CULTURAL INTERPRETING

FOOD AND WINE

Are you opening a restaurant or bar abroad? Are you taking part in an upcoming trade fair to meet potential customers and suppliers? Are you planning a course for operators in the food service business or organizing a show cooking event? Do you need to guide a group of foreign tourists on a tour of your winery? This interpreting service is designed for the food and industry world, including all well-versed fine food enthusiasts who turned their passion into their work and want to share it with as many people as possible.

My cultural interpreting service for the food and wine sector is available:

Depending on the event, the number of participants and the languages involved, we can choose the best type of interpreting: simultaneous, consecutive, liaison, or chuchotage. Do you need to translate menus, info sheets, product descriptions, or other materials in the food and wine sector? I can help you here too! I’ll translate your texts from English and Spanish to Italian.

Tell me all about your project

THE UNIQUE TRAITS OF INTERPRETING FOR THE FOOD AND WINE INDUSTRY

Like language is the mirror of a culture, food and wine likewise contain a cultural identity and tell a story. Working as an interpreter in the food and wine field brings me into a diverse, vast world that presents a definite challenge. I have to consider contexts, personalities, speakers, approaches, and communication purposes that all differ greatly. In an institutional context like a conference about food security or a summit on transforming food systems – involving agriculture ministers, political leaders, and researchers – I can expect a formal register and a scientific approach. During an educational masterclass or a tour of a winery by a group of newbies, I imagine that winemakers want to convey their passion and profession, making technical information accessible and giving the participants an interesting experience through clear and simple communication that conveys their enthusiasm. During a meeting between wine professionals, I have to show excellent mastery of the sector terminology, knowing, for instance, that a wine is refined in glass and not wood and that a must is vinified not aged – and the language used to describe wine objectively. Interpreting for the food and wine sector means knowing production methods, how food is prepared and eaten, while mediating between cultures with different culinary traditions. Spain and Latin America are two worlds with different cultures, which are also reflected in the fascinating variety of vocabulary within the single language of Spanish. Avocado is avocado in Spain and aguacate in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia; in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru it is known as palta, in Venezuela as cura, and in Cuba as pagua. This goes too for some words in English. For example, the British version of eggplant is aubergine.

IN THE WORLD OF FOOD AND WINE, I HAVE INTERPRETED:

During B2B business meetings at trade fairs. The type of interpreting was liaison.

Happy clients

"Laura Cavalli is an extremely professional interpreter. She helped me enormously in communicating with my clients in Italy and has a perfect command of Spanish and other languages.I am grateful to her and recommend her for any kind of translation or interpreting from Italian to Spanish. She is the best one could wish for in a multilingual interpreter."

Juan Carlos Pendavis - Product Development Manager at Cencosud, Peru - SIGEP 2023

"Ms. Cavalli has an extremely high professional level. Her knowledge, education, and friendliness combine perfectly with her desire to go above and beyond in providing her services to support her clients and accurately and faithfully convey all the information they need in order to achieve a successful outcome. I would recommend her services without hesitation in any field they are needed."

Ricardo Perez Valerino - Manager of International Relations at ECTI Sierra Maestra, Cuba - Macfrut 2021

"Laura’s support during the trade fair was excellent, very helpful to correctly understand the technical information provided by the exhibitors and clarify my doubts about the equipment and machinery I was interested in at the fair. She was also very helpful in guiding me and helping me meet – with tight schedules – all the appointments set with the exhibitors that day. She has a perfect command of Spanish and translates with natural ease. I highly recommend her service."

Rodrigo Leon - Administrative Director at Pastinor SAC, Peru - SIGEP 2019

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How far in advance do I need to contact you for interpreting in the food and wine sector?

The rule is always the same: the sooner you contact me, the better. The ideal would be 1 month before the event so I can plan my schedule and prepare for the assignment (I study the company's website – history, structure, products or services offered, and anything else – and any materials you might provide. I create a multilingual glossary and practice the type of interpreting chosen).

I can consider last-minute requests (3 to 4 days before an event) but the chances that I'll be available are lower. I might already be committed to another project or need more time to ensure top quality.

I will be attending an international trade fair and am looking for a professional with good knowledge of the foreign language. Do I need an interpreter or a hostess?

Although they are often confused, interpreters and hostesses are two professionals with different roles and responsibilities: Hostesses welcome and assist foreign guests who come to a stand, giving them information about the company, registering participants, and handing out informational material; negotiations and technical information from one language to the other. Interpreters are professional figures who need far greater language training and specific university education.

By using the support of an interpreter rather than communicating directly in my conversation partner's language, I'm worried that I won't be in a direct relationship with them and disappoint their expectations.

The complete opposite is true: speaking in your native language and letting me translate what you say without hesitation, conveying the meaning, using the technical terminology, and expressing myself how people express themselves in a certain language means that your message will get through clearly and effectively.

If you communicate in the foreign language and realize you do not have the right words to express the idea or make grammar or pronunciation mistakes that make it hard to understand the message, your conversation partner might think you disdain their language and feel it as a lack of respect.

How long does it take to translate a text?

I translate about 2,000 words a day, but the time it takes can vary from project to project. After the translation is done, I need to “let it sit” to then revise it with fresh eyes and correct any typos or errors. Only then is it ready to be delivered.

Can you keep the formatting of the original text?

Yes! I use software that lets me translate your text while maintaining its format and layout.

Have more questions? Whether you need “La Cavalli, the interpreter” or “La Cavalli, the translator” look here: Italian-Spanish interpreting, Italian-English interpreting, Spanish-Italian translations, English-Italian translations.

TALK ABOUT YOUR PASSION AND PROFESSION WITHOUT LANGUAGE BARRIERS

Talking about food and wine means translating into words emotions that involve, first and foremost, the senses, which I then translate into the other language.

I'll help you tell about the passion you turned into your work. Together we will make talking about food and wine a chance for cultural exchange.

Do you want me to send you a free quote or answer your questions? Fill in the form below or book a free consultation.

When will I respond?

You can contact me whenever you want, and I will respond from Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM CEST, excluding holidays.

I always try to answer as quickly as possible, generally within 24 hours. When I am out of the office or on vacation, you will get an automated response.