Born into an Italian-American family, Gina immediately fell in love with all things Italian. Spending countless hours in the kitchens of her mom and Neapolitan and Sicilian grandmothers, – watching, cooking, tasting – she dreamed of living in Italy one day. In 2007, Gina moved to Rome to live her dream. While earning a Master’s degree in the History of Italian Food and Wine and sommelier certification with Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS), she worked as a culinary guide and tourism consultant. Gina then founded GT Food & Travel, a food, wine and custom tour company based in Rome, and obtained the WSET Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits.

In her previous life she was part of the business, marketing and development team that spearheaded Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft restaurant expansion. Her writing appears in numerous food and travel publications and on her blog GT Food & Travel.