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Bernardo Conticelli

Born in Florence, after a degree in Political Sciences and a Master in Wine Marketing and Management in Paris, lives between Italy and France where he's involved in the promotion of Italian wines on the export markets and Champagne wines in Italy being since 2015 the official Champagne Ambassador in Italy. He runs his wine marketing consulting company Vinifocus based in Florence and an import company based in Paris named Bere Bene SAS specialized in artisan high-end wines, with a lot of dedication to wine education teaching at several wine classes in Italian, French and English language to wine professionals, consumers & wine lovers. In his spare time, Bernardo loves to make his own wine and runs a small farm named Sottofiesole just outside Florence where he produces a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.


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Peggy Markel

Peggy Markel, has designed and directed carefully hand-crafted food and culture trips around the world for 25 years.

She is a pioneer not only in culinary travel, but was instrumental in bringing Slow Food to America and championing the farm to table movement as early as 1993. With practically a lifetime of immersing herself in traditional food customs and meeting chefs and artisans in their kitchens and on their turf, Peggy has cultivated tight relationships that make you feel like a friend rather than a tourist when you join her on any trip.


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Maisie Wilhelm

Maisie Wilhelm, Ann Arbor native, has the perfect background as creator and co-leader. A former Zingerman’s employee back in high school, she went on to study Italian at Brown University, falling in love with European culture and above all, food! Having spent three years working in Paris post-graduation at the International Herald Tribune, she became an expert in the city’s rhythms, traditions and best eateries, from where chefs go to eat to who makes the best chocolat chaud, and writing about it for the IHT, Paris Voice, Paris Go-Go, and Paris Notes. After moving to NYC, she worked as a journalist before switching to food as a career, becoming the Brand Manager to chef Daniel Boulud. That experience returned her to France with the Michelin-starred chef to continue her education on French culinary culture. Her connections to the food and wine worlds in France are leveraged to make our tours exceptional. Now, Maisie runs Palatine, a culinary concierge, connecting people to memorable food experiences abroad.


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John Cancilla & Ana Cereijo

Ana Cereijo, from Talavera de la Reina, Spain, and John Cancilla, a native Californian, have been developing and leading our Spanish tour offerings for over a decade. As longtime purveyors of Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil and vinegars to Zingerman’s, John and Ana have a deep connection with many of the folks at Zingerman’s. They have come to celebrate our philosophy of great food and service to help curate the Food Tours in Spain with joyful enthusiasm for food and culture—in perfect cadence with the “gastronomic anthropology” that Kristie Brablec has instilled in every one of our tours in Europe and around the world.

As our travel partners, Ana and John offer an insider's view, drawing on their extensive collaborations with gourmet food producers since 1996. Through their deeply-rooted connections and friendships, they foster a close-knit community that our tours uniquely connect you with—allowing you to delve into Spain's dynamic food and wine scene in a manner rarely accessible on typical tours.


Max Sussman & Kate McCabe

Max Sussman, a Michigander, and Kate McCabe, a Jersey girl, met in college in Ann Arbor and quickly bonded over their shared love of food and politics. Kate's background and expertise are perfectly suited to sustainable culinary tourism. She has a master's degree in environmental justice and has spent many years working front-of-house for several notable NYC chefs and restaurateurs such as April Bloomfield and Andrew Tarlow. She has also focused on Irish human rights issues for many years, broadening and deepening her knowledge of Irish history and culture. Max, a chef and former Zingerman's Deli employee, brings his immense experience in the world of food developed over a 20-year career in some of Michigan and New York's best restaurants. During this time he also earned a James Beard Award nomination, a Forbes 30 Under 30 Award, and with his brother Eli co-wrote four cookbooks and founded Samesa, a healthy Mediterranean restaurant. After many years of traveling in Ireland for work and family (Kate's family has roots in both Tullamore and Belfast), Max and Kate founded Bog & Thunder, a food-centric, eco-travel company that promotes Ireland's rich culinary heritage. 


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Gioacchino Passalacqua

Gioacchino Passalacqua, an Italian food and wine importer/exporter, gastronome, tour guide, adventurer, and native Sicilian who divides his time between Sicily, Italy and New York. As a native Mediterranean, Gioacchino has developed relationships with food producers, restauranteurs, olive oil companies, chocolatiers, vintners, and confectioners.