Meet Eleanor, founder of The Italian Scoop, and your Italian travel curator

For nearly two decades, Italy has been more than a favorite destination- it has been my home, my classroom and my career.

In 2008, while on study abroad from the University of Georgia, I attended the Universita’ di Udine, in the northeastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where I studied enology and viticulture. Studying at a satellite campus nestled in the vineyards of the internationally-acclaimed wine region Collio Orientali, in the magical town of Cormons, I met my black-haired, blue-eyed husband, just as I had predicted…

Over the next 7 years I lived in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, and traveled extensively throughout Italy working in food, wine and tourism. These experiences included working on organic, family-run farms in Piedmont, Lazio, Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia-Giulia.

I learned to make olive oil, wine and cheese…to harvest radicchio, asparagus, hazelnuts and olives…to hunt for truffles, herd sheep and- not for the faint of heart- butcher a whole pig to make salami and prosciutto.

I earned an MA in Italian Gastronomic Culture at the Universita’ di Roma III ‘Tor Vergata’, followed by a Rome-based internship with Context Travel, curating creative, culturally robust events in the city.

I later worked with the Friuli-Venezia Giulia food and wine tourism board and handled international marketing for a local winery.

Upon my family’s return to the US in 2016, I began my career in fine dining, running wine programs and managing restaurants, two of which have since earned Michelin stars. I also became a certified sommelier through WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers.

I have enjoyed moonlighting as a travel and wine writer, working as a private chef and sommelier, and creating public and private food and wine events.

My favorite moonlighting of all? Helping people have incredible Italian experiences by offering bespoke travel curation.

How I came to know and love Italy…

Imagine…

Seasonal food and wine festivals

Family-run winery visits and leisurely shared meals in producers’ homes

Locals-only trattorie serving honest pride of place cuisine

Scenic backroads and neighborhoods most visitors never see

How about…

A glittering pumpkin festival in a medieval, stone-walled city…that is also home to mummies!

Lunch in a far-flung Wes Anderson-style seaside cafe overlooking a sea so crystal blue it’s nicknamed the Maldives of Italy

An unforgettable Sicilian day trip in search of an almost mythical chocolate cake named for a 16th century architect

An afternoon spent exploring Rome in search of hidden Caravaggios and a mind-bending Pozzo illusion, ending with a Carbonara Sour sipped at a locals-only neighborhood bar

Whether this is your first trip to Italy or your fifteenth…

I’ll design you a bespoke itinerary that feels less like a vacation and more like a portal into Italy’s best-kept secrets

That’s the Scoop!

Every unforgettable Italian adventure starts with one!

Where can The Scoop take you?

For nearly two decades, Italy has been more than a favorite destination- it has been my home, my classroom and my career.

In 2008, while on study abroad from the University of Georgia, I attended the Universita’ di Udine, in the northeastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where I studied enology and viticulture. Studying at a satellite campus nestled in the vineyards of the internationally-acclaimed wine region Collio Orientali, in the magical town of Cormons. It was here that I met my black-haired, blue-eyed husband, just as I had predicted…

Over the next 7 years I lived in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, and traveled extensively throughout Italy working in food, wine and tourism. These experiences included working on organic, family-run farms in Piedmont, Lazio, Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia-Giulia.

I learned to make olive oil, wine and cheese…to harvest radicchio, asparagus, hazelnuts and olives…to hunt for truffles, herd sheep and- not for the faint of heart- butcher a whole pig for salami and prosciutto production.

I obtained an MA in Italian Gastronomic Culture at the Universita’ di Roma III ‘Tor Vergata’, which included a 4-month Rome-based internship with Context Travel, where I curated creative, culturally robust events in the city.

For a stint, I worked with the Friuli-Venezia Giulia food and wine tourism board, and handled international marketing for a local winery.

Upon my family’s return to the US in 2016, I began my career in fine dining, running wine programs and managing restaurants, two of which have since earned Michelin stars. I also became a certified sommelier through WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers.

I have enjoyed moonlighting as a travel and wine writer, working as a private chef and sommelier, and creating public and private food and wine events.

My favorite moonlighting of all? Helping people have incredible Italian experiences by offering bespoke travel curation.