Private Tour: Prosecco Wine Tasting Day Trip With Lunch From Venice

We picked up a rental car in Venice at Piazzale Roma (Which is where the vaporetto's stop for you to take the bus to Marco Polo airport). We headed for the Strada del Prosecco (Prosecco Road) a wine region specializing (but not limited) in exactly that! We were astonished at the ease of accessibility. It was an easy 1.5 hour drive partly on a freeway - with tolls, partly on beautiful small country roads to get to this UNESCO World Heritage site. Scattered along this 47 km route, you will find wineries from humble one room tasting facilities to large modern tasting rooms with 360 deg views over lush vineyards. You will pass some of the most beautiful valleys & steepest hills covered in vineyards facing every direction. The midday day, 12 noon to 2.00pm siesta - where wineries and some restaurants close need to be considered when planning your trip. Thankfully we found a restaurant in the town of Guia called Ristoro Fontanazza that was open and served a delicious lunch. I will write a separate review, as this one deserves special mention! Back to the wineries - we did not taste only Prosecco, but also fabulous whites & reds. In fact every wine we tasted was of an incredibly high standard. In addition to the exceptional wine, the service we received was 5 star. We understood & could speak limited Italian, so was so appreciative of every one along the way speaking to us in English. You will not be disappointed! Saluti!

May seem strange to refer to our guide Marco as a host but that indeed reflects the intimacy of the experience. While obviously knowledgeable about wines he quickly read our group of 4's thirst about Italy in general and his commentary addressed a wider interest. We visited two vineyards. The first was a small producer in a beautiful location and the owner personally showed us the operation including peering into vats - something impossible in the states. Oh and the Prosecco was delicious at approximately $8 a bottle. We bought 6 bottles which never made it out of Italy. Lunch at a small restaurant in a lovely village was a highlight. The owner conversed with us for an extended period of time with Marco serving as translator. Wine, meats and pasta were all produced on site and were delicious. Expresso topped with grappa was very good and the Amaro the owner offered us at the end was smooth and not bitter. The second winery was a larger establishment but we still received the personalized attention of the owner and shipped a case home. While shipping is costly, the quality merits it if you like Prosecco. In between we visited a little restored mill with a water wheel that also sold a very tasty dessert wine unique to the town. We plan to serve it after our meal on Christmas Eve. All along the way the scenery of the Veneto area is stunning. Lastly, before the trip I thought the price was a little steep. After the trip and in comparison to other day trips we took, I consider it a very good value. Thank you Marco for a wonderful day.

Marco made this day incredibly enjoyable. He was full of information, extremely knowledgeable and a joy to listen to. Marco went out of his way to make us feel comfortable and do whatever he could to make our day a pleasant experience. We had a wonderful day learning about how Prosecco is made in this region and highly recommend this tour.

Marco was an amazing tour guide of the region. We booked the tour in a group (I thought), but we ended up being the only two people on that particular day, so Marco drove us up for the hour and a half up to Prosecco region. On the way, we had an unexpected stop at a small cheese shop that Marco knew, which was an awesome surprise. The first winery we stopped at was fantastic. And, the stop for lunch was incredible. The osteria was closed for the day (because it was Monday) but we were welcomed with some really fantastic home-cooked pasta. And, the wine was the best bottle of wine I have ever tasted. They even gave us a red to try once we drank the white. We drove to the second winery, which was unfortunately closed, because it was the most beautiful spot - luckily, Marco was quick on his toes and we drove to the next one, with no issue. Marco was knowledgable, kind, and a wonderful tour guide. This was one of the most memorable days of our two week trip. The only recommendation I'd make is to go on a day Tuesday - Sunday if you want a more traditional tour. The Monday tour was so nice because it was very private, but if you're hoping to get the most out of the trip, you can likely see more going on a different day, but that is just my hunch. Book this tour! It's amazing!

We had a wonderful tour with Marco. The drive to the wineries was beautiful and the ride was comfortable. Marco educated us along the way about wine and Italian culture. We enjoyed prosecco from two different wineries, sampled delicious cheese from a cheese shop and had an outstanding lunch at a local restaurant. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a unique wine tour from Venice.

