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News, stories, and recipes for anyone who loves Italian food, wine, spirits, and travel

Appetito

Ruggero Pini is a documentary filmmaker based in the hills outside Bologna, where he grew up and returned after years working in China and Europe. He is the founder of <a href="https://foodstorytelling.net/">Food Storytelling</a>, telling stories about food, people, and places. His documentary Bolognese, on the culinary heritage of his city, was selected at the Ceres Food Film Festival in New York and grew out of his academic research on food storytelling and tourism. He also teaches food communication to tourism professionals in Emilia-Romagna. 
<a href="http://www.ruggeropini.com">www.ruggeropini.com</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/rogerpines/">@rogerpines </a>
<a href="http://www.foodstorytelling.net">www.foodstorytelling.net</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/foodstorytelling_/">@foodstorytelling_</a>

Writer and filmaker Ruggero Pini in the woods

Ruggero Pini

Cyclists riding through the historic streets of Castelvetro di Modena

Travel

The E-Bike Road to Parmigiano Reggiano

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<article>Hazel McKinlay is a UK-based travel writer, former Mediterranean head chef and founder of <a href="https://hazelstravels.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hazel&#8217;s Travels</a>. After a 20-year career in professional kitchens, she now writes about Europe&#8217;s food, history and culture through first-hand travel experiences. Her work has been featured in Parade, Business Insider and Yahoo, and she has travelled to more than 30 European countries.
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<article>Website: <a href="https://hazelstravels.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hazel&#8217;s Travels</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_hazelstravels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_hazelstravels </a>
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Hazel McKinlay

Tomato-based orecchiette at Ristorante L'Aratro in Alberobello. Photo © Hazel’s Travels

How Orecchiette Tells the Story of Puglia

Aileen Weintraub writes at the intersection of travel and wellness and has been published in The Smithsonian Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Oprah Daily, The Washington Post, and many others. She is also the co-founder of <a title="https://l.gourl.es/l/a1d9860a837d9ef3fdf93459d024f69a7c6d6e4f?u=11747643" href="https://l.gourl.es/l/a1d9860a837d9ef3fdf93459d024f69a7c6d6e4f?u=11747643">Witches of Pitches,</a> where she helps writers develop their manuscripts, essay, and companion pieces for publication. When she’s not exploring or on the hunt for unique stories, she can usually be found in Spain or New York.

Aileen Weintraub

Aerial view of La Chiusa hotel and swimming pool in Tuscany

La Chiusa in Montefollonico: Where Agritourism Meets Luxury in Tuscany

Sandra Ulewicz is a freelance Creative Strategist and Travel Writer, and the owner and group trip host at <a href="https://www.origin-travels.com/">Origin Travels</a>, a small group travel company helping young professionals explore the world around their 9-5. With a background in communications and digital marketing, she brings a strategic storytelling lens to travel, shaped by trips to more than 60 countries. She believes the best stories come from movement, conversations and meaningful exploration and she leads group trips that turn that same philosophy into shared experiences for others. She lives in Vancouver and when she’s not travelling or writing she’s hiking, playing volleyball at the beach or reading romance novels.

Follow Sandra on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/origintravels/">@origintravels</a>.

 

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Sandra Ulewicz

The author Sandra Ulewicz overlooking the rocky ravine and landscape surrounding Matera, Italy.

Guides

A Guide to Matera, Italy and Its Ancient Cave City

Writer \ Photographer
Cameron McIntyre writes in an immersive, expeditionary style that bridges field journal and lyrical travelogue. His work carries readers into the landscapes he explores through crisp, sensory detail, reverence for wilderness, and an eye for history’s lingering presence in place. Whether tracing alpine trails in Yosemite or wandering through Italy’s hidden towns, his voice blends the precision of a guide with the wonder of a storyteller. The result is travel writing that feels lived-in and cinematic, grounded in the grit of the journey, yet elevated by reflection, rhythm, and light.
Cameron McIntyre works as a narrative cartographer, tracing the contours of place through immersive, expeditionary prose and photography that merges the authenticity of a field journal with the resonance of a lyrical travelogue.
Explore more of Cameron&#8217;s work at his <a href="http://www.cameronphotographer.com/">website</a> and <a href="https://www.clippings.me/cameronmcintyre">portfolio</a>.

