2013 Northern Hemisphere Judges
Darrell Corti (Chairperson) of Sacramento, Calif., is a wine merchant/grocer, President of Corti
Brothers, Sacramento. He is a long-time judge at the Los Angeles County Fair beginning in the early
1970s. He is also our Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition Chairman.
MariPaz Aguilera Herrera has developed her research activity since 1998 and her research interest is
focused now in: improved lipid profile foods, frying with olive oil, composition and sensory
characteristics of foods made with olive oil or compounds related to olive value chain. She was Co-Head
of IFAPA Virgin Olive Oil Panel Test since 1999 and since 2011 is responsible of Citoliva Panel
(Technology Center Oliva and Olive Oil), as well as a judge in several prestigious competitions and fairs
such as Expoliva and The Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition, among others.
She has published several articles in international journals of impact, as well as magazines and books.
PierPaolo Arca has been a Taster of Olive Oil since 1991; Panel leader since 1997; Expert Olivecultural
Sector of "Regione Sardegna"' Technical Co-ordinator "Comitato Concorso Nazionale Montiferru" olive
oil from 1994 to 2011; Member of Jury of the regional selection "Concorso Nazionale Ercole Olivario"
in 1995/96/97/98/2000/01/04/05/06/10 and Panel Leader in 1999/2003/2007/2011; Member of the
National Jury "Concorso Nazionale Ercole Olivario" in 2000; Member of International Jury of the
"Premio Biol – International Competition Organic Olive Oil from 1997 – 2011; Member of jury of SOL
D'Oro International Olive Oil Verona 2003; Member of Commission of Organismo di controllo DOP
Sardegna" olive oil.
Margaret Edwards is the leader of the New Zealand Tasting Panel for Olive Oil, an olive oil educator
and judge. Margaret and her husband have an olive grove and mill on Waiheke Island, 35 minutes from
downtown Auckland, in New Zealand.
Orietta Gianjoro was born and raised in Rome, and she moved to California in 2008. Orietta graduated
Summa Cum Laude in Film Studies and has a Masters Summa Cum Laude in Cultural Journalism. She is
a member of the UC Davis Olive Oil Taste Panel, and she holds a diploma of Sommelier from the
Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (Italian Sommeliers Association). She also is the Delegate in the
greater Sacramento area for the Accademia Italian della Cucina (Italian Academy of Cuisine). She has
written, produced and hosted several TV shows in Italy and America. Before moving to the U S, she was
the food and wine Editor for an Italian publication. Today, Orietta is a regular guest on many TV stations
and leading sensory seminars, tastings, cooking classes and food & wine tours in Italy, she is working on
her fourth book.
Maria Luz Hurtado is an Agricultural Engineers, PhD, graduated from the University of Chile. Since
2003 she began her studies and specialization in olive oil in different countries like Argentina, Spain and
Italy. In 2004 she took over as Director of Live Oil Production Diplima in the aforementioned university.
She became an expert as a Tester in Olive Oil. In 2009 she assumed the position of Production Manager
in the company Valle Grande SA which produced olive oil "Olave", olives from 780 ha organic farming.
Denise Langevin has been associated with olive oil since 2004. For several years she imported olive oil
from Argentina and now is owner of a small olive grove (8 hectares) that is currently in production. In
2009 Denise attended the Chateau Virant in France, the University of Bologna in Italy and Aspol, Italy
for olive oil tasting. She is currently representing several brands in Chile for an Italian Blend, a French
olive oil and a Portuguese brand.
Sue Langstaff is a sensory scientist working for her own consulting company, Applied Sensory, LLC.
She is the leader of the U C Davis Olive Oil Taster Panel and is a member of two other taste panels: The
U C Cooperative Extension Olive Oil Research Taste Panel and the California Olive Oil Council Taste
Panel. Sue is co-author of the forthcoming book "Olive Oil Sensory Evaluation" and she is the creator of
"The Defects Wheel for Olive Oil."
Julie Menge is a member of both the UC Davis and COOC Taste Panels since inception. Her
background includes biochemical and field research at Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop
Sciences/Texas Ag Extension Service. Her tasting career began as an in-house taster for Dole Packaged
Foods, where she was a chemist.
Lina Smith is an olive oil educator based in Boston. She teaches classes with Slow Food Boston, CCAE
and other organizations on a regular basis. She wrote her master's thesis on olive oil while living in
Tuscany and received her first professional olive oil training under the late Dr. Marco Mugelli.
Toshihisa Suzuki was born in 1959, and received his M.A. in Agricultural Chemistry from Tohoku
University in 1985. Since then he has joined the Nisshin OilliO and has mostly engaged in R&D and
quality assurance. In 2002, he was recognized as the "Supervisor of the company panels' by the
International Olive Oil Council. He has been a member of the International jury as taster at the BIOL
Prize since 2007.
Marino Uceda Investigator Titular of the Andalusian Institute of Investigation, Panel Chairperson and
the Technical Director of the Proper Title of the University of Jaen. University expert in Tasting of Extra
Virgin Olive Oil Coordinator and a participant of 41 projects in the field of the extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Mercedes Uceda has her MS in Biology and is a very qualified taster from the University Of Jaen, Spain.
Technician in Environment and sustainable development during 5 years in the Experimental Station "Las
Palmerillas", Almeria, Spain. Participates in courses of olive oil tasting from UNIA in Baeza, Spain and
Evora, Portugal.
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