Marco picked us up opposite the Tronchetto People Mover station and we went to two Prosecco wineries. It was a wonderful experience and the drive through the hills was very enjoyable with wonderful views. It was a snowy day and the scenery of the vineyards covered in snow was very different from what one typically sees. Tastings at both wineries were excellent with a nice range of vintages. The restaurant we stopped at had great home made local Italian food with wine and Marco was an excellent and friendly guide. Although I've given this five stars, there could have been better attention paid to the pickup location. It was a very cold and windy day, with freezing rain and sleet in Venice. We did not want to be late based on what was mentioned in the requirements so we ended up early and due to traffic and weather, Marco was a little late. We ended up waiting for about 45 minutes in an open bus shelter where it was extremely cold and windy with nothing around. The several requests made to the company for Marco's mobile number were not accommodated. Had we been given it, we could have informed him that we were waiting in a more comfortable place -- either the water bus stop or the parking garage where there is shelter, toilets and a cafe. I would highly recommend that a more comfortable pick up place be arranged, Marco very kindly dropped us off at Piazzale San Roma so it was easier for us to get back to central Venice.

Since my husband and I love prosecco we really wanted to take a tour during our visit to Venice. This tour was one of the highlights to Italy. Marco’s directions and meeting place were easy to find. He explained lots of things on our way to the winery. The scenery is breathless once you get there. On the way he brought us to a fresh cheese shop. It was lovely and the cheese was delicious. After the first winery we had lunch at a local place. The food was delicious and the staff accommodating. I highly recommend this tour if you want to experience something different in Italy.

My sister and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Europe! One of the cities we toured was Venice. We had an awful experience arriving, but as soon as Marco picked us up he changed our entire mood. We had a wonderful private wine tour! He was very insightful and made our trip to Venice worthwhile. I will be recommending Marco to all my friends!

My husband and I booked a tour of the Prosecco region while we were in Venice. Marco picked us up right on time at the troncetto and took us to three lovely wineries. At one we were able to try Prosecco that had been done in the original method by fermenting it in the bottle. Delicious and nothing we can get back home. We stopped for lunch in a charming village and ate an amazing meal at Osteria al Contadin, a family owned restaurant. We met three generations of the family. The food and wine he selected were impeccable. Marco stopped at scenic points along the way so that we could take in the hillsides. It gave us an appreciation for the challenges faced by those caring for the vines and harvesting the grapes. This trip was a perfect addition to our time in Venice!

Had a terrific day with Marco this summer. He picked us up on the west side of the city and we had a nice, albeit somewhat quiet ride into the hills of the Veneto. Marco surprised us with a stop at a Fattoria or cheese “factory” for a quick snack - what a great treat. Our first winery was Col Veteraz in Valdobbiadene. We tasted a number of great prosecci, then walked through the vineyard and up a trail overlooking the Cartizze hill- the most prized soil for prosecco. After that was a delicious lunch in the quaint hill town of Combai (and more prosecco). To wrap up the afternoon, we stopped at a prosecco cooperative, and were able to taste a number of prosecci from different producers in the area. My only criticism of the entire day would have been to stop at another winery instead of the coop, but we were able to taste wines from 5 different wineries which was certainly an advantage. Overall, a great day tasting prosecco and would highly recommend a tour with Marco.

<p>Tour guide was attentive and shared hidden 'local' small town restaurant for the included traditional lunch. Both prosecco tasting experiences were great and offered different settings: beautiful country hillsides and a small town event location. We were rushed out of the 2nd due to an event going on. We even stopped at a wonderful local cheese shop/factory for cheese tastes, though we were told later that we needed to pay 3euro for this special stop. Rating would be 5 stars and tip higher if cheese stop was an added/covered touch.</p>

When we booked this wine tasting we were expecting something similar to the wine tour we had in Florence, which was not the case. The drive to the winery was beautiful with fantastic scenery. The first winery was beautiful with great prosecco. We tried four different kinds. The lunch was wonderful with delicious food in a quaint setting. The owner was delightful. We were very disappointed at the last stop and learned very little with minimal interaction. Marco was informative but on the quieter side, though very pleasant. The cost for four was pretty steep and just expected a little more.

