Professional Taster since 2024

Elise lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. After a three-year educational path, from 2018 Elise is an ONAOO Professional Taster. Her passion for olive oil began in 2011 during an investigation into the quality of olive oil in local supermarkets. Her research resulted in a question: is the olive oil found on the shelves really extra virgin? Elise is also a traveller, gourmet and self-taught cook; loves to educate others on how to find superior quality extra virgin olive oils, especially in regions where traditional olive oil is not produced.

In 2019, Diana and her husband initiated the establishment of a modest olive grove in the Marche region of Italy.

As a result of the substantial increase in production, they made the decision to sell their business in the Netherlands. Currently, the company’s exclusive focus is on the production of extra virgin olive oil in Italy under the Di Lorenzetto brand, which is renowned for its superior quality.

To further refine the quality of their oil and gain a deeper understanding of the varieties, flavors, health properties, and defects of olive oil, Diana decided to embark on a training course. She began with a tasting course in Madrid, followed by a technical course and an advanced one at O.N.A.O.O., concluding her studies in november 2024 with the qualification of Professional Taster. In 2024, she also obtained her olive oil sommelier certification at the International Culinary Institute in New York.

Since 2019, Diana has been a member of the Olive Oil Institute panel from the Netherlands. She also regularly conducts workshops and masterclasses for schools, chefs, amateur cooks, and olive oil enthusiasts in the Netherlands and Italy.

Manuela was born in Genoa but spent her entire childhood in Imperia. She currently resides between Imperia, Shanghai, and Bangkok.

She represents the fourth generation of can makers and is actively involved in the “Guatelli Museum”, which houses the Family Collection of Italian Olive Oil Cans. This collection comprises over 6,000 pieces of olive oil cans and lithographic stones, which provide important evidence of the flourishing industry related to the oil trade that developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

In 2006, Manuela relocated to Asia with her husband and four sons. Despite the distance, she has not forgotten her roots. She has promoted the prestige of extra virgin olive oil, the history and flavors of Mediterranean cuisine beyond national borders through organizing Italian cooking classes, on-demand chefs and catering.

Her passion for extra virgin olive oil has its roots in her family; in fact, her father dedicated his life to the production of oil cans. My father, who crossed Europe every week to sell his cans, would return home on weekends with stories and anecdotes about this fascinating industry.

Having a global vision of the oil market, he could grasp even the smallest nuances of it, which made me want to be part of this wonderful world. In recent years, she finally managed to crown her passion by attending the ONAOO Course and becoming a Professional Taster in 2024. Manuela is actively engaged with several Italian associations abroad, promoting the history, culture, and art of extra virgin olive oil tasting on a global scale.