Small Group Cicchetti & Wine Tasting

This Venetian-style pub crawl provides excellent insight into the "real" Venice, far from the crowds in Piazza San Marco. You will get a glimpse of the daily life of the city's 60,000 full-time inhabitants as you follow Cecilia, your friendly and knowledgeable guide, on an off-the-beaten-track tour of some local hideaways that, as a tourist, you might not find on your own. The objective is to munch on some really delectable bar snacks - the Venetians call them cicchetti - with little glasses of wine known as ombre. Campo della Maddalena, a small square of colorful houses unchanged since medieval times, is the starting point for this three-hour shared tour. Many of these modest houses are topped with unusual chimneys and the first historic bacaro (wine bar) you will visit used to be a warehouse for storing coal. Amidst old iron tools, dark wooden beams and barrels of wine you will taste bruschetta (small slices of toasted bread) topped with mouthwatering ingredients that change every day, depending on the season: baccala' mantecato (creamy cod fish), soft cheeses and sweet pumpkin, to name just a few. Around the corner in the Strada Nuova is Alla Vedova (the widow's place) that has been feeding hungry Venetians since the 18th century. It is justly famous for its polpette (spicy fried meatballs), which are delicious when washed down with a glass of Merlot or Pinot Bianco. Then you will head to Campo Santa Sofia. (scroll down to read more...) After a stroll through the outdoor market, you will enter a hole-in-the-wall place that serves a simple but tasty selection of cicchetti accompanied by regional Italian wines and Prosecco. Stop by a couple of other bacari where the market vendors go - you will visit five in all - and then, on the steps of the Rialto Bridge, say arrivederci to the new-found friends with whom you have shared an unforgettable gastronomic tour of Venice's hidden corners. Please note that this is a sample itinerary and the actual tour might vary.

Learn to Cook a Venetian Meal

Chef Maria Genovina's cooking class takes place in her cheerful home kitchen, located in the heart of Venice near the Grand Canal. During this lesson, you will learn the secrets of Venetian cuisine, as well as discover the regional products that make it one of the most prized methods of cooking in Italian cuisine. Chef Maria will teach you how to prepare a delicious four-course meal using fresh, local ingredients. You will learn such skills how to make a perfect risotto or spaghetti allo scoglio. Other kitchen skills will be introduced, such as the best way to filet a sea bass and to prepare a tasty dessert. At the conclusion of this hands-on lesson, you will sit down and enjoy the meal you have personally prepared. At the end of the course, participants will receive a booklet with the recipes in English so that you can repeat this wonderful experience in your own home kitchen.

A Small Group Cooking Class in Venice

A powerful world trading empire is not the only amazing thing the Venetians have to brag about - their fresh and delectable cuisine is an accomplishment of its own! In this shared cooking class, participants will get a hands-on experience during which they will create and enjoy their very own Venetian-style meal. During this course you and other participants will join Chef Maria Genovina in a private apartment near the Grand Canal to create typical Venetian dishes from the fresh and seasonal ingredients that are the hallmarks of the Italian cuisine. The menu is rooted in the foundational principles of this type of cooking: simplicity, tradition, regionalism, and absolute freshness. After cooking dishes such as Fried Zucchini Flowers with Mozzarella and Basil, Baked Sea Bass with Potatoes, and traditional Tiramisu (the dessert was actually invented in this area), you will sit down and enjoy your meal.

Orto, the Island Wine of San Erasmo

What is a Frenchman doing making wine in the middle of the Venetian lagoon? You will find out on this fascinating visit to vintner Michel Thoulouze's wine estate on the island of Sant'Erasmo. The largest island in the Venice lagoon after Venice itself, Sant'Erasmo was completely abandoned in the 16th century after the plague decimated the entire population. In 1820, people started returning and building small farms, hence the nickname - the "Garden of Venice." It is famed for its fruits and vegetables, especially the small, violet-colored artichokes called castraure. You will tour one of these farms with a member of the family who owns it and learn about the fresh, seasonal produce that is sold daily in the Rialto market. Next stop is the only vineyard in the Venetian lagoon where wine is produced. A decade ago, Michel Thoulouze, a successful French television producer moved here and painstaking restored the vineyards. This labor of love resulted in a white wine that is a unique blend of 50% Malvasia Bianca, 40% Vermentino and 10% Fiano grapes. Called Orto, after the island's vegetable gardens, it is a fresh, white wine with a depth of flavor and a minerality that is perfect when paired with seafood. After an explanation of the wine-making process and a look at the stainless-steel tanks in which it is made, you will enjoy a three-course lunch of seafood specialties before heading back to Venice on the vaporetto with a lasting memory of your short but delightful visit to the island of San Erasmo!

Veneto: The Land of Prosecco

In the hills around the villages of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, you will enter a magical world: the land of Prosecco. Tidy rows of vineyards set amidst historic villages are the scenic backdrop for this full day excursion, and this Italian sparkling white wine - often called Italian champagne due to its crisp, bubbly taste - will be your guide. After a short stop by a waterfall beside an old mill, you'll head to the Toffoli Vineyards, known for their fine Prosecco. A visit to the cellars and a guided wine tasting are included, with some local delicacies to accompany the wine. Here you'll be able to learn how a simple white wine can become an excellent, sparkling Prosecco. This family-run business has adopted a system to exploit the natural preservatives contained in the skins of the grapes, adding virtually no sulphates that often cause headaches; the result is one of the most remarkable Proseccos on the market. The Molinetto della Croda, an ancient grist mill in the Lierza valley, has inspired artists and charmed thousands of visitors in its nearly four centuries of history. After a short stop at the mill, you'll take the "Strada del Prosecco," characterized by some truly astounding scenery. There will be ample opportunities to take photos; for example, in the picturesque little village of Rolle. Lunch will be at a local trattoria, a lovely place serving typical Veneto cuisine with a panoramic view of the vineyards. After lunch you'll head to the Bisol Winery in Valdobbiadene where you'll visit the cellars and enjoy a guided wine tasting.

Wines of the Doges - Wine Tasting in Venice

Wine has always been more popular than water in La Serenissima. The Veneto produces more wine than any other region in Italy and the city's wine bars, or bacari, serve an average of 50,000 glasses of wine each day! This two-hour guided tasting takes place in a typical Venetian bacaro in the afternoon hours, and focuses on the wines produced in the Tri-Veneto area (Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia-Giulia). Our expert sommelier will introduce you to local wines. Three different wines in all, selected according to quality, theme and the season. Then there are Venetian cicchetti -- freshly prepared fish, cheese or meat appetizers - to teach you everything you need to know about the pairing of food and wine.