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.

Adriano was born in 1976 in Caniparola di Fosdinovo (MS) and has been a partner in the family business “Frantoio Moro” in Caniparola di Fosdinovo (MS) since 1996.

This activity allowed him to quickly learn the advantages and disadvantages of olive oil and to know much about this complex subject in a direct and detailed way, comparing him with the different territorial realities and Italian production in general. In 1999 he became an ONAOO member by attending the technical course for aspiring olive oil tasters.

Since 2002 he has been an ONAOO Professional Taster. Every year he participates in the refresher courses organized by ONAOO, where he has had the opportunity to learn about the whole world olive oil scene, evaluating the different organoleptic characteristics of each area of origin. Since 2012 he has been a member of the Tasting Committee of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce (Mipaaf recognition).

In 2015 with the achievement of eligibility for the activity he is Head Panel at the Chamber of Commerce of Pisa. He is also a juror in national tasting commissions.

Born in a country where butter is king and mayonnaise is queen, I was pleasantly surprised by the magnificent taste and pleasantness of extra virgin olive oil during my holidays in south east Crete in the 80s.

At the time, I was working in the product engineering sector in a multinational company, but I was ready for a change.

I started importing this delicious product and I set myself the challenge of letting the people who love butter in my country taste this gift of nature. As a pilot, I knew it was possible to fly without an engine, but not without knowledge and skills. I quickly realized that additional support was needed to achieve my goals.

So I knocked on ONAOO’s door. Thanks to the dedication of the teachers, I embarked on a fascinating 3-year learning path.

I enjoyed developing my skills and knowledge and thanks to this support I have seen my business grow. Through retail, restaurant, direct sales and the web shop, I distribute two superb brands of extra-virgin olive oil, one Greek and one Spanish. “Olijfwinkel.be” is my starting point, alongside my company “Techtel.be”.

Edmondo Minisci is an O.N.A.O.O. Professional Taster and Board Member.