From November 4 to 8, 2019, the Olive Oil Academy is offering an olive oil sommelier course at Pienza Val d’Orcia, Siena, in Tuscany, Italy. This is a course for food lovers, gourmets, food enthusiasts, and professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of the whole production and commercial process of olive oil “from the earth to the plate.”

The course combines theory and practice to provide participants with the skills and knowledge that enable them to recognize, use, and discuss the rational use of olive oil in the kitchen and on the table. Special attention is focused on interesting, innovative ways to use excellent olive oils and on how to achieve well harmonized olive oil and food pairings.

With classroom sessions, guided tastings, master classes, practical exercises, and visits, the class offers a hands-on experience in the heart of Tuscany, including its olive groves and oil mills, and tastings of olive oils from around the world (naturally including Greek olive oils).

The course will cover the following topics:

• Olive growing, olive varieties, and olive oil extraction
• Sensory analysis, organoleptic evaluation, and oil tasting
• Certified tasting for sensory perception
• The olive growing and harvesting experience (visit)
• Olive oil mill during production and tasting (visit)
• International regulations and standards
• Olive oil marketing strategies
• Health, wellbeing, and nutrition
• Olive oil in the kitchen and on the table: food pairing
• Innovative uses of olive oil in the kitchen and dining room
• Guided tasting and practical tests for certification

We will work with more than 50 oils of different international origins using various forms and tasting sheets for product evaluation and for competitions. Participants will receive a selection of the official olive oil standard defects (International OIive Council – European Union).

The course is conducted in English by highly qualified teachers and panel leaders recognized by the International OIive Council: Wenceslao Moreda, Nicola Simone, and Mauro Martelossi. Moreda is a panel leader for the Armonia International Olive Oil Competition, a chemical and sensory analysis expert at the Instituto de la Grasa, and a member of various international olive oil organizations. Simone is a biologist at the Research Center for Olive Growing and Olive Industry Scientific Center in Pescara. Martelossi is an olive oil panel supervisor, member of the Accademia Nazionale dell’Olivo e dell’Olio, and Director of IRVEA.

For more information, photos, and videos, see IRVEA’s website and the links there.
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Thanks to the Olive Oil Academy for sharing this information, and for the photo.