Taste is universal. If you follow it, you might just end up in Italy from Zeeland. Peter Kosten, together with his Italian business partner, runs The Wine People, a wine company whose paradise sign is Santa Tresa in Sicily.
Text and image: Niels van Laatum
Somewhat surprised we were, though, when it turned out that the co-owner of The Wine People was a Dutchman. But people with taste, they don't let themselves be limited. Peter Kosten was born and raised in Tholen, Zeeland, a province where not for nothing many famous chefs come from. Surely something with taste, which comes naturally there. That also proved his excellent choice to invite us for lunch and good conversation at the Rotterdam restaurant In den Rustwat.
Kosten started in the wine business over 30 years ago, when he started working for a large Dutch wine importer. From an early age, he visited suppliers in Puglia and Sicily. On that fascinating Italian island, he met Stefano Girelli, heir to Casa Girelli in Trentino, which took over the Santa Tresa wine estate in 2001. ‘Stefano offered me a job and so, after 12 years of being an importer, I suddenly became export manager of a historic Italian winery.’ Nevertheless, he continued to live in the Netherlands, spending a few days once a month in the office in Italy.
New adventure
Fast forward to December 2008. Stefano's family, whom Peter could now count as his friend, sold parent company Casa Girelli. At 47, Stefano found himself far too young to sit on the couch and wanted to get back into the wine business. He asked Peter to take up the adventure with him. ‘I didn't have to think long about that. I loved Italy anyway. And so from my employer, Stefano became my partner.’ They started The Wine People as an improved version of Casa Girelli. ‘Because what makes life fun? Wine and people! That's how the idea for the name was born.’ Santa Tresa became the physical base and was the starting point for the company's development. The Wine People has now grown into an international company with 22 employees
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