About Us – The Giannetti Artisans’ Beginning
Welcome to the authentic Italy brought to you by Giannetti Artisans, an importer of authentic Italian foods founded by Sally Giannetti, a first-generation Italian-American from Chicago. Growing up with immigrant parents from Tuscany, Sally developed a passion for preserving Italian culinary traditions. She started this business as a reflection of her personal journey, believing in the importance of family gatherings around food and the simplicity of artisanal preparation methods.
In 2000, Sally moved to Florence, where she became an expert in artisanal food sourcing and Italian cooking customs. She carefully selects each product offered by Giannetti Artisans, aiming to bring back the authentic tastes of Italy. Living and traveling throughout Italy allowed her to discover the culinary secrets of true Italian excellence.
This passion evolved into her full-time job, where she sources the highest quality Italian ingredients, ensuring their authenticity, quality, and origin—all produced by small-batch artisans. In fact, our Sicilian products featured in The Strategist – New York Mag, are excellence award winners at many international food shows.
Giannetti Artisans aims to revive genuine old-world flavors without altering our products for the sake of sales. Our goal is to offer what is REAL!
Our Vendors
Our producers are primarily small, family-run businesses dedicated to crafting limited quantities of high-quality Italian foods using superior ingredients. Our offerings are prepared traditionally and authentically, making them exclusive and distinctive. A product is deemed “artisan-made” when at least 70% of its production is done by hand. This belief in “smaller means better” guides our selection process.
We take pride in sourcing the finest specialty goods from various regions of Italy, choosing artisans who share the same passion for their creations as Giannetti Artisans does. In many cases, these artisans use ingredients sourced directly from their own farms. Our commitment to high-quality, locally sourced ingredients sets our products apart from mass-produced alternatives.
Giannetti Artisans stands firmly behind the quality of our goods. We combat counterfeit products in the market by selecting and importing only certified Italian goods. Many items in stores may carry a “Made in Italy” label without containing genuine Italian ingredients or adhering to the proper production standards. To address this issue, we have obtained official certifications from several Italian consortiums.
Consortium Certifications
Giannetti Artisans holds certifications from Italian government entities that verify the authenticity of our products, including:
- Balsamic Vinegar (IGP – PGI). Consorzio dell’Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP .
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Toscano (IGP – PGI) – Consorzio dell’Olio Toscano IGP.
- Modica Chocolate from Sicily (IGP – PGI) – Consorzio Cioccolata di Modica IGP.
- Farro of Garfagnana (IGP – PGI) – Farro della Garfagnana IGP.
These government-run consortiums work to protect Italian products and their geographical origins, and Giannetti Artisans collaborates with them to ensure the authenticity of craftsmanship, origin, and the “Made in Italy” reputation.
Regarding our operations in the U.S., all Giannetti Artisans Italian producers and facilities are registered and approved by the FDA. Currently, our warehouse in Illinois is a Food-Grade Facility, certified by the Illinois State Health Department and registered with the FDA.
Giannetti Artisans Offices
Giannetti Artisans proudly operates from our head office in the vibrant northside of Chicago, Illinois while our dedicated export team is based in beautiful Florence, Italy. We meticulously consolidate all sourced goods in Florence before air shipping them to the United States several times throughout the year. Our exclusive online platform allows us to deliver authentic Italian products right to your door, and we take great joy in sharing the authentic flavors of Italy with you and yours!
