The story of the Shapiros starts with Kat and Kenny living it up in the lush redwoods and sandy beaches of Humboldt County, California. They were college kids, spending many days hiking, diving and thoroughly frolicking through the college experience. They left Norcal with two marine biology degrees from Humboldt State, a wiener dog, two cats, Vandal and Rosa; and most importantly a hope for a bright future. Ken and Kat also moved here simply as friends. Can you guess what happens next?!
In 2011 they landed in West Seattle like church mice, stashed in Ken’s uncle’s office building. From there they scored an apartment on Delridge, and to start out, a serving job at the Matador. Ken got his start delivering sandwiches via road bike in the rainy and cold streets of Seattle in spring. He truly understands the meaning of ‘hailstorm’ now!
Soon after, Ken landed a job on Alaskan fishing boats as a scientific observer. You know, the guy that rides with all the fisherman in the seismic seas of Alaska and keeps them in compliance with fishing laws? That’s right, Ken set off for 3 months at a time to embark on a real biology job!!
During this time Kat was killing it at the Matador, learning fast paced service and high-end tequila. Simmering in iron work, candles & nachos, fully embracing the alluring life of the Matador. Coming from Applebee’s on the 101 in Eureka, this was a very sexy upgrade to the level of service she had been veteran to.
Right before Ken left for the first time, they decided that they should be a thang and thanks to Seinfeld, they became more than just friends. This news shocked no one, as we had already been best friends, lab partners, dive partners for the entirety of the friendship (the story is that Ken had a crush on Kat the whole time;). Ken and Kat set sail on new territory in the relationship. And both knew that this was it. The following year Kat shocked the hell out of him by delighting him with news that the first daughter will be born in 9 months! You should have seen his jaw hit the floor. By then they were in a cute spot in West Seattle, but still a 950ft place still with the wienie dog Lily and two cats. Ken and Kat grew their family and success, one step at a time. They never came up fast and that is a lesson they often share. To best way to get where you are going is with intention, care, and patience.
Klara Maye Shapiro was born in spring of 2013 and they were truly delighted with their new angel baby. She screamed like hell for the first three months, and they could not believe that they were chosen for this incredible and terrifying job. They learned, they grew, they cried, they laughed, they walked, and they got through every challenge faced and continued to show up the best they could. Oh, it’s also helpful to mention that the wedding day was August 23, 2013. Three months after they had Klara. Planning a wedding with a newborn-they are very driven people!
In 2015 we started looking for a house, out of this apartment and into a home of their own. They were lucky enough to land in the perfect starter home in Des Moines. The service industry work continued because how else could Kat raise her daughter and make a full wage? Childcare is a high-ticket item. The double bind was the long, grueling nights of closing. By this time Ken was working for the City of Seattle as a License and Standards Inspector, so they would baby swap several nights a week.
At that time Ken was enrolled in his Master of Business program through WGU, he knew he needed more clout to pair with his government work. During this time, Ken learned to the craft of wood making and made several pieces of furniture for the house. This summer he will be making a new dining table for the family out of live edge wood with an acrylic river table. Not only is he a handy man with tools but Ken is an avid gardener, planting all seeds indoors first and then outside with the warming of the season. Watch for cherry tomatoes, cucumber trellis and pinot noir vines, planted in the perfect spot for the sun to shine all summer. Recently Ken took a promotion as Data and Reporting Manager for Tommy Bahama. Now we are living the Aloha life!
Meanwhile, Kat completed her 200-hr yoga teacher training at Spira Power Yoga. She discovered Bikram in Humboldt and fell in love with vinyasa in Seattle. Around 2015, the Somm movie was also making its waves and Kat fell in love with wine. Finally, after years of service and working the restaurant industry, she felt like she finally found her purpose. She dove into the wine path, taking 4 wine certifications within six years. She got her first tasting room gig at Charles Smith Jet City, then worked as assistant manager at Reds Wine Bar from 2016-2019.
The family was growing during these years and Kate Olivia was born in summer of 2016. Two girls, Kate and Klara, three years apart. Two daughters and a terrier named Larry and a golden Pyrenees named Vina. Life is busy building family, building careers, and themselves. In the spring of 2019, they purchased their second home in Lake Tapps. They felt at home and incredibly blessed to have landed in their perfect home, complete with a view of the lake, Mt. Rainier, and local parks galore.
In an enormous effort to build the dream life, the decision was made to pursue the prestigious Diploma, the two-year wine certification from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. It was a long, hard road for both – as Ken absorbed much of the parental duties during that time while Kat was deep diving into wine education. This brought Kat into the next (and current role) as an Account Manager for Mark Ryan Winery for the South Sound territory.
Growth often takes sacrifice, and the choice was crucial for the next step of the Shapiros evolution in life- entrepreneurship.
With the third grade* and kindergarten year fully underway, the Shapiro girls are loving Crestwood Elementary School, tucked in the forest of Lake Tapps. Klara has been working hard at swim team- she started Vast in Sept and twice a week she is honing her skills, practicing endurance, and wishing she still did swim lessons at the YMCA! She also is enrolled in Kumon and that is also a love/hate relationship, but at the end of the day her confidence and grades went up and that’s always the priority in the Shapiro home.
Kate is winning at kindergarten*, it’s amazing how two kids can be so different from each other. She is a little more introverted and confident naturally, so she thrives playing soccer and swim lessons every week at the YMCA. It’s great having a place to swim and be active in the cold season, when they are not swimming in the lake! Summer is a valued time for the family as they love to hike, swim, bike and walk around the neighborhood. The west Tapps neighborhood has full amenities of parks, the ‘swing park’, Bankers spit dog park and Jenks for the kids and jumping off the dock. Living in such a gorgeous place makes summer living close by so they often stay local.
When the Shapiros do travel, they tend to go to the coast. In March they went to Kona and had a wonderful vacation, soaking up sunshine and swimming in the waves. Late summer they are going camping and to the Washington coast. There’s nothing better than to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and spending time together as a family, including Kat’s mom who lives nearby in Tehala. Whether it’s simply eating together, piecing a unicorn puzzle, reading, swimming or gardening; the real quality time spent together feels like it’s a great way to enjoy every minute with the family as they are today. People change quickly in the Shapiro home (and surely everyone with kids knows this), practicing mindfulness is a great way to soak up these precious times with the people we love.
This family is focused on infusing spirituality as a way of life into everyday experiences of being human. So, while they are not the church-attending family, or subscribers to any religious sector, they are living an incredibly spiritual life in which the words God, universe, wellbeing and grateful are part of the everyday vocabulary.
At the end of 2021, Kat and Ken Shapiro opened their own business. It’s called ZenWine and it’s an online wine club that offers quarterly wine memberships. It’s the culmination of 20 years in the service industry, 8 years of wine training and 13 years of yoga; and we are so proud to share.
The bones of this business is sharing outstanding wines of the world and the flesh is the exceptional service and hospitality, delivered to your door with premium tasting notes on each and every wine. Since opening the business, they have expanded into home & corporate tastings and Kat became the primary instructor for the WSET Level 1 Cohort in Woodinville, Washington. She teaches Level 1 & Level 2 through the Wine & Spirit Archive.
All the memberships come with a ‘zen’ or wellness topic, because wine and wellness is always the best way to go! Each wine is chosen with love and intention- bringing you exceptional wines that compliment and contrast each other. We believe that every palate is a good palate, and the goal is to elevate your tasting experience.
*Update! 2nd and 5th grade!