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 15 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 15 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, food, 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.

 

Silvia Montanari
Italian Tour Coordinator and Trip Leader

Silvia was born and raised in Milan, Italy and has a degree in Translation and Interpretation. Silvia worked for many years for one of Italy’s finest wine exporters, Empson. She was in Sales and Marketing and was responsible for putting together and leading amazing wine tours for the employees, business partners and customers of the exporter. She, too, is passionate about wine, food and wanting to share her knowledge of her home country with others. In her free time she is preparing for motherhood (due in May 2007). She likes skiing, ice skating, reading, ballet music, going to the ballet and traveling to the US, which she says, “is my favorite country in the world.” She is perfectly fluent in English and brings vivaciousness to everything she does. She lives in Gorizia, Friuli, Italy with her partner, Gianni Menotti – one of the best winemakers in Italy. Silvia is our expert at handling tour logistics, Italy outreach and her winery connections are extensive.

 

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 26 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.
 

 

 

Tania Von Barkenhagen
Tour Guide
 

Tania is half-Italian by blood but 100% Italian in her heart. She has visited Italy almost every year of her life and had always yearned to live in the country that makes up her artistic, vivacious self. She and her husband followed their dream by moving to Italy in March 2005, leaving the bustling life of Southern California behind and have entrenched themselves in learning all there is to know about Italy. Their shared love of travel, new adventures and wine made Tuscany the perfect destination. The result? A renewed passion for living and an appreciation for the everyday Italian life that makes it so fulfilling. And the need to share, to give everyone a chance to experience the wonderful culture, local adventures, delicious gastronomy and amazing scenery they have come to know and love. Tania keeps a photoblog at www.eurobimbo.net about their continuing adventures featuring many of the tiny villages and beautiful countrysides they discover in their local travels. Tania has traveled Italy extensively and has a particular expertise in Tuscany – its towns, feasts, wines, olive oil and traditions.  When you meet Tania, it is obvious that she loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm of Italy with others.   

 

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.