Student stories: experiences that inspire

Marit Lusti  

Meet Marit, a certificated forklift driver!
Originally from Estonia but she moved away quite a while ago. She discovered her passion for wine while working in catering during her bachelor's in journalism and communication - a curiosity took her all the way to Australia to see how wine is actually made.

Since then, she has completed eight harvests in Australia (McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley, Tasmania) and France (Bordeaux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape), getting her hands and feet (literally) dirty in winemaking.

Now, she's working at @exitalia_international, a marketing and PR agency helping Spanish wineries grow internationally. Last spring, she started working in a luxury travel and wine tourism agency @riverloire in the Loire Valley and continued through the summer before heading to @maisonbrotte in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for harvest.

Joining the WINTOUR master's program was the perfect way to combine her two passions - marketing and winemaking. With a strong commitment to sustainability and communication, Marit has completed WSET Level 2 Wines and Spirits, several sustainability courses and is currently working on becoming a Cava Educator.

When she's not working with wine, you'll probably find her hiking up a mountain somewhere.

Esau Farfan

Meet Esau - global explorer, wine lover, and advocate for all things tourism. 

A Chicagoland native, Esau's journey into wine began visiting French wine regions in his teens. While earning his degree in Poli Sci and International Relations at Loyola University Chicago, he spent summers leading corporate tours, sharing Chicago's rich history and neighborhoods. It was here that he discovered a deeper passion for tourism. His last semester in the Rome campus, a trip to Tuscany introduced him to agroturismo and visited more wineries in Italy and France.

Years later, while pursuing a Master's in International Marketing in Tourism in Edinburgh, Scotland, he joined the Whisky Society. Visits to regions like Speyside and Islay opened his eyes to Spirits Tourism, where heritage, landscape, and craft blend to create unforgettable experiences.

During the pandemic, Esau and his father began developing a vineyard in Mexico, focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir-two varietals with potential in the region. The vision? To build a vibrant wine destination with locals, where wine, history, gastronomy, landscape, and culture come together. That vision led him to Wintour, where he learned about wine tourism across Spain, France, and Portugal. 

Next? More vineyards & travel. Esau's goal: to build a wine region rooted in heritage, curiosity, and fun. Because for him, wine is a journey. And the adventure is just beginning

Evangelia Kasapaki 

Meet Evangelia Kasapaki, known to everyone as Eva.

She comes from the stunning island of Crete, Greece and proudly embraces her Greek heritage. With a background rooted in agriculture, her connection to the vineyard lifestyle started early-growing up surrounded by vines and olive trees, helping her grandparents with harvests, and witnessing how wine is woven into everyday life and tradition.

Eva joined the WINTOUR program to delve deeper into the beautiful connection between people, wine, and culture. Her wine tourism career started when Eva worked as a guide at wineries in Crete, leading tours and wine tastings. Where she deepened her passion for sharing Greek wines with others.

Currently, she is interning in Santorini as the Marketing Coordinator for @santorini_wine_tour where she curates engaging content to promoting Santorini's exceptional wine experiences while building connections with wine enthusiasts worldwide. This past summer she explored wine tourism in Mallorca @bodegascanvidalet and participated in the harvest season in Tuscany, Italy @tenutadivalgiano_

Eva dreams of building a career in Greece and helping the world discover just how special Greek wines truly are. With a rich tapestry of indigenous grape varieties and a unique blend of hospitality and tradition.

When not immersed in the world of wine, Eva can be found chasing an adrenaline rush with her dream of becoming a professional skydiver, journaling her thoughts and adventures, or exploring new hiking trails to connect with nature. For her, life's an adventure-and she intends to savor every drop of it.

Tai Mondragon 

Born and raised in Mexico City, Tai swapped fashion marketing and two years of running her own business for a new obsession: wine, food, and the art of hospitality.

A business‑management grad wine lover, she joined @wintour_master to dive deep into how great bottles bring people together.
Tai's interhships while part of WINTOUR include a summer in Chianti Classico, harvest in Portugal's Douro Valley, and now an internship in Livermore Valley, California @livermorevalleywine where she's spreading the word about one of California's emerging wine regions and also working for Global AVA @theglobalava, a network that shines a spotlight on small but mighty appellations around the world.
Next up Tai hopes to launch a new business that mixes wine education, food pairings, and unforgettable experiences-inviting more people into the wine world she loves.
When she's off the clock you'll catch Tai with a good book in one hand, gym gear in the other, fresh‑baked treats cooling for friends, and a hiking trail calling her name.
Outside work she enjoys reading, keeps active at the gym, hikes when she can, and loves to cook and bake for friends. ¡Salud!