Staying in Venice for too long can be a tiring experience winding through the streets and avoiding tour groups. My wife is a very big Prosecco fan and we did the private Prosecco Tour with another couple we were travelling with. Mario was a great host and shared alot of knowledge throughout our day. Our first stop was a family ran vineyard called Frozza. Giovanni is one of the brothers who runs the winery and showed us around while Mario translated. I am not always a huge Prosecco fan because I find it too sugary but this Prosecco was great as Giovanni does not add much sugar. After we finished here, Mario drove us up to a great view point to see all the mountains and vines in the region and took some pictures of our group. Our next stop was a small family run wine bar/restaurant/vineyard for lunch. We were welcomed by Santo who was quite the character! Santo did not speak English but our group definitely shared some laughs with him with Mario's help translating. Our final stop was Campion which is a bigger vineyard then Frozza. Mario showed us around and the views were breathtaking. We bought bottles from the 2 vineyards and Mario offered to ship them to Canada and the US. He was such a great guide and picked great places for us to visit. I would definitely recommend doing this if you will be in the Venice area for a few days. It is nice to get outside the city and see some great views!

<p>Private tour. Personal attention. I highly recommend. Our guide was very sweet and tailored the tour to our tastes. Highly recommend. Don't really need to talk about how good the Prosecco was, do i?</p>

We had a fantastic day with Marco visiting 2 vineyards this Feb in the Valpollicella region. It was about a one and a half hour drive to our first vineyard, run by 3 brothers. The surroundings were lovely and a change from Venice. Lots of hills with vines as far as the eye could see. Being February they were all at the pruning stage and therefore no greenery. We tasted 4 wines in our first vineyard and also sampled some of the home produced olive oil on bread. It was delicious. The process of produving Valpolicellas through to Amarone was meticulously explained to us by both the Producer Owner and our guide Marco. We then made a purchase which the Owner was able to ship straight back to the UK to save us the excess baggage so we will relive the taste sensation and the memories at home on special occasions. Then we went on to a local restaurant for lunch. As it was Valentines day the restaurant was busy serving a set buffet but they gave us a traditional 3 course meal typical of the region. It wasn't my favourite meal of the holiday, but the views from the restaurant were spectacular. We even took a bottle of wine from the vineyard, which they seemed more than happy to open for us ( I think they are friends of the Producer). We then drove for another 20 mins or so to the next vineyard. This was on a much bigger scale and we toured the bottling and barrelling areas before tasting the four different wines. Again they were out of this world, and would be pretty pricey on a menu in the UK, so we made a purchase from here also, again all shipped to the UK by the lovely lady at the Vineyard. Marco then drove us back to Venice dropping us off as close to our hotel as he was able to. I would like to visit in the spring when all the vines are growing and greened up as it was all a little bit bare and we obviously didn't get to see any actual grapes, but the scenery was still spectacular and the wines were delicious. A private tour was expensive and I think a group tour could possibly have been more fun and cheaper, but obviously you would lose the one on one experience and flexible touring.

<p>Our guide Marco was very informative and really knew the area and the wines. All 4 of us totally enjoyed the day with him. He took us out to the Valdobbiadene I believe that's the right name wine region. Had a great lunch at a local restaurant in a small town, the food was fantastic. We were very lucky to make the last tour of the season. One day later and we would have missed it. It is definitely a must do while in Venice. Once small complaint was that the directions from Viator to find Marco at the Tronchetto were not that clear. We did of course find him and he was there waiting on us. It is really a great tour!!.</p>

<p>Our guide Marco was super in arranging our wine tasting to two wineries and the Lunch was memorable because it really was local cuisine with homemade real Italian foods. The owner chef provided high quality food with really so much to eat and the bottle of wine was great with the meal. This was an all day fun filled tour which we will remember always.</p>

<p>This was a really wonderful tour. March was very informative and we had a lovely day. He was very patient with our broken Italian that we were practising on him. The two wineries we visited were very nice and we risked being overweight in our luggage by buying a couple of bottles of prosecco which we cannot get at home.<br/> Would not hesitate to recommend this tour and being personally guided by Marco was a treat.</p>

