Wine Immersion Success Stories – Jan Holterman

An Executive Approach

After 20 years in the wine import business in Costa Rica, Jan Holterman was looking for a wine education program that fit the needs of a busy executive. Jan's grandfather had started a wine import business in 1947, and Jan had added another marketing-driven import business that catered to a niche market of hotels, restaurants, and retail operations in San José, Costa Rica's capital.

Feeling that he necessarily got caught up in the commercial aspect of his businesses, Jan was looking for a practical, intensive course of study that would allow him to venture into new wine vistas and provide a complement to his existing comprehension of wine. The opportunity to systematically taste, assess, and compare wines outside of his existing portfolios—as well as to be in the Napa Valley for a month—drew him to choose the CIA's Wine Immersion over longer programs that were more specifically oriented towards sommeliers.

"As a mid-career wine professional, the CIA's Wine Immersion became a platform for a renovated and refreshed wine knowledge that allowed me to view the business from new angles and roll out new consumer-oriented programs in our market," he says. "My experience was tremendously positive, and I would highly recommend the Wine Immersion to professionals in the fields of general management, marketing, and export markets, as well as food and beverage directors, executive chefs, and other professionals who want to grow their businesses and keep up to date on emerging wine trends."

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