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,
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.
Danielle was born in England, but she has lived in Italy for over 35 years.
After obtaining a degree in history, she began working in tourism. Her passion for olives started with the olive grove around her hotel on Lake Como. Later, due to a challenge with her husband, she decided to open an olive mill high in the mountains at 1816 meters in Livigno. From there, she began her adventure in the world of extra virgin olive oil with her company “O’Liv”.
Prior to establishing the company, she attended ONAOO’s technical course in 2020 to expand his knowledge.
During the course, she developed a passion for oil tasting and qualified to join the national list of virgin and extra virgin olive oil technicians and experts in 2022. Following the two-year advanced training course, she became a professional olive oil taster in 2024. She frequently attends ONAOO’s tasting sessions as she believes that training is essential for personal and professional growth as a taster.
“Olive oil is not an agricultural trade, it is a product of Love and Faith”.
Born in Baassir (Lebanon), one of the oldest countries to ever produce olive oil in the world, Ibrahim Al Kaakour is continuing an over 300 year old family legacy in the cultivation of olive oil.
Graduate of Electrical and Computer Engineering from the American University of Beirut and a holder of an Executive MBA with a focus on finance from Ésa/ESCP Europe, Ibrahim did not let his daily routine sway him from becoming a professional taster and a master blender/producer of olive oil.
To give homage to both his paternal Lebanese and maternal Greek Heritage, He currently owns two brands that he developed under his company LGOO with a luxury line of exquisite blends of olive oil, honey and many other organic products in state of the art branding.
Ibrahim is also keen on helping the local communities to improve the quality of olive oil and spread not only the know-who that he acquired as an olive oil sommelier, but also the culture, the roots and the love that he shares by hosting tasting sessions and introductory seminars in the olive oil center of the family Villa in the beautiful Mediterranean town of Baassir (a syriac aramian name that translates to “The House of Juice”).
From 2017 he is Member of ONAOO where he started his educational path. On January 2020 he concluded his studies by obtaining the Qualification of Professional Taster of ONAOO.
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.
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,
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