Our Passionate Staff

 “In our fast paced lives, many of us are hungry for a way to slow down and reconnect with life’s simple pleasures. Passionate Palate Tours will always attempt to celebrate those pleasures.” - Jeni Bloom Moretti

Jeni Bloom Moretti
Founder & Trip Leader

Jeni adores food, wine and the process of coming together over the two. For the last 20 years Jeni has pursued her love of travel, food and wine both through her career and in her personal time. She has traveled extensively in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Asia, but most frequently to Italy. She has worked in almost all aspects of the California and Italian wine business for many years. Her experience, besides travel planning, includes education, wine making, winery management, regional and national sales and marketing. She has traveled the wine regions of Italy and California thoroughly, attended wine industry tastings for the last 20 years, spoken professionally on various aspects of the wine business, taught many wine education classes and has conducted more wine tastings than she can remember. She created Passionate Palate Tours in order to combine her professional experience and knowledge with her passion for travel and her desire to share these things with others. Through food and wine, Jeni believes that we learn something about ourselves and of the culture that we are visiting.  Jeni combines her vast knowledge of wine, food and Italy with a warmth, humor and down-to-earth approach that makes Passionate Palate Tours not only an education but a vacation to remember. She is the main creator and coordinator of all the trips. She is also in charge of marketing, client outreach, wine retailer logistics, travel research and public relations.

Jeni’s passions are (not in any particular order):
Her marriage, wine, cooking, books, people, cultures, language, travel, Italy, Spain, love, nature, self-realization, writing, her dogs (German Shepherds), yoga, walking, friends, laughter, conversation and trying to live each day fearlessly, positively and full of curiosity and as if it were her last.

 

Antonio Moretti
Consultant

Antonio, Jeni’s husband, has been in the restaurant and wine industry for about 25 years and is also passionate about all things related to wine and food. He was born and raised in the Le Marche region of Italy, but has been in the U.S. for 30 years. Over the years he has lead many groups of friends to his favorite places in Italy.  He helps Jeni in the planning and arranging trips and is a constant source of new ideas for the journeys.  He also owns and operates Taste of Sta. Rita Hills, a wine retailer and tasting room dedicated to the fine wines of the Sta. Rita Hills on the Central Coast of California.
 

 

Christina Sbarra
Trip Leader and Consultant

Christina Sbarra was drawn to the Italian part of her heritage from an early age. She studied abroad in Florence during college, traveled extensively in Italy and went on to complete an M.A. in Italian Cultural Studies at UCLA. She later formed a partnership with The Language Center in Todi, Umbria, through whom she offers Italian language and cooking classes. Christina especially enjoys the appreciation for local, artisanal foods and the conviviality that are so fundamental to the Italian way of life.

Laura Zanini
Italian Consultant and Tour Guide

Laura Zanini, was born in Udine, Italy, the heart of the Friuli region. She speaks English and German along with her native Italian and Friulano. After technical studies in commerce marketing and languages, completed with some experience abroad, she worked as area manager for a shipping company. This brought her into contact with many wineries, and being fascinated by wine and its strict connection to local traditions and culture, she became a sommelier and then joined the wine trade, working as director of sales for top wineries in Friuli and Tuscany. Throughout her years in the wine business, she has coordinated and conducted many winery visits and cultural excursions  At the moment she lives in Tuscany, in the province of Siena, and operates as a wine marketing consultant for various Italian wineries and as a buyer for importers. As a consultant and tour guide for Passionate Palate Tours, she offers extensive knowledge of her homeland and enthusiastically shares passion for wine, history and local culture with our guests.

What They Say About Us and Our Tours

"Jeni, you are a super duper tour guide!  We wouldn't have been able to have such personal tours of the wineries without you!"  -JF

"[You are] excellent, very knowledgeable, gracious, and accommodating."   - SM

"We just want to thank you for the great planning and organizing of our Tuscany trip!  We enjoyed ourselves immensely...the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that could not be reproduced!  We really enjoyed our travel companions - the number of people on the trip was perfect.  We look forward to the next trip and maybe a cooking class!" - J&J

"We loved the tour and hope to take another one in the future...we were more than satisfied."  -LZ