Course with oil degustation held by Alice Massaria
During the four weeks leading to the 7th World Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, The Italian Cultural Institute is proud to present a 4-lesson course, which will take you into an in-depth journey through the fascinating world of Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).
We will introduce you to the unrevealed world of Evoo through Italian biodiversity. Did you know that Italy alone grows over 600 NATIVE olive varieties?
Alice Massaria, expert oil taster and award-winning Sommelier, will take the participants through a journey discovering how similar wine and evoo worlds truly are. Exactly like wine, each olive variety is native to a specific area and retains a specific flavour profile different from the others.
We will learn everything from production methods, to major regions and cultivars (this is how olive varieties are called) to flavour profiles. At the end of every lesson, we will also taste two different varieties of evoo. It will be informative, yet relaxed and a fun activity to do.
The course will be held IN ENGLISH and in person at our Institute on Mon 17- 24 – 31 October and 7 November; each session will run for approximately an hour, from 6.00 to 7.00pm.
Alice Massaria is an award-winner sommelier and olive oil expert born in Vicenza, Italy. She began her studies at the Italian
Sommelier Association (AIS) then completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) courses in Australia. In 2015 she was certified at the Court of Master Sommelier.
She subsequently started working in some of Sydney’s most renowned venues as sommelier, such as Merivale’s Mr Wong and Uccello.
She spent 2016-2017 in Europe where she travelled all along Italy in search of the best wine and olive oil producers.
After returning to Sydney in late 2017, she founded “Wine Concept”, a company which focuses on private, in-home and corporate tastings of both wine and oil in addition to consulting to develop wine lists for bars and restaurants.
In 2018 she created a world class list for the opening restaurant “Bistecca” in Sydney CBD which was recognised BEST NEW WINE LIST IN AUSTRALIA IN 2019.
Currently she is the wine director of the Liquid and Larder group. Their restaurants the Gidley 
and Bistecca has been awarded with three glasses (highest achievement) in 2020 and 2021 and THE BEST DIGESTIF LIST IN AUSTRALIA 2021.
In 2020, together with her partner, Alice launched Bottega 1900, a niche online shop of high quality products imported from Italy that celebrates Italian biodiversity.
When: Monday 17- 24 – 31 October, 7 November, 6.00-7.00pm
Where: Italian Cultural Institute, Level 4, 125 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Cost: $100.00 for IIC members and students / $125.00pp non-members
Limited spots. Booking essential: www.eventbrite.com.au