Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudia Zarate.
Claudia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Recognized throughout the world, the non-profit International Tea Masters Association, with its worldwide training locations, is acknowledged as the Gold Standard in tea education. It was founded in 2007 to provide mastery level education, training, and certification to aspiring tea sommeliers, tea blenders, and tea masters. Its superior faculty and outstanding curriculum are unmatched in the entire tea industry.
The association meets superior educational standards by offering its ITMA Certified Tea Sommelier Course™ for achieving the respected ITMA Certified Tea Sommelier™ designation. The home page on its website, teamasters.org, features a number of worldwide locations where the course is offered. Tuition for this training course is $975 to $1,475. It is a prerequisite for enrolling in its advanced ITMA Certified Tea Master Course™ for achieving the prestigious ITMA Certified Tea Master™ designation, the most prominent title in the tea industry. Tuition for the tea master course is $2,975. Its advanced ITMA Certified Tea Blender Course™ for achieving the ITMA Certified Tea Blender™ designation is exemplary and unmatched. Tuition for this course is $1,975.
The association is privileged to have ITMA Certified Grand Tea Master Roy Fong as its Director of Education. Fong, with his 30 years of tea experience, is regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on Chinese and Taiwanese teas.
With trainers in the U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and Eurooe, all of whom are ITMA Certified Tea Masters, the association has embarked on attracting ITMA Affiliate Trainers to foster its continued growth and expansion. The successful program has already attracted fifteen experienced tea aficionados with more to follow.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
ITMA’s biggest challenge involves new training schools entering the tea market, many of whom were originally trained by the association. Several of these organizations have modeled the association’s curriculum and benefits. Several have improperly used the association’s copyrighted materials.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with International Tea Masters Association – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Claudia Zarate, ITMA Certified Tea Master™ and ITMA Certified Tea Blender™, is an expert on high-end teas and the fruit of the vine as a professional wine sommelier, an expert on sake, tequila, and vodka, and a gourmand of fine cuisine. Her expertise is vast in each of these areas.
Claudia was the Wine Director for the Buddha Bar Mexico Restaurant, a French franchise that opened its doors in Mexico for the first time in January 2011. She developed the list of wines, menu pairings, and managed the purchasing of wines for its wine cellar of more than 2,300 bottles. She held this position until 2012.
Claudia graduated from the Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City and then attended the University of California – Davis Campus where she studied wine and winemaking. She also travels extensively to vineyards in France, Germany, Spain, and Calfornia, and is a member of the Dallas Sommelier Society.
Claudia participated as a sommelier on Radio Life & Style on the subject of wines and gastronomy in Spain, and has collaborated on the same program discussing different wines promoting automotive brands such as BMW, Audi, Mazda and Ford.
She was previously the official ambassador for the French brand Vodka Grey Goose (represented by Bacardi in Mexico). She was involved in social events where the brand was a sponsor and key component to the events as a symbol of exclusivity. Radio and TV and high-end social magazines were used as well to enhance the brand.
Claudia is just as passionate about tea as she is about wine. She had the recent good fortune of studying tea and its preparation under the tutelage of ITMA Certified Grand Tea Master Roy Fong during a special training event in San Francisco.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Claudia is currently promoting the association’s Certified Tea Sommelier course in Dallas, Miami and Mexico City.
Contact Info:
- Address: Dallas, Texas
- Website:www.TeaMasters.org
- Phone:619-210-1080
- Email:Service @TeaMasters.org
- Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/internationalteamasters/
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/internationalteamasters
- Twitter:https://twitter.com/Tea_masters
- Other:https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-tea-masters-association/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
