My passion for tea began more than 40 years ago, rooted in the heart of tea history and tradition. What started as a lifelong passion has evolved into a professional career spanning more than two decades, dedicated to tea expertise, sensory evaluation, education, production and international industry development. Yet, after all these years, I remain deeply curious and eager to learn.

What interests me most in tea is the extraordinary relationship between the leaf, its origin, the people who produce it, and the way it expresses itself in the cup.

I remain fascinated by tea's complexity and by the fact that every tea tells a story of terroir, cultivar, season, harvest, processing and human knowledge. My professional experience in tea tasting and sensory evaluation has taught me to look beyond appearance and reputation, assessing teas through aroma, liquor colour, flavour, mouthfeel, structure and overall character. I am particularly interested in understanding how processing choices, storage and freshness influence what ultimately reaches the cup.

I am equally interested in the cultural and historical dimension of tea: its origins, its evolution from medicinal plant to cultural and ceremonial beverage, and the different traditions that have developed around it. My work between Italy and China has allowed me to explore these traditions from both a professional and cultural perspective.

Another major area of interest is the connection between tea knowledge and the tea industry. I am passionate about quality standards, professional education, sensory competence, responsible sourcing and helping producers, importers, retailers and tea professionals better understand and communicate the real qualities of their teas. As a member of the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea (IGG/Tea), I also maintain a close connection with the producing world and with the challenges facing tea-growing communities, including production, environmental and social issues. This perspective is particularly important to me because the quality and future of tea cannot be separated from the people, territories and ecosystems that make its production possible.

Through my work with the Italy Tea & Infusions Association and the SlowTEA Alliance, I am particularly interested in how we can return greater value to tea, its producers, territories and knowledge. For me, this means promoting a more informed tea culture—one based on competence, transparency, respect for tradition and genuine appreciation of the leaf.

Ultimately, what continues to interest me most is tea itself: learning from every tea, questioning what we think we know, and helping others discover the depth and diversity contained in a simple leaf.