce herself as Gosia, has since its opening created a welcoming space not only for shopping quality wine, but also for wine lovers to gather and enjoy their wine by the glass. The female entrepreneur has an inspiring vision: To change the wine world. With FIND YOUR WINE MATCH, Gosia has set up an accessible and intuitive system that facilitates selecting a wine that is a match indeed. Bonus: Gosia shares her favourite Berlin places in her Berlin Guide at the end of the interview.
Text and Photography: Katharina Müller
Dear Gosia, what is your background?
I come from Warsaw, where I spent most of my life. I studied International Economics at the Warsaw School of Economics with a focus on international trade but also project management and I always thought I would be working in project management. At that time, I already enjoyed travelling a lot and I wanted to study abroad. I came through Erasmus to Germany and studied at Frankfurt/ Oder. I really enjoyed my time there.
When did you firstly come in touch with Berlin?
I moved to Berlin in 2012 after finishing my Master's in Poland. During my studies, I got a 6 months internship in project management at Bombardier Transportation in Berlin. As part of a Canadian company, they produce aircrafts but here in Berlin trains, also for the S-Bahn.
And when did you move to Berlin?
After finishing my internship at Bombardier, I moved to Prague for one and a half years for a job in investor relations. After that contract ran out, I returned to Warsaw for two years and worked at Accenture, one of the biggest consulting companies, rolling out digital campaigns. And then I fell in love and moved back to Berlin since I fell in love in one guy but also in Berlin and I was looking for an opportunity to come back. Even now, whenever I travel and I see the TV tower from the plane, I feel as if I was going back home. Berlin is my home.
How did you enter the world of wine eventually?
I actually wrote my final Master thesis on “Poland as a potential and long-term market for Italian wines”. I always wanted to work in wine, I thought the product was cool and sexy, but as a Polish, wine is not part of the Polish culture so I didn’t really think about it as a profession. As part of my passion, I started a course as a sommelière which I learned three years ago. I also did the course in Italian, so I could use my Italian skills and learn a bit more about wine and I really enjoyed it. I then joined Berliner Wine Trophy, one of the world's largest wine competitions as a juror tasting wines. It takes place twice a year and I have been part of the jury for the past three years and for 9 days you taste approximately 700 wines so your palette is really developed! There are more of these competitions, so I also went to Warsaw as part of the jury.
And how did it come about that you founded your own company with FIND YOUR WINE MATCH?
In Berlin, I discovered the start-up scene. For three years I worked for wefox, an insurtech company and I learned a lot, also with regards to long-term investment. I felt I needed to start something on my own in a way that I can work on my own success and focus on my own growth and especially related to wine. During my 9-year professional career I achieved a lot and during the first year of the pandemic, I was wondering whether I should continue my corporate career or whether I should do something on my own and if, why not to do it now. And luckily everything panned out, like stones in a mosaic. In hindsight, the change from a stable corporate job to my own business was a journey. I realised that it's not a sprint but rather a marathon.
When did you open your store in Prenzlauer Berg?
In March 2021 I got the space for the shop, but due to lockdown and COVID restrictions I was only able to open the shop four months later in July 2021. That gave at least time to prepare the interior design, the only thing that was in the space was the pink floor which fits perfectly. I had time to think about the colours, storage and organisation of the space. We put the mosaic into the bar, decided on the lamps and the two larger installations are my friend’s who is an architect. Everything in the shop is handmade.
Your shop is eclectic and modern and the colour pink dominates.
For FIND YOUR WINE MATCH I wanted to create a concept that is out of the box. Everyone told me to go with burgundy, because it is the colour of wine but I somehow was stuck on pick, although it’s not related to wine in any way. Do you know why I chose pink? Pink to me is also the colour of Berlin, it means freedom and courage. I also wanted to have a colour that is catchy and modern – and pink is also a sensual colour. You want to find wine that matches you, it is like finding a person you want to get along with – and date your person. That matches the colour pink as well.
With your concept you make wine selection accessible for everyone. What sparked the idea for it in the first place?
I found myself standing in front of a shelf and I didn’t know which wine to pick despite my knowledge. I realised that a simple system for wine selection is missing. I started wondering how people feel without the knowledge and education that I have as a sommelière. That was the first incentive that led me to think about starting FIND YOUR WINE MATCH in Berlin.
What is the concept behind FIND YOUR WINE MATCH?
Wine is basically like a person; you won’t get along with everyone. A simple and more intuitive system for wine selection is missing and I think instead of scanning wine bottles we should start with people with their values, their needs, their tastes and their life style because being a wine lover is a life style. Currently there is a trend in the wine industry, that young people drink less wine so something needs to change. That’s why I set up the system of the wine styles for white wine, red wine, sparkling and rosé wine. It's not about grapes or regions but about taste that people are looking for; people are also looking for a wine that fits their life style, for instance the occasion or food pairing. All the wine styles got defined based on taste and main wine traits such as body, acidity, sweetness, tannin and fruit. Each wine style fits a different occasion and food.
Where do you source your wine?
I want to focus on European wine producers, and I want to promote local products with quality as a key and modern labelling. Labelling, to me, is about messaging. A lot of people choose their wine for its labels – and why not if the quality is good and the label beautiful, too? All my wine is between 10-20 EUR range because I don’t think you have to spend a fortune to have good-quality wine.
What would you recommend to people who are unsure which wine to pick?
I’d recommend taking our online quiz, that will give you a rough idea which wine style you might like. In general, I would say, try wine, see which one fits. It is like meeting people, you won’t get along with everyone but that is why it is important to meet different people and learn about them. It’s the same for wine.
Do you have plans to develop your concept?
I offer monthly wine box subscriptions and I’d like to develop that further. I have to be honest; I meet a lot of people here and hear a lot of personal stories. I find out that people come here who not only look for their wine match, but also for a person to date. So, I have this idea of bringing both together and am currently working on a concept for a dating app for wine lovers. I have some other ideas, too! I host regular monthly meetups of International Women in Berlin and Weinhopping and I also organise public and private events, where I show people what to focus on while tasting wine. The place is also a great location for team building events and private events such as bachelor parties or birthday parties due to its unique design.
www.findyourwinematch.com
@findyourwinematch
Malgorzata’s Berlin Guide
Food & Drink
Weinerei Forum Bar – This is a wine bar I used to go a lot, it’s close to Bernauer Straße in Mitte.
Café Hermann Eicke – A cozy and modern café in Brunnenstraße in Mitte.
Dr. Maury – It’s a French place in Prenzlauer Berg.
Spreegold – They have different locations in Berlin and I used to go there often.
Gazzo – It’s a great place for very good Italian food and pizza.
Music & Nightlife:
Hintersee-Bar – It’s a great bar with Jazz events, too.
Yorkschlösschen – A more traditional bar with lots of nice Jazz music events.
Klunkerkranich – It’s an open space in Neukölln on top of Neukölln Arcaden.
Nature & Green spaces:
Bernsteinsee – This is a nice lake a bit outside of Berlin which makes it less crowded.
Volkspark Friedrichshain – This park in Prenzlauer Berg is one of my favourite parks in Berlin.
Plötzensee – I enjoy this lake in Wedding, too, and it’s easily accessible.