<p>This tour was the high lite of our trip. Marco picked us up on time and we had a great drive out to the Valdobbiadene wine region. We had the owners/wine makers of each vineyard give us a private tour. Marco took us to lunch at a very cozy restaurant in a tiny town near the vineyards and the lunch was fabulous. This is a must do tour when visiting Venice.</p>

I want to say that it was not the first wine tour in my life, maybe tenth, so I have something to compare. Thanks to our guide, Mario (info@venicedaytrips.com>), we spent 2 marvelous days in the Veneto region and visited Amarone in the Valpolicella and Euganean Hills wineries. We tried great wines, met interesting people, who dedicated their lives to the creation of perfect wines. We even visited the Abbey, where 34 monks took care of the gardens and wineries and recreated the ancient traditions of the region. Unfortunately, during this trip, I was sick and my nose was not able to evaluate the subtle notes of wines. But thanks to our excellent guide, Mario, who professionally and subtly explained all notes of the taste and aroma of wine I really enjoyed testing. Mario also arranged for us wonderful lunches at local restaurants, that gave us possibility to enjoy very local cuisine. Thank you very much, Mario! We got real pleasure during these two days enjoying great wines and being in tough with charming people in a charming area, and all it was thanks to you!!!!

<p>Wonderful experience! The prosecco-tasting was fun, but spending a quiet day in the beauty of the Dolomites was a fabulous treat. Very personal and romantic. One of our favorite memories from our time in Venice.</p>

My wife booked this several months before our arrival in Venice and I'm so grateful that she did. We spent a total of seven days in Venice, and the day we took this tour was one of the best we've had in all of our travels. We arrived early at the NW end of the people mover near Tronchetto Parking. There were crowds of cruise ship passengers moving about, and we were a little unsure of where to meet Mario, but he approached us carrying a sign with our last name on it at 9:30 am sharp (the exact location is marked on an attached picture for clarity). He told us he likes to keep the groups small (a wonderful idea), and were joined by just one other couple from England before we headed out for the day. We headed first to a winery about 45 minutes away. The drive through the small towns and countryside was beautiful and a welcome change from St. Mark's Square. When we arrived, the owner greeted us and gave us a brief tour before allowing us to sample 10 different proseccos, reds, and whites. He was incredibly knowledgeable and spoke very good English, and he was complemented well by Mario's explanations from the expert perspective of an Italian somellier (which he is). All of the wines were incredible and at the end we had a chance to purchase our favorites (although there was no pressure to do so) at a price considerably lower than Americans would expect. The wines weren't available in the States as this was a relatively small winery and the owner explained that he's doing just fine meeting the demands of the region without having to worry about exporting. And while you could ship box quantities back home, the high shipping costs were basically prohibitive. Needless to say, we grabbed as many as would fit in our checked baggage. After leaving, we headed down the road for lunch at a small restaurant nestled in another hillside winery. As other reviewers have said, this was one of the highlights of the day. The salami and roasted pork came from the restaurant's own pigs, the pasta was made fresh earlier in the day on the same table we were eating on, the sauces were made from vegetables out of their own garden, and the wine came from the vineyard just outside the window. It was a standard of freshness we're not really used to in America. The place was also packed with local families as it was a religous holiday, which only added to the experience. We then walked just up the hill to another winery where we took a tour of their cellar and operations and had a chance to sample more proseccos and taste the difference between the two vineyards. Again, we purchased two more bottles of our favorites before heading out. I can't say enough how wonderful Mario was as both a host and tour guide. He was so welcoming and friendly for the entire experience, even offering us his business card and contact information so that we could email him in the future with any questions we have about prosecco and wines in general. You can tell he truly loves what he does and wants to share his knowledge and his country with you. His small group approach was also very much appreciated- it was great just getting to know our British companions without worrying about the logistics of a big group. Venice is a wonderful city, but if you love wine and you want a chance to escape the crowds for a day, I can't recommend Mario and this tour highly enough. As our fellow traveller said it best, Veneto Italy and Wine is truly a hidden gem.

