For those who believe that quality cheese and olive oil are more precious than gold, you are invited to a specialized food event in September.

A Professional Italian Cheese and Olive Oil Tasting Workshop

Master Taster of Cheese and Sommelier of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cristiano De Riccardis, of Italy, will conduct four identical 3 hour workshops September 11, 12, 13, 15. He is an extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and charismatic expert who will increase your knowledge and educate your palate in a most captivating and comprehensive way. (Full details on Cristiano below.)

Cristiano will guide you, in English, through the professional techniques used to taste both fine Cheese and Olive Oil. The first half of the 3 hour workshop will be primarily theoretic, packed with very interesting and captivating up-to-date information and splendid photo slides.
The second part is the practical tasting. You will learn and put into practice both the correct techniques and vocabulary to “taste correctly”, much as fine wine tasting is taught. .You will be able to savour a variety of cheeses, including a few rare cheeses on Slow Food’s Presidia list, that Cristiano will bring directly from Italy as well as several exceptional quality Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

Numbers will be limited to 20 participants for each workshop to ensure enjoyment and comprehension for all. Due to the limited numbers and exclusive opportunity to take part in a rare event of this caliber, reservations are required in advance and can be made, with payment, ($68.90 per person (65 plus GST) ) via Visa, Mastercard or Cheque (made payable to Silvia Dotto, sent to # 302 - 1000 Parker Street Vancouver BC V6A 2H2).

At time of payment please indicate which evening you wish to attend (venues, all located in Vancouver, will be confirmed by the end of August):

Sept 11, Tuesday 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Sept 12, Wednesday 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Sept 13, Thursday 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Sept 15, Saturday 2 - 5 pm

For payment and further information, call 604 877 1222 or email sdotto@shaw.ca.

Please note that tickets are non refundable.
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IN DETAIL – How I got involved with this.

As many of you know, my grand passion is food. Following my food curiosity, I decided to visit Slow Food's Salone del Gusto in Torino, Italy, last October.
(Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. There are over 80,000 Slow Food members globally. You can read more about the Slow Food organization at www.slowfood.com.)
(Salone del Gusto is a bi-annual conference and exhibition promoting quality, rare, and traditional foods, and wines, as well as the philosophy and practice of sustainable agriculture and enjoyment of food. The foods presented are primarily from Italy, but also from other corners of the world.)
My husband and I attended a number of workshops on a variety of food topics and this is where I first met Cristiano De Riccardis, who conducted the cheese and olive oil workshops. We were extremely impressed with his in-depth knowledge, enthusiasm, professionalism, and style of communication. I knew that a number of my ‘foodie’ clients and friends would also appreciate the opportunity to learn about cheese and olive oil from such an expert. With this in mind, I approached Cristiano and proposed the idea of coming to Vancouver to conduct a few special tasting workshops….and so it happened.

More on Cristiano De Riccardis:
Cristiano, a 40 year old native of Italy, lives in Piacenza, Emilia Romagna, a region traditionally known for its dedication and commitment to gastronomy. He started his career in engineering, but soon after his gastronomic passions led him to establish a professional career as an independent consultant, tasting, selecting and educating Italian and international high quality gastronomical products.
He is:
· A Professional Extra Virgin Olive Oil Taster, registered in the National Roll at the “MIPAF and at the Department of Commerce of Piacenza.
· Head of Panel, for the organization and training of The Panel for the Organoleptic Evaluation of Extra Virgin Olive Oils, according to the new European Market regulation Ce.N. 796/02.
· Italian Professional Sommelier of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
· A professional Master Taster of high quality cheeses.
· A specialized food expert and educational teacher with the prestigious and important Slow Food organization since 2000. Throughout Italy, he has held more than 200 courses for the University of Taste.
· Instructor of Cheese for the acclaimed L’Universita di Scienze Gastronomiche (University of Gastronomic Science) in Italy.
· An independent consultant and educator, since 2001, on behalf of a variety of well known, international companies that produce and/or distribute high quality Italian gastronomical products.
· A consultant on quality Italian cheeses and extra virgin olive oils for Japan’s Esquire magazine, food culture section.
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For those who have been wondering what I have been up to this year, here is the recap....
· I am now offering Aaron Nelson’s Dinnerware line which harmoniously pairs with my serving collection. Check it out on my new, almost finished website www.silviadotto.com.
· I appeared on HGTV – USA in June, showcasing my pears and my Vancouver studio.
· I have immersed myself in a business course on Italian Enogastronomy (Wine and Food) Tourism sponsored by the Italian and Pugliese Government.

It has been a year full of learning and exploring, and the year is still only half complete!

If you are interested in my work for your gift giving occasions or just to spoil yourself, this is a great time to visit the studio before my busy season begins and the selection is at it's best.
Studio visits are welcome year round, by appointment, 604 877 1222 or sdotto@shaw.ca.

Due to my school commitment (noted above), I will be participating in only one show this year, the East Side Culture Crawl November 16 – 18.

Hope to find you all well and enjoying the start of summer.

Cheers,
Silvia Dotto