Pantry Provisions
We'll be adding products in the coming months. If you have something in particular you'd like to see us carry please email Brian at brian@ciutravel.com
Cantina Direct is the new retail arm of CIU Travel, owned and operated by the travel consulting, opera singing, husband and wife team of Maria Gabriella Landers and Brian Dore. For the last 17 years, Maria and Brian have split their time between their home in Umbria and the U.S, with a short time in Germany as well, creating private custom itineraries for travelers in Italy, and recently, Switzerland. Years of lugging suitcases packed with gifts of Italian cheese, oil, wine, pasta, sweets, etc., have eventually culminated in a website where favorite authentic Italian products can be purchased and shipped directly to the U.S. Of course, there are products available in the States that are made in Italy, but living in Italy with immediate access to the best local ingredients can truly spoil the taste buds! Maria and Brian realized that a lot of the so-called “authentic” products being imported are mass produced, low-quality imitations. CIU travelers in Italy often comment on how much better the food is in Italy, and one reason is the quality of basic ingredients - oil, cheese, vinegar, etc. During the 2020 Co-vid pandemic, Maria and Brian spent most of the year in the States, and eventually ran out of their favorite products. CIU travelers were also contacting them to ask about where they could find oil, wine and other products on par with that they had discovered in Italy. Cantina Direct was born!