<p>Highlite of our trip? Wine was great, food at lunch was out of this world! Mario is amazing!<br/> Try and fit this in, it is well worth it.</p>

Just got back to the United States from a month-long vacation in Europe. Myself and a few of my friends spent the last couple of days in Venice, and this experience - which we did on the very last day of our vacation - was BY FAR the most memorable. We opted for the Prosecco Wine Tour, which takes you out into the Venice countryside to tour two different Prosecco-producing wineries. Our tour guide, Mario, was perfect - knowledgeable, accommodating, and friendly! He took us on tours of two different wineries, after which we sat down to taste about 4-5 wines. He taught us about what distinguishes the different Proseccos from one other, always pointing out things that I would not have otherwise noticed. In between wineries, we had lunch at a countryside, family-owned restaurant. That meal was DEFINITELY my favorite from the entire month-long trip. Overall, I agree with the previous review: for an all-inclusive, day-long trip, this is more than worth the price!

My 5 friends and I have been on a month-long trip touring Europe and today was our last day - we went outside of Venice and spent it on the Prosecco Wine Tour with Mario. It was the PERFECT way to end our trip. Mario was great -- friendly, knowledgeable, punctual -- and the wine was great too! Mario met us right where we got off the water taxi and then we drove about an hour to where the vineyards are located. We did our first tour and tasting (4 types of Prosecco) and then went to lunch. This venue was wonderful! Everything was home-made and you could tell. This was easily one of the top meals we have had in our month in Europe. We then visited another vineyard and tasted more wines which were also great. Of course, we took a few bottles home as well. The wine for sale at the vineyards are also VERY reasonably priced (< 10 Euro). For an all inclusive day long trip this is more than worth the price.

My mother and I did the processco tasting with Mario while we were in Venice and we had such a lovely time. Mario is so knowledgeable about the region, telling us about how the grapes are grown and the process of processco making while in two beautiful small wineries in the hills of the Venetto. In both wineries, the wine makers would come and taste with us and tell us about the process while we were tasting, which was very fun. The lunch was honestly one of the best meals we had on our trip, and was made from fresh ingredients found on the farm. This day trip was a highlight of our time in venice & we would recommend it to anyone.

We had a wonderful day out from Venice to the Valpolicella wine region to taste some delightful wine at 2 small but excellent family run vineyards. The cream of wines as you may know is the Amarone and they did not disappoint, especially the vintage! in between the 2 vineyards was an excellent Italian lunch all washed down with a more modest but delightful house red. Our host Mario was excellent throughout the day and very knowledgeable. We liked the wine so much that we had some exported back to the UK. All in all a perfect day to celebrate a 50th birthday.

Rachel was our amazing tour guide of the Venice wine tour. She took us to two wine bars where we tasted a prosecco, two white wines and two red wines. Each wine was paired with chesses and different types of cured meat. The food was very tasty and complemented the wine perfectly. Rachel was very accommodating and switched the food from fish to meat since we did not like fish. She described the history of each wine and gave us advice on how to pick wines that we would like for the rest of our trip. By the end of the tour it felt like we were enjoying beautiful wine with great friends than just tasting wine on a tour.

My wife and I are veteran wine tourists, having booked wine guides in several regions in the US, France, Germany and Argentina. Mario was extremely accommodating, arranging a private tour on a Sunday. His included a stop for lunch which gave us the opportunity to sample local fare with some "ever day" wines, as well as stopping by family-run wineries. Throughout the day, he added local knowledge and flavour to the tour. A very open, friendly and knowledgable tour guide accompanied by some fabulous wines and food.

Our norwegian wineclub "Bollinger 98" has for several years traveled to different countries and wine aerias in Europe. September 2012 our group of 14 people went to Verona. We had a two days wine tour to the Amarone/Valpolicella and Euganean hills aerias. The tours were great. Mario took us to some very nice wineries were we tasted the best wines. The farmers were very friendly and gave us a lot of interesting information. We had some wonderful lunches at local restaurants with nice atmosphere. Mario is an exellent guide with high competance about the aeria and wine production. He is the best guide we have met so far. We highly recommend Mario and these tours.

