5 Days Cooking, Cheese & Wine Tour in Prosecco, Venice

"Had a lovely guided tour with Rachel. We arrived via train from Venice, and Rachel greeted us at the terminal. We walked the city and Rachel had a running commentary on the history of the city. We had a chance to taste some local foods, and a guided tour through St.Anthonys (recommend). Would do another tour without hesitation!"

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"My partner and I booked a last minute trip to Verona around Christmas time, and this was certainly the highlight of the weekend. The tour with Mario was truly unforgettable. He is an absolute gentleman, highly professional and knowledgeable about the region and all it has to offer. His choice of vineyards to visit and lunch venue were spot on. We are already considering another cheese and wine tour with Mario in the future - perhaps when our current supply from the region runs low."

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"My wife and I spent a wonderful day with Mario on his Prosecco tour (out of Padua). He picked us up promptly at our hotel and provided excellent commentary all the way to the Prosecco wineries. Then, much to our delight, Mario is not only a fine guide, but a trained sommelier! He conducted our tastings himself, along with the winery owners. He also took us to lunch (with more Prosecco of course) at a wonderful little family run country trattoria. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Mario and highly recommend Venice Day Trips!"

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"We went on the Alpine Cheese Farm & Wine Tasting Tour. We had Mario as our guide. He was so amazing. Very friendly and informative. My husband didn't want to do the tour, but he did just to make me happy. After the tour, that was all he talked about. He loved the fact that we were the only ones doing the tour because we had personalized tour. The cheese farm was the high lite of the trip and my husband even help the cheese master make some of the cheese. The experience was so amazing watching them make the cheese. The trip included eating at a local restaurant which was also fantastic. After that, we went to the vineyard where we tasted different wines. Thank you, Mario, for a fun-filled day!"

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"My wife and I spend the day with Mario last may and I have to say it was incredible and worth every penny. He taught us so much about the food and wine in the region and I may have tasted the best amarone I will ever sample in my life. I would highly recommend this if you have the day to spend."

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"My husband, daughter and I learned so much from our guide, Mario, from the moment he picked us up. He knew his wines, foods, parings, and anything we asked him. As we went through the day, we were more than pleased with the food choices and wine tastings he took us on! The vineyard, restaurant and him were top notch! We definitely recommend you take a tour with him. We certainly will again!"

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"My husband, daughter and I learned so much from our guide, Mario, from the moment he picked us up. He knew his wines, foods, parings, and anything we asked him. As we went through the day, we were more than pleased with the food choices and wine tastings he took us on! The vineyard, restaurant and him were top notch! We definitely recommend you take a tour with him. We certainly will again!"

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"Our tour guide, Mario Piccinin, proved to be excellent. He was very knowledgeable about the wines we sampled (he is a certified sommelier and cheese expert) as well as the culture and history of the region. He was extremely personable and fun to spend a day with. After meeting him at the bus station in Venice we visited two wineries in the Veneto Region north of Verona. We spent most of our time at Le Bignele winery where we learned about the wine making process and tasted 5 types of Valpolicella wine including Amarone.We then had a delicious lunch at a nearby trattoria, Alla Porchetta, and then on to the second winery at Fratelli Vogadori in Negrar. Both are family run wineries with high quality wines. You are able to buy wines at both places, either to put in checked baggage or to be sent home. But there was no pressure to make a purchase. TIPS: 1) Be flexible with your time if you plan this tour because Mario is flexible with his. 2) Mario and his wife Rachel offer additional wine and food tours."

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"We are experienced travelers who always choose to tour privately. Our day with Mario Piccinin was by far the best we have experienced. He was warm and friendly, knowledgeable, and thoroughly delightful.At each of the 2 wineries we toured we saw the winemaking facilities and were educated in the process of making Prosecco. At the first winery we learned that Mario is a sommelier. He guided us through each tasting, giving us a real education. Two of us belong to a wine club and are experienced in tasting champagnes, yet we still learned from him.Lunch was a private affair at a small restaurant that opened only to accommodate us. It was perfect. At our request we were taken to the kitchen, and told how each of the dishes was prepared. This was a very special trip. We feel lucky to have happened upon Mario. Should we get back to Venice, we will take another of his tours."

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"My husband and I did the prosecco tour with Mario and had the most amazing day. Mario is so friendly and made us feel very comfortable. The scenery is absolutely beautiful! We learned so much about prosecco and were able to try several different types. We were able to purchase a few bottles for a very reasonable price. Leave room in your luggage, because you will definitely want to bring some home. The lunch spot that Mario took us to was somewhere my husband and I will never forget. You won't go hungry!! If you're staying in or around Venice this tour is a must!"

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"Mario picked us up at our hotel in Padua last Saturday and took us to the Verona area for a wine tour. He explained about wine making in the car on the way there and assured us that no question would be left unanswered no matter how silly it may have been. We visited one winery in the morning, had a fantastic lunch, and visited another in the afternoon. The tour included everything from walking through the vineyards and tasting the grapes, to tasting 5 varieties in each winery. We learned so much about wine making, tasting, and enjoying just drinking it! Thank you for the great day, Mario!"

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"Excellent wine and cheese tour with Mario Piccinin of Venice Day Trips, a company he owns. He will arrange and/or host winery tours, cooking lessons, etcetera. Mario met us at a convenient location within the boundaries of venice and drove us through the veneto wine region.He arranged various private wine tastings (paired with cheeses and/or bread/olive oil). Mario also treated us to a delicious local lunch of fresh pasta, locally harvested truffles, and local valpollicella wine. He is an amazing host and made our stay easy and fabulous.Mr. Piccinin is very friendly & accomodating. A gracious and personable host who will make your visit memorable and relaxing. A great way to see a little of the veneto outside of venice - and on dry land! You must do this! Worth every euro!"

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"One of the highlights of our time in Venice. My friend and I went on an all day trip with our amazing and very knowledgeable guide Mario to the Valpolicella region. We visited 2 small family run vineyards and tasted some excellent wine, along with a nice tour of each facility. Mario was the real gem in this trip.He is a sommelier and used the time driving to the vineyards to educate us about Italian wines. During the tastings he spent a lot of time helping us appreciate what we were drinking. In all he went above and beyond what one would expect from a guide. Highly recommended trip - make sure to get Mario if you can."

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"My partner and I went on a Prosecco Wine Tour with Mario while we were visiting Venice. It turned out to be one of our favorite days of the entire trip.The wineries visited were fascinating and hospitable and the lunch at the sustainable farm restaurant will forever be one of our favorite meals.The wines we sampled were amazing, and we developed a whole new appreciation for Prosecco. If you get the chance to do this by all means take a day and tour with Mario!"

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"Mario Piccinin took our party of 5 on a wine tour in Valpolicella that we will all cherish for the rest of our lives! We drove through the incredible Veneto countryside (chauferred expertly by Mario) and toured two wineries with a tasty lunch along the way.The scenery, food, wine and cultural experience was unforgettable. This experience was made even more memorable by Mario. His attention to detail and knowledge of the region and viniculture was so very enjoyable.The two wineries were Le Bignele and Fratelli Vogadori in Valpolicella. Both were excellent but we especially enjoyed meeting Sylvia at Le Bignele. This is a "must do" day trip from Venice, in my opinion, even if you are not a "wine lover."

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"A big thank you to Mario for an incredible tailor made tour of the Valdobbiadene region! We went there for a weekend and Mario organized everything perfectly for us! He is a real expert and knows everyone in the region.He made it an incredible experience for us and exactly what we were looking for! The wine tasting was accompanied by an excellent choice of restaurants with amazing food and a great warm welcome! A great experience I would highly recommend!"

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