Saturday, February 1st and Sunday, February 2nd at the Real Collegio, Piazza del Collegio 13 – Lucca
Over 60 labels to taste from 33 of the best producers on the Peninsula, show cooking, conferences, and in-depth sessions to highlight one of the great excellences of the territory. A weekend of great tastings that is part of the Lucca 365 project.
The appointment for extra virgin olive oil lovers has arrived. Lucca Olive Oil You is the first edition of the festival dedicated to quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil that, on the weekend of February 1st and 2nd, will transform Lucca into the city of reference for the prince of the Mediterranean Diet. The stage will be the Real Collegio, where over 60 labels from 33 major producers will be the protagonists of a tasting journey to celebrate the best olive oil expressions from Italy.
“Lucca Olive Oil You is not just a festival, but a cultural and economic challenge for our territory,” emphasizes Remo Santini, Tourism Assessor for the Municipality of Lucca. “It’s the first stop of Lucca 365, a promotion project that includes a rich 2025 calendar of initiatives ranging from food and wine to cinema, through art, music, and sports events. A great opportunity for territorial enhancement that starts precisely from Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one of the most iconic products of Lucchese tradition, capable of telling the world a story of quality, dedication, and passion.”
At Lucca Olive Oil You, there will be many tasting opportunities, but also space for culture with a rich calendar of conferences, show cooking, and insights with great chefs, communicators, and professionals in the field to explore all the potential of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the stories of great producers. The event, in collaboration with the Grand Universe Lucca & Residences (Marriott Bonvoy), Shaner Hotel Group, and the Penn State University School of Hospitality Management, aims to promote the correct culture and education of Extra Virgin Olive Oil consumption through the creation of an “Oil Menu,” available at the best restaurants in the province. Simultaneously, there will be a presence in schools with an educational project promoted by the Accademia Maestrod’olio.
“Lucca Olive Oil You is just the starting point of this interesting and ambitious path,” emphasizes Fausto Borella, creator of the event. “In this view, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the soul and heart of this territory, stands as one of the main drivers for promoting the city. The event will indeed be a meeting point between producers, institutions, and great professionals in the sector to tell the magnificent world of quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.”
A two-day event entirely dedicated to discovering the territories and producers who write the success of Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil around the world, which will open with the presentation “Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A Pillar of Health for All Ages,” scheduled for 10:00 AM, following institutional greetings with Dr. Petersen from Penn State University. This will be followed by a coffee break with chocolate pralines made with EVO oil by master chocolatier Domenico D’Affronto. At 11:30 AM, there will be a discussion panel titled “Integrating Olive Oil into the Modern Diet,” followed by a show cooking session “Olive Oil in Pastry” with pastry chef Sandra Bianchi at 4:00 PM. At 5:00 PM, EVO oil will meet sashimi in the event “The Art of Sashimi Pairs with Monocultivar Oils” with Masaki Kuroda, chef at the NIDA restaurant in Lucca, and at 6:00 PM, a masterclass titled “Olive Oil is Serious Business,” to learn how to recognize the quality and flavors of extra virgin olive oil with Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella.
Sunday’s program begins at 10:30 AM with “The Evolution of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Cooking: A New Concept for a Millennia-Old Product,” with chef Fabrizio Girasoli from Ristorante Butterfly in Lucca, followed by a wine tasting “Pinot Noir Variations: Italian Stories and Champagne” at 3:00 PM with sommelier and Champagne Ambassador 2008 Leonardo Taddei, in collaboration with Enoteca Vanni. At 5:00 PM, there will be a show cooking session “Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The Connecting Thread Between Generations of Great Tuscan Chefs,” with chefs Daniele and Andrea Zazzeri. Don’t miss the 6:00 PM show cooking “From Garden to Table: Brassicas with Extra Virgin Olive Oil” with Giorgione, food critic and well-known TV personality. Lucca Olive Oil You will also feature a Mixology space with bartender Mauro Picchi and his cocktails starring EVO oil.
Saturday, February 1st
10:00 AM – Sala del Capitolo – Opening Ceremony
10:00 AM – Sala del Capitolo – Conference “Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A Pillar of Health for All Ages” – Dr. Petersen from Penn State University
11:00 AM – Sala del Capitolo – Coffee Break with Master Chocolatier Domenico D’Affronto of Conca D’Oro
11:30 AM – Sala del Capitolo – Discussion Panel “Integrating Olive Oil into the Modern Diet” – Dr. Petersen, Dr. Quadri Felitti, Dr. Farnetti
3:00 PM – Sala del Teatro – Opening of the Market Exhibition
4:00 PM – Sala lato cinta muraria – Pastry Showdown “Olive Oil in Pastry” – Sandra Bianchi from Pasticceria Sandra & l’Angolo Dolce
5:00 PM – Sala lato cinta muraria – “The Art of Sashimi Pairs with Monocultivar Oils” – Chef Masaki Kuroda from NIDA restaurant
6:00 PM – Sala lato cinta muraria – “Olive Oil is Serious Business” – Technical Tasting of 10 EVO oils with Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella
Sunday, February 2nd
10:00 AM – Opening of the Market Exhibition
11:00 AM – Sala lato cinta muraria – “The Evolution of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Cooking: A New Concept for a Millennia-Old Product” – Chef Fabrizio Girasoli, Ristorante Butterfly, Lucca
3:00 PM – Sala lato cinta muraria – “Pinot Noir Variations: Italian Stories and Champagne” – Technical Tasting of 5 Classic Method Wines in collaboration with Enoteca Vanni and Leonardo Taddei, Champagne Ambassador 2008, moderated by Fausto Borella, Maestrod’olio and Maestrodivino
5:00 PM – Sala lato cinta muraria – “Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The Connecting Thread Between Generations of Great Tuscan Chefs” – Show Cooking of Cacciucco Livornese – Chefs Daniele and Andrea Zazzeri from Ristorante la Pineta, Bibbona
6:00 PM – Sala del Capitolo – Show Cooking “From Garden to Table: Brassicas with Extra Virgin Olive Oil” – Giorgione Orto e Cucina