My boyfriend and I just arrived back from a long weekend in Venice where we had the pleasure of meeting Mario for a private wine tasting. Mario was a fantastic guide! He took us to an authentic wine bar and then restaurant in Venice where we sampled and learned about the locally produced wine. He was also very helpful in providing more general recommendations and advice about what to see and where to go around the city. If you're looking for a tour that is equal parts fun, relaxing and educational, than Mario is your guy! We could not have picked a more perfect activity for our romantic weekend.

This November, our group of 3 friends was visiting Venice and we wanted to do something different, so we found the Prosecco wine tour with Mario. The tour was amazing, we visited two wineries where the owners could not have been friendlier or more helpful. In between the two winery visits we had a wonderful lunch of healthy food all freshly prepared by the welcoming family who runs the restaurant. If you are in Venice or in the area, this is a must! Mario was very personable and spoke excellent English. He was a wealth of knowledge about the area and wine. We learned alot in a fun and laid back atmosphere. I highly recommend this guide and tour company. Good job.

Mario Piccinin, Italy and Wine Veneto Region I want to describle our wine tour in one word. Awesome! Mario was incredible. He picked us up at the venice train station and safely transported us to the Valpolicello region where we visited a couple wineries and had a great, authentic lunch in a small village. He his vast knowledge of the area, lanscape and history is second to none. He speaks excellent english is was able to point out some of the subtleties of wine tasting that made the experience even more memorable. Highly recommended.

Wine makers from Finger Lake region of New York took a wine tour with guide Mario. His knowledge of wine/food along with his familiarity of the area made our tour a high lite of our visit. If you need or want a laid back day to enjoy the outer areas of Venice, while enjoying wine and learning about the region then this is a excellent way.

Want the convenience of a cruise and the joy of getting off the beaten path in a foreign country? I have a tip for you. My wife and I cruised around Italy and the Dalmatian Coast, taking in places like Florence, the Amalfi, Croatia and, of course, Venice. At three of our stops, we ditched the expensive, herd-like ship excursions and went with a local driver on sight-seeing adventures of our own making. Cruise ships make sure you know you will be left on the dock if you take off on your own and don’t get back on time. It’s leverage for their tours. We booked three excursions, anyway. Those three days with our own drivers allowed us to do and see so much more than the ship excursions, and quickly became the highlights of our trip. And here’s a fact: Reputable independent excursion operators guarantee to pay your expenses to the next port if you miss the ship’s sailing time. We had a day to see the mystical city of Venice, and it is remarkable in all the world. I wondered if we had made a mistake to book with Mario (italyandwine) for our second day. We wanted to see some villas and castles, go to the heart of wine country, and submerge ourselves in rural Italian culture. Our trip got off to a bad start when a wreck on the main highway forced us onto congested side roads. We spent an hour with a driver, who spoke no English, watching our time in Italy slip away, stopped in traffic. I used the driver’s cell phone to call Mario who assured me we would still have a great day. Mario arranged for the beautiful Sylvia to meet us in Verano. She spoke perfect English, seemed to know everything Italian, and we loved her. She was quickly the difference between frustrating disaster, and "making a hard day great". We saw castles and villas, visited a fantastic winery and then great rural restaurant where there was no limit to the wine or food. No cruise tour could pull out all the stops to make us happy like Mario and Sylvia did. There were plenty of tour buses stopped with us who had their entire day ruined. Some of our group thought experiencing the culture and countryside around Venice was the best day of our trip. Italy exceeded every expectation. It was people like Mario, and especially Sylvia, who made Italy come alive for us. Our goal on this trip was to make great memories and save money (these tours for eight people is around 500 Euros)! Taking private cars/vans with English speaking drivers made that possible! Contact information Mario Piccinin, Italy and Wine, Veneto Region tel. (39) 049 600 672 mario@italyandwine.net

My husband and I booked a private wine tour of the Valpolicella region mid-June. We were hesitant to book the private tour because it is a bit pricey, however, our travel itinerary did not afford us the opportunity to take the group tour. After our experience, we were both in agreement that the private tour was totally worth it! Although I am sure that the group tours are equally as fun, the intimacy of the private tour was a great experience! We went to 2 small wineries that produce Valpolicella and Amarone - we got to meet the winemakers, visit the vineyards and do a thorough tasting. Mario was a wealth of knowledge, not only about the wine, but provided us with many tips and suggestions for things to check out in the Veneto region. We also had a delicious lunch and had an amazing Amarone risotto that we are still talking about! All in all, it was a great day and one of the major highlights of our 3 week trip around Italy. Thanks Mario and we really hope to see you again one day!

