Online Course

online
A real experience to take your first steps in the world of the oil supply cha...

Official Technical Course

23 Mar / 
27 Mar
Imperia
Have a good nose and be a foodie are not sufficient features to become a prof...

Table Olives Course

16 Feb / 
18 Feb
Andria
The ONAOO "Table Olives" course provides a comprehensive introduction to this...
Pio Maria Costa
( Italia )

PROFILO:

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.

Nazione:

Italia

Città:

Genova

Webpage:

www.oliocosta.eu

Sfoglia il profilo di questi altri Iscritti al Registro Internazionale oppure torna all'elenco completo.

Gülnihal Metin Türker

Marketing

Started technical course in 2023, and graduated in 2025 November in Imperia.

Olive oil is a passion and a profession for me and I look forward to contributing to the global olive oil community.

Danielle Smith

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.

George Moforis

George was born in Athens in 1978. He graduated with a Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 2002 and worked as a construction project manager until 2012. For the past ten years, he has developed an in-depth knowledge and appreciation for the cultivation and production of high quality olive oil, after undertaking a number of accredited training programs in Italy and Greece.

Wilma van Grinsven-Padberg

In 2018, Wilma finished her training at the ONAOO. She was in charge of buying Mediterranean products, including olive oil. Being Dutch, she didn’t know much about olive oil and found a school in Italy.

She loved it so much that she left her job and started working in the olive oil business. She also trained as a sommelier in New York and a master miller in Jaen. She asked the Ministry to appoint her as panel leader at the European Union. She wrote the book “Olive Oil,” which has been translated into English, French, and German.

Her book encourages olive oil lovers to meet in Imperia. O.N.A.O. is a big family! He also founded the Olive Oil Institute, which has a panel of fifteen members, most of whom were trained by O.N.A.O.O. The Institute has an electronic nose, so that testing can be done objectively. Some universities are also trying a similar method. This should improve quality overall. But the panel will always exist because human judgment is needed.

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.

International Register

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Registration in the register is an authentic value, not only added, but fundamental, for the definition of an effective and convincing business profile

This membership opens the door to all the possibilities that the world of oil offers to the tasting professional.

Official Technical Course

The first step into the world of Tasting

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 course is open to everyone, even to those without any experience in the oil sector.

Participants who pass the four selective tests receive a Certificate of Physiological Suitability for Tasting.

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Advanced Course

an in-depth knowledge of sensory analysis

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".

The ONAOO advanced course, aimed at inclusion in the International Register of Professional Tasters

Qualified national and international organizations and companies in the sector draw from the Register to find experts in the sector to include in their entrepreneurial realities

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Table Olives Course

Sensory and Technical Experience Table Olives

Participants learn about varieties, processing, and sensory tasting, with practical exercises under the guidance of experts.

Sensory and Technical Experience Table Olives

Participants learn about varieties, processing, and sensory tasting, with practical exercises under the guidance of experts.

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Online Courses

ONLINE INDIVIDUAL PREPARATORY COURSE FOR OLIVE OIL TASTING.

To learn how to taste an olive oil directly from your home.

An individual lesson with a tasting professional

A real experience to take the first steps in the world of the oil supply chain and oil tasters.

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Certified Tasting Days

ASPIRING OLIVE OIL TASTER

Participants are invited to recognize strengths, weaknesses, qualities and organoleptic characteristics of the various oils

Attestation issued by a Panel Head

A practical test in which everything learned during the technical course is applied in practice.

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Corso Tecnico Ufficiale

Il primo passo nel mondo dell'Assaggio

Un vero esperto dell”oro liquido” si distingue da un semplice amatore in virtù della sua formazione.

Corso Avanzato

un approfondimento del sapere sull’analisi sensoriale

Consente di consolidare e approfondire le conoscenze sull’assaggio degli oli e l'inserimento nel “Registro Internazionale Assaggiatori Professionisti”.

Corsi Online

CORSO ONLINE INDIVIDUALE PROPEDEUTICO ALL’ASSAGGIO DELL'OLIO DI OLIVA.

Per imparare ad assaggiare un olio di oliva direttamente da casa tua.

Sedute di Assaggio Certificate

Attestazione rilasciata da un Capo Panel

Sedute di assaggio certificate, tenute nei modi e nei tempi previsti dalla normativa vigente.

Corso Olive da Tavola

Esperienza Sensoriale e Tecnica Olive da Tavola

Sedute di assaggio certificate, tenute nei modi e nei tempi previsti dalla normativa vigente.