Join my eight-week Italian language course for beginners!

The course is designed to give you the basis of the Italian language, so that you can amaze your travel partners next time you go to Italy, or even impress your relatives with your conversational skills!

The course is organized in 16 one hour long classes, meeting twice a week. All instructional materials will be provided. The teaching methodology is communicative: our final goal is for you to speak as much Italian as possible, and to become confident expressing yourself in another language. 

About your instructor

My name is Gaia Prunotto, and I have been a language instructor for five years. I have taught French, Italian, Spanish and Russian both at the high school and college levels. I trained as a language instructor at West Virginia University and at the University of Pittsburgh, where I obtained my Masters in Linguistics and Italian respectively. I currently teach Italian at Pensacola State College.

Info and cost

• When? 

Meetings will be held twice a week in the evening. Possibly on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm, but time and days can change to accommodate participants’ schedules. The course starts the first week of June and ends the last week of July. Here’s a tentative schedule:

• Where? Location is to be defined according to the number of participants. 
• How much? The total cost of the course is $370, which brings the cost of a single class to $23 dollars an hour, hard to beat!

Contact information

Phone number: (681) 285-9976

Email: gaiaprun8@gmail.com

Please let me know if you are interested by May 15! 

A presto,

Gaia

A Journey Through Italy—One Glass at a Time

What a memorable evening we shared at Tales from the Vineyards, as our Buona Fortuna family came together to explore some of Italy’s lesser-known—but truly remarkable—wine regions.

A heartfelt thank you to our Ospite, Val Ruffo, whose deep knowledge of wine and passion for sharing it brought an added richness to the experience. Val has a way of drawing people in—encouraging conversation, curiosity, and connection—and that spirit was felt throughout the room.

We are also incredibly grateful to our sommeliers, Chrystal Sparks and Stephanie of Total Wine, for guiding us through this journey with such expertise and enthusiasm. From the very first Cin Cin, they set the tone for an engaging and interactive evening, recognizing who we are as Buona Fortuna and embracing the energy of our group.

Together, we traveled across Italy—from north to south—discovering hidden gems from regions that often don’t get the spotlight they deserve. Each pour brought something new: a story, a history, a unique expression of terroir. And with every glass, the room became more animated. Questions flowed, conversations deepened, and members leaned in—not just to taste, but to truly understand.

What stood out most was the level of engagement. This wasn’t just a tasting—it was a shared experience. Members compared notes, revisited favorites, and at the end of the evening, even ranked their top selections—sparking lively discussion and a few friendly debates.

Of course, no Italian gathering is complete without food, and the charcuterie paired beautifully with the wines—adding yet another layer to an already flavorful evening.

And perhaps most importantly, this event reminded us of what makes Buona Fortuna so special: bringing people together around shared experiences, learning something new, and strengthening the connections that make us La Famiglia.

The evening was such a success that we’re already looking ahead—plans are underway to bring everyone back together for a whisky tasting experience later this year.

Thank you to everyone who joined us—and especially to Val, Chrystal, and Stephanie—for making this such a meaningful and enjoyable evening.

Saluti,
Diana