Cameron McIntyre

Historic rooftops and bell tower in the hill town of Asolo Italy

Asolo: The Hidden Hill Town of History and Perfect Prosecco

Anita Jozsef is a Norwegian-Hungarian gastro journalist, luxury-hospitality communications strategist, certified Food Industry Communications Advisor, a certified Napa Valley Wine Expert, and a former private chef in luxury hospitality. Founder of TheTableofAnita Luxury Brand Marketing and Communications. 
She developed her career in gastronomy, gastrophotography, and luxury hospitality, with professional experience spanning Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Andalucía and Hungary. Her favourite topics to cover: blue food, seafood, Sardinian cuisine, wine from Veneto region in Italy, sustainable cuisine and honorouring women in gastronomy. Follow Anita <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anita.jozsef/">@</a>anita.jozsef.
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Anita Jozsef sipping wine with a pink backgroun

Anita Jozsef

Borgo Santo Pietro and the Rise of Luxury Borgos in Italy

Julia DeBari is a travel writer with an essayist&#8217;s instincts, drawn to the kind of cultural immersion that only comes from slowing down. After 25 years as a UX professional, she brings a researcher&#8217;s curiosity to unfamiliar places, paying close attention to how people actually live, eat, and gather. Her essays sit at the intersection of observation and reflection, shaped by traditional accommodations, local food, and the histories embedded in a place. It&#8217;s less about checking off destinations and more about noticing what a place reveals about being human.

Julia DeBari

Pasta Frittata at home. Photo Credit: Julia DeBari

The Only Dish I Know How to Cook: Pasta Frittata

<a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/">Sarah Campise Hallier</a> is the associate editor of Appetito Magazine and co-founder of <a href="https://www.forkboundfoodies.com/">Forkbound Foodies</a>, where she shares exceptional culinary and travel experiences.
She is also a board member of Poggioreale in America Inc, a nonprofit committed to preserving the history and cultural heritage of Western Sicilians and their diaspora. Featured in Italy Magazine, The Local IT, la Repubblica, and We the Italians, Sarah enjoys covering everything from cultural identity to the evolving Italian-American food experience.
A California girl at heart, when she’s not crafting food, travel and wellness stories, she’s chasing down the best foodie finds on her travels and sharing them at <a title="https://www.instagram.com/foodiesfromca/" href="https://www.instagram.com/forkboundfoodies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@forkBOUNDfoodies</a>.  Subscribe to her <a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/about-1">newsletter</a> to keep up to date on the best places to eat, stay and tour.
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Sarah Campise Hallier

Aerial view of Urbino’s iconic Palazzo Ducale, with the rolling hills of the countryside in the background. (National Geographic)

Features

Tucci in Italy Season 2 Recap: The Magic of Le Marche 

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Jessica is a researcher, lecturer, and writer specializing in Italian wine tourism, women-owned wineries, and rural entrepreneurship. She is currently undertaking doctoral research exploring how women are reshaping Italy&#8217;s wine sector through innovation, storytelling, and a strong sense of place.
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Alongside her academic work, she writes accessible, storytelling-driven features that connect readers with the people, landscapes, and cultures behind Italian wine.
Follow Jessica <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jesscocco22?utm_source=qr">@jesscocco22 </a>and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-holloway-53170334/">LinkedIn</a>
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Jessica Holloway

Teresa Mincione in vineyards in a long green and white dress

Teresa Mincione Left the Courtroom for the Vineyards of Campania

Margaret Ross is a hospitality professional and <a href="https://www.foratravel.com/advisor/margaret-ross">travel designer</a> based in Milan. With experience spanning restaurant brands, culinary R&amp;D, and experience design, she explores the intersection of culture, cuisine, and interaction through writing and curating. Originally from California, she has a soft spot for farmers’ markets and underappreciated produce, and hopes that one day lupini beans and puntarelle will have their moments in the spotlight.

Black and white photo of Margaret Ross with buildings in the background.

Margaret Ross

The pool with views across the Monferrato hills. Credit: Beatrice Giacchero