Pio Maria Costa, a lifelong olive oil enthusiast, was born in Genoa in 1966 and is married with two children. He holds a high school diploma in Accounting and a degree in Political Science, majoring in International Studies, from the University of Genoa with a final grade of 106/110.
His great-great-grandfather, Giacomo, founded “Costa” olive oil, which later became “Olio Dante,” one of the first olive oils to be exported worldwide, establishing its guidelines. The oil remained family-owned until the 1990s.
In 1992, he founded “Lorenzo Costa fu Eugenio srl,” and remains its sole director. The company specializes in home delivery of extra virgin olive oil and other high-quality food products, and directly manages the purchasing of raw materials. He is an expert in Master Blending and quality control. In 1996, he became a certified ONAOO Professional Taster and has been Panel Leader since 2000. Since 1998, he has been a member of the official Test Panel of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce and since 2001, Deputy Panel Leader. Since 2022, he has been an official judge on the Commodity Exchange deputation of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce. From 2006 to 2023, he was a member of the ONAOO Board of Directors. He has also participated in competitions organized by ONAOO, such as the DEGUSTATORE DELL’ANNO and WORLDWIDE OLIVE OIL TASTER’ CHALLENGE. He has participated, and continues to participate, as a judge in various national and international olive oil competitions and in the world mortar and pesto championship in Genoa. He also occasionally promotes extra virgin olive oil tasting for restaurateurs and enthusiasts.
Patrick J. O’Brien is Travel Director for Table Six Travel, a US company launched in 2019 to organize small group gastronomic tours originally focused on regions producing olives, extra virgin olive oils, cheeses, cured meats and balsamic vinegars and related culinary specialties across Italy supporting his wife’s US company, FIORE Olive Oils. In 2025, with the sale of FIORE after 15 years to a longtime staffer, Patrick continues as a Marketing Consultant and Import Coordinator for FIORE while expanding the scope of travel with Table Six to Greece, Ireland and beyond.
Patrick received certification as a Professional Taster of ONAOO in March 2019. Having earned Irish citizenship in 2022, Patrick and his wife reside permanently in The Republic of Ireland. In June 2025 Table Six Travel received registration in Ireland, Table Six Travel, LTD,
Stig has been Senior Brand Manager at Haugen-Gruppen AS, the largest food import company in Norway.
He has worked in the food sector for more than 25 years, in companies such as Nestlé, Mars, and Haugen-Gruppen AS. He started working with olive oil in 2000 when he joined Haugen-Gruppen as a Key Account Manager. He sold olive oil to the main retail chains in Norway. For 15 years he has been a brand manager in the retail sector.
For 3 years he has been a brand manager in the food service sector. In 2015, he took a technical course for olive oil tasters and started training to become a professional taster. He has participated in international meetings for “ONAOO tasters” since 2017.
He has taken part in many olive harvests and presses in Spain, Italy and Greece in the last 12 years to get to know the different “cultures” of olive oil production (from small producers to large ones) and to understand the differences. He has been teaching Norwegians about olive oil by tasting it with managers of big companies, shop managers, journalists, salespeople, and others. He now runs his own company, Lukt, Smak og Nyt (Smell, Taste and Enjoy), teaching consumers how to select and use extra virgin olive oil.
Elena Tordi, the daughter of olive oil producers who have not been active since the 90s, represents the fourth generation of a family with a long-standing tradition in the art of olive cultivation. Born in Orvieto, Umbria, she has lived in Milan for over forty years.
As the administrative manager, she is a partner in her husband Daniele Arduino’s family business, “A Nolo Auto 1956”, which specializes in chauffeur services. The company serves prestigious clients, including five-star hotels and embassies from countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Since 2013, Elena has been a food writer and food blogger, deeply passionate about the culinary arts.
She is the author of the blog “Lumachella e Panettone”, where she shares stories about food, traditions, and the regions of Italy. Her passion for communication led her to study social media and web strategies at A.C. Academy. Olive oil, which holds deep personal significance for Elena due to its connection with her family’s past, has taken on a new meaning in her professional journey. Embracing the famous quote by the philosopher Socrates, “I know that I know nothing,” she embarked on a continuous path of learning and development in the field. She began reading books and attending conferences dedicated to olive oil, meeting Luigi Caricato, an oleologist, writer, and journalist, who became her guide in the world of olive oil.
In 2019, at the Olio Officina Festival, she discovered the ONAOO (National Organization of Olive Oil Tasters) school, an encounter that marked a significant step in her career. In 2022, she earned the certification in Physiological Suitability for Olive Oil Tasting and continued her studies with an advanced course that ended in 2024 by becoming a professional taster. Since February 2024, Elena has been listed in the national registry of technicians and experts in virgin and extra virgin olive oils, Lombardy section.
Her passion for olive oil and the olive tree has become a symbol of strength, values, and traditions, all of which were passed down to her by her mother Nives and her father Luigi, who instilled in her a deep love for this extraordinary world.
Independent Middle East Researcher
I completed my professional training with ONAOO (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Olio di Oliva), having had a truly positive and enriching experience. The program deepened my expertise in sensory analysis, olive varieties, production standards, and quality evaluation, strengthening my ability to identify and appreciate high-quality extra virgin olive oil with precision.
Thank you so much to everyone for such a wonderful journey from the bottom of my heart.
He was born in Genoa in 1966. In 1992, he founded the company “Lorenzo Costa fu Eugenio 1860”, of which he still is the administrator. The company deals with door-to-door sales of extra-virgin olive oil and other food products. In 1996, he was granted the certificate of Professional ONAOO taster.
Training as professional olive oil tasters is not only a personal pleasure: the universe that revolves around olive oil and its supply chain also offers a wide range of job, growth and specialization opportunities.
The advanced course allows you to consolidate and deepen your knowledge of oil tasting and obtain the qualification of ONAOO Professional Taster, but above all, to be included in the "International Register of Professional Tasters".
Participants learn about varieties, processing, and sensory tasting, with practical exercises under the guidance of experts.
Participants are invited to recognize strengths, weaknesses, qualities and organoleptic characteristics of the various oils