Robust wines, cured cheeses, crisp mountain air, and family owned wineries made hiring Mario a great decision. But, what made the day trip memorable was driving across a rich landscape of free flowing, rolling, hills and lakes, and engaging in conversation with Mario about wine, family, and life, which was equally as rich and effortless. I highly recommend our tour guide Mario who was the most professional, knowledgeable, and personable guide my best friend and I could have ever imagined hiring. Upon reading the itinerary online, we anticipated a wonderful time, but from the moment Mario picked us up the experience exceeded our expectations. Mario possesses a free-spirited and humble demeanor that matched the complexion of our adventure, and he blended this with his wealth of knowledge as a wine sommelier himself, to craft an unrivaled excursion. He setup private wine tastings at two incredible Veneto wineries – (i.) Marcelo’s vineyards, one of a fourth generation wine maker that uses organic cultivation techniques, and (ii.) Alberto’s, whose winery also employed a very traditional approach to winemaking. We interacted with the winery owners at length. They were both friendly and enthusiastic about providing insight and answering our questions. Mario’s tour was the highlight of our trip to Italy and Greece! 5 stars!

We spent the day with our very personable and knowledgeable, guide/sommelier, Mario Piccinin, who met us at the Tronchetto in Venice and guided us through some wonderful wineries and vineyards in the hills near Verona. We learned a great deal about the wines in the Valpolicella region and visited some very picturesque wineries, where we tasted some excellent Amarone, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, etc. (including some ripasso and riciotto) and visited with the owners and wine makers. We also shared lunch together (and tried some of the local specialties) and received some great tips for other activities during our stay in Italy. We are looking forward to scheduling another customized tour with Mario when we return.

My wife and I went together with Mario and Giovanni for the Valpolicella and Amarone tour. A great way to se a little more outside of Venice if your staying there. Mario is very knowledgeable and so were the owner of the wineries we visited. It seemed like we spent much longer time at each winery than we actually did, but the schedule was perfectly timed. Between the two wineries we had a great lunch in a small local restaurant where we got some of the local specialties together with more delicious wine. Amarone-risotto was new for me, but definitely something I will make back home. Mario told us on our way out to the valleys that we would be sleeping on the return trip. He was spot on. After a gorgeous day of wine tasting, learning about wine production and the heavy, tasty lunch we didn't stand a chance of not sleeping in the car on our way back:) All in all Mario and Giovanni gave us a feeling of being on a trip with some friends. A very pleasant day, and highly recommended.

DW and I spent 2 wonderful weeks in Italy (the classic tour). Our priorities were food and wine and this was one of the high points! Mario picked us up at the hotel and transported us to the venician countryside where we visited 2 local vineyards! We were given a tour and then the tasting began--outstanding!! Their wine and olive oil is made from the grapes and olives grown right there and you can tell!! We had a beautiful lunch in a local restaurant and visited another family run vineyard---the Prosecco is the best I have ever had! Mario was a delight and we really felt we had experienced the local flavor.

Mario picked us up at the Tronchetto in Venice and whisked us away for a remarkable day of wine tasting, local cuisine, history and sight-seeing. We visited 2 wineries which specialized in Valpolicella and were offered extremely generous tastings at both locations. After a tour of the first winery we sat outside under beautiful shade trees over-looking the gorgeous Italian country-side and sipped wine, ate cheese, olives and bread and chatted with the owner. It was like a scene out of a movie. Next stop, lunch at a charming local restaurant where we had to bed the owner and his wife to stop bringing us food! The second winery was a short distance away where we also enjoyed a tour and a tasting. Mario drove us back to Venice, commenting on local sights and history as we went. A remarkable day and one I would highly recommend.