Carlos Ramos 

Here we go with Carlos, a passionate wine tourism professional!
Originally from Barcelona, Carlos has always had a love for travel & culture in his DNA, starting as a child when he was next to his father, copiloting on long road trips during family vacations. Apart from his tourism degree, his curiosity for wine led him to pursue a career as a certified sommelier, where he found the perfect blend of his two passions. This was the result of an innate interest in learning and evolving, combined with a mid-life crisis that led to a professional break, allowing him to fully dedicate himself to the WINTOUR master's program.
With over 20 years of experience as a tour guide in luxury and cultural tourism, Carlos has worked across 84 countries worldwide and guided international guests in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, and Italian. Portuguese is now part of his language repertoire. His background also includes gastronomic tours and wine education.
Now, he's completing his final internship at The Porto Protocol Foundation in Porto, where he's contributing to communication and social media strategies focused on sustainability in wine tourism. Last summer, Carlos interned at biodynamic wineries in France, learning about their sustainable practices and improving his French in the process.
Joining the WINTOUR master's program was the perfect way for Carlos to merge his experience in tourism with his passion for wine and explore the EU terroir, while also brushing up on his languages. He is now specializing in sustainable wine tourism, focusing on these practices and destination branding, with plans to further develop his career.
Carlos is thrilled to continue his journey, aiming to create the perfect blend of tourism, wine, and sustainability for a better world, while contributing to innovative experiences.
When he's not immersed in wine tourism, you can find Carlos practicing extreme sports like snowboarding, kitesurfing or scubadiving, or perhaps with some luck, DJing at any party (his not that well-known side...), or exploring new cultures and landscapes in places off the beaten path.

Kirsten Bras 

Meet Kirsten - tourism expert, wine enthusiast, and a true lover of Spain and its incredible wines. 

Originally from the Netherlands, she fell in love with hospitality early on. Working as a Hotel Manager in Amsterdam, she realized tourism was her thing but discovering the world of wine made it even better!
As a kid, she spent family vacations exploring France's wine regions, unknowingly preparing herself for a life surrounded by grapes. WINTOUR was her first real step into wine tourism, and it only made her curiosity grow!
Last summer, she did her tourism internship with @sommelier_tristan in Valencia, then rolled up her sleeves for harvest at @apotecariceller with the legendary @pepmañe (WINTOUR 2 crew!). Stomping grapes and learning the winemaking process made her appreciate every glass even more.
Now, she's gaining hands-on experience as a sommelier at THE TRAITOR in Valencia, collaborating with a Michelin-starred chef to create thoughtful wine and food pairings. On top of that, she's helping shape the guest experience as a consultant for a wine hotel in Utiel-Requena.
Traveling through Europe's most famous wine regions as part of the WINTOUR master's program has given her a deep understanding of wine cultures, winemaking techniques, and the hospitality side of the industry. And the best part? There's always more to learn!

What's next? More wine, more travel, and probably another vineyard adventure. If you're looking for her, she's most likely in Valencia... unless she's off chasing the next great wine region! 

Juliana Moreira 

Meet Juliana, a proud Portuense with a passion for wine, travel, and unforgettable experiences.
With a background in tourism, Juliana (or as we call her; Juju) has led everything from tuk-tuk tours through Porto's hidden gems to guided bus trips across the scenic Douro Valley.
Her love for wine began while working at a winery in the Vinho Verde region, sparking her decision to join the WINTOUR Master's where she's spent the past four semesters learning about wine and different cultures across Europe.
Her internships reflect her adventurous spirit and curiosity:
Wine Tourism - Living Tours, Porto Tour Operations - Culture Discovery Destinations, Winemaking - Çanakkale, Turkey: an intense yet rewarding experience where she fell in love with the country's people, culture, and energy.
Juliana's ambitions continue to evolve through each semester. What began as a dream to start her own wine tourism company in Portugal has transformed into a new goal: becoming a sommelier on a cruise ship, bringing wine knowledge to travelers around the world. In her words, "We're too young to be tied to one place."

Raphaela Cevallos 

Raphaela joined WINTOUR because she wanted to blend her passion for wine, hospitality, and tourism in an international setting.

Her background is in hospitality management and business from the University of Central Florida, where she did a study abroad program in Lyon, France, and fell in love with the experience while also advancing in French language. Moving along, she also took wine and spirits courses with a very passionate professor, who launched her passion for both wine and spirits. From then, she decided to focus on the wine world.
*Internships*
·⁠ ⁠Château de Bellet - A restored chapel turned winery in Nice, France. @chateaudebelletnice
·⁠ ⁠Clos des Vignes du Maynes - A biodynamic winery in Burgundy, France. @closdesvignesdumaynes
·⁠ ⁠WineTourism .com - Remotely onboarding wineries and planning personalized wine tours around the world.

After graduation, Raphaela plans to gain more experience in the hospitality and beverage sector, possibly in Spain, France (would love to live in Arles), or Portugal. Eventually, she wants to open a bar with art (from local artists), fashion (second-hand and vintage clothes), music (dj sets), specialty cocktails, and curated wine selections (focusing on lesser-known regions, smaller producers, and themed wine tastings, such as single-variety wines from around the world, regional explorations, volcanic soils, etc.). Ultimately, she hopes to settle in Europe, seeing what opportunities arise that will allow her to continue living there.