Martin Gray spent the best part of his working life lecturing at the University of Stirling, where he became Head of the Department of English Studies. He is author of several academic books, as well as The Penguin Book of the Bicycle (1978). His involvement with Italy started at the University of Perugia in the mid-1960s. Since then he has travelled all over Italy as often as he could. In 1972 he bought a house near Montalcino. He started Learn Italy in 2002.
Laura Gray has lived in and around Siena since 1995. Her degree in English Literature from Oxford University was quickly set aside in order to focus on the wine industry, in which she worked full time until 2022. She is now helping run Learn Italy, navigating the organisational aspects, and accompanying most trips. She has three children and an Italian husband. She is a qualified sommelier, a fluent Italian speaker and has a deep interest in Renaissance Italy, while continuing to work as a winery consultant. After spending more than half of her life in Italy, she is able to offer insider insights, as well as food and wine expertise.