Alma Fría
Sonoma Coast AVA
Terroir-driven wines that are a wonderful addition to the West Sonoma Coast wine community
Born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, Jan Holtermann grew up in a family within the food and wine import business. Jan became the third generation to lead the family business and over the years, had the opportunity to represent many notable and leading wineries from all over the world. In working alongside each of the wineries, Jan was exposed to the work culture, the philosophy, the winemaking style, and the vision each had of their place in the global wine map - from very small producers with rare finds to million-case entities. The personal relationships developed with these entrepreneurs, enologists and viticulturists, and the stories behind their journeys and traditions, eventually inspired Jan to pursue his own winemaking path.
In 2011, Jan and his family moved to Northern California and planted new roots in the remote ridge-tops of Annapolis on the West Sonoma Coast. Here, they purchased a small 2 1/2 acre vineyard and established Alma Fría ("the soul of a family"), a tiny, incredibly focused winery that produces only two varietals - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - exclusively from West Sonoma Coast. This rugged, foggy, and mountainous wine region provides ideal growing conditions for crafting delightfully aromatic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that express a sense of place and that are naturally elegant and complex. Jan's wines are made from the family Holtermann Vineyard and other nearby cool, coastal properties that grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of great character and distinction.
Winemaker Carroll Kemp and Vineyard Manager Greg Adams round out the team at Alma Fría. Their talent and profound familiarity with the nuances and complexities of winegrowing within the West Sonoma Coast and their shared philosophy of a "vineyard first" approach to winemaking has led to a perfectly united vision behind this thoughtfully created new brand.
Alma Fría's wines have earned the attention of several prestigious wine industry periodicals and have won several awards and high ratings over the years.
Through their Alma Fría wines, the Holtermanns strive to express their love of land and family - the beautiful Sonoma Coast that is so perfect for Burgundian varietals, and the passion and soul of their family who have long been dedicated to this industry.
Alma Fría's terroir-driven wines are a wonderful addition to the West Sonoma Coast wine community and we know great things are in store for their future.
Carroll Kemp - Winemaker
"When Jan approached me that he wanted to start a wine brand and asked me if I wanted to help with it, it was easy to say yes," winemaker Carroll Kemp has stated. Carroll is a film producer turned-winemaker who first fell in love with wine when he was living in Los Angeles in the late 1990's. Like many, his passion for wine began as a hobby, but it didn't take long for it to uproot his profession. Carroll Kemp co-founded Red Car Wines (Sonoma) in 2000 and was named the first president of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners, a group dedicated to wineries and growers passionate about farming wine grapes in Sonoma County. He believes in making site-driven wines that truly represent the place they are from, and he has garnered several prestigious awards over the course of his winemaking career.
