About Us

Luca Cominelli

Director of CigarsLover Magazine and founder and creator of CigarsLover.com.
His studies led him to graduate in engineering at the University of Brescia. In those years the passion for cigar blossomed, which led him to create an online portal, a precursor of CigarsLover.com.
He loves traveling and staying in close contact with nature. Seeing and experiencing new things is a continuous inspiration. He loves whisky and appreciates good wine, with which he tries to slow down the passing of time.

Michel Arlia

Michel Arlia

Deputy Director of CigarsLover Magazine. He follows the marketing part, but also deals with organizing parts of the blind tasting. He is the manager of the “News” section on CigarsLover.com.
He lives in Switzerland, in the German canton of St. Gallen. He loves everything that has to do with slow smoking and especially the cigar. He is always looking for new products, coming from the most diverse countries.
He also has a passion for “Craft Beer”, as well as for skateboarding, which in the past he did on a professional level, and basketball. Music is also always present and he enjoys playing the guitar.

Giuseppe Mitolo

Author of CigarsLover Magazine, where he deals with the content management, as well as being the head of the “Italian cigar” column, covered on CigarsLover.com. He is part of the tasting panel.
His passion for cigars started in 2000 and since then has grown more and more, parallel to that of wine, of which he is a first-rate taster.
His training led him to a degree in Law. Over the years he has collaborated with various magazines, some of which belong to the world of tobacco and cigar.
He lives in Puglia, a stone’s throw from the sea, which he loves to the point of getting a boat license, with which he can relax on the sea. He appreciates vinyl music, that he admires.

Mario Amelio

He is the photographer and designer of CigarsLover Magazine. Most of the shots that give life to the magazine come from his Canon 1D.
He is a professional photographer, who holds a master’s degree in Advertisment and Marketing Photography.
He loves being in close contact with nature, in which he immerses himself as soon as he manages to carve out some time from the frenetic daily routines. He loves working with wood, a paternal passion that has been handed down to him.

Vincenzo Salvatore

Vincezo Salvatore
Author for the Spirits and Taste sections. Born in Bari, he’s a specialized translator and PhD student in comparative literature at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, where he works on Italian, Germanic, and Anglo-American topics. He has a keen interest for wine, beer, gin, whisky, and a huge passion for gastronomy and the history of nutrition. He has been smoking cigars and pipes since 2004, and graduated as sommelier AIS in 2012, with further courses in professional tasting. He loves traveling, attending bookstores and restaurants, practicing oriental disciplines and running. He lives between Ann Arbor, Berlin, and Bari, constantly looking for new enjoyments to discover.

Nelson Campos

Author of CigarsLover.com, he also handles the technical support of the website. He is part of the tasting panel.
He was born in El Salvador, in Central America, but grew up in England. Now he lives in Switzerland, in the French canton of Geneva.
Cigars helps him travel through time. While meditating with a cigar, the flavors bring him back to events of the past.

Simone Poggi

Author of CigarsLover Magazine in the “Taste” section, he also deals with rating the best cigar lounges around the world. He is part of the tasting panel.
He’s is a nuclear physicist. He has a passion for Latin dance and loves to travel and try new dishes, discovering new culinary horizons and particular combinations.

Nicola Ruggiero

Author in the “Spirits” and “Taste” section of CigarsLover Magazine. He’s the reference point when i comes to cocktails. He is part of the tasting panel.
He is a professional bartender, who has participated in numerous competitions, always positioning himself in the top spots. He is an Italian champion when it comes to designing and creating drinks.
He is always looking for new tastes and has a soft spot for the world of whiskies. In his drinks, he likes to focus on simplicity, with an eye on the details.