My wife and I were so happy with Vittorio's Chianti region wine tasting tour last year that this time it was a must for us to explore the Veneto region with them again. Last week, our wine sommelier Mario conducted our tour in a delightful manner. We were picked-up in Venice and drove to these two incredibly wineries in the Euganean hills area and sampled over a dozen wines, several proseco and local favorites. We also had a delicious lunch at a local trattoria that kept us in awe. Mario told us from the history of the local varieties to tasting the grapes right out of the baskets. The local growers shared details on specific labels and growing technics not usually known. All in all, in our Paris-Venice vacation nothing gave us more joy than this Italy and Wine tour. O. Galloso Miami, Florida.

From the moment we were picked up at out hotel we were put at ease and were immediately able to appreciate Mario's knowledge and hosting skills as we were driven through beautiful wine country towards our first vineyard. On the way we learned some of the background that helped us truly appreciate the first visit as we encountered a very enthusiastic and passionate wine grower. The slightly damp conditions prevented us walking among the vines here but this did not detract from the experience as we were taken around the site finally ending up in a tasting room where we passed a very relaxing and enjoyable time tasting wines as they were first described by Marcello, the wine maker and then appreciated under Marios' guidance. The truly great tasting wine, the company and some local cheese made it difficult to leave but we eventually headed to our second winery for the day. On the way we stopped for lunch expecting a small snack. Instead we were treated to some great local cooking and several courses including truffles & tagliatelle as just one of the many courses - WOW.. (turns out Mario has also got a great food knowledge and particularly cheeses) This experience alone would have made the whole trip worth it as we talked more wine and food and made a mental note to return on a cooking and food tasting trip along with the wine next time. After a tour of some beautiful countryside, stopping for photos, we arrived at the second winery. A different but equally very passionate and memorable time was then spent walking through the vines and discussing grapes, organic methods, harvesting etc etc before retiring to the tasting room and sitting down to hear about and taste the wines. Sitting with the wine maker and tasting a wine named in honour of his father 'Raffaello' was a lasting experience. At the end of what was a very enjoyable and long day it was clear that Mario had picked two terrific wineries that both demonstrated passion and great wines. The food experience was a real added bonus as well. Needless to say we brought several wine bottles back home with us (and got some shipped as well) which we are now enjoying and reliving the experiences as we taste the wine. Mario has created a truly great day and his hosting skills made this the best day of our holiday and a day that wil be remembered for a long time.

Last year my wife and I had Mario take us on a tour of the Prosecco wines in the southern Dolomites, straight from Venice. The tour, a 6 hour affair, was a delight. The countryside is beautiful, the wineries were great fun, and the meal was terrific. Our tour was NOT during active wine making or grape harvesting season, so there wasn't much activity to see. Still, we got a tour of the grounds, and the wine making machinery and process, with detailed explanations, and question answering at each place. (We went to three different wineries.) There was a wine tasting at each place, and the places got fancier as we went along. For lunch, Mario took us to a farmhouse that serves meals ENTIRELY of food they grew. The meal was terrific (antipasti and eggs), very large, and also served with prosecco. Finally, I must comment on Mario himself. We spoke excellent (though accented) English (he married an American girl- good choice). He was quite familiar with the area, wineries and the farmhouse people. He translated when necessary,and was a pelasant companion. Final notes- when we booked the tour, we were quoted a lower rate as there was going to be another couple joining us. They cancelled, but he kept the same rate for just the two of us. He met us at the train station, and drove us (safely!) around. It was a very pleasant excursion outside of Venice and highly recommended.

Our tour guide Mario was prompt, very knowledgeable and friendly. We visited two vineyards and enjoyed a fabulous private lunch in a beautiful restaurant. Mario chauffeured us around northern Italy, we enjoyed seeing the various towns. We sampled many white and red wines, the vineyard owners were very friendly, and answered all of our questions. We were not pressured to buy anything from either vineyard; but we did purchase some to take home. We only wish it hadn't rained the previous three days so we could have walked though the vineyards. We definitely recommend including this tour as part of your vacation to Italy.