Contents
- 1 History of Prosecco
- 2 Differences between Champagne and Prosecco
- 3 Full-Day Prosecco Vineyard Tours
- 3.1 Small-Group Wine Tour from Venice
- 3.2 A Sparkling Day on the Prosecco Hills
- 3.3 Full-Day Prosecco Wine Tasting from Venice
- 3.4 Prosecco Wine and Tastings Tour from Venice or Padua
- 3.5 A Full Day in the Prosecco Region for a Wine Tour & Tasting
- 3.6 Private Prosecco Wine, Charming villages, and Palladian Villa Day Tour
- 3.7 Full-Day Prosecco and Cheese Tasting Tour
- 3.8 Prosecco Wine Tastings & Venetian Renaissance Paintings and Architecture Tour
- 4 Half-Day Prosecco Wine Tours from Venice
- 5 Other Wine Tours From Venice
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Just north of the ancient city on the water, Venice’s Veneto region is famous for its wonderfully bubbly and light white wine–Prosecco. Have you ever tried it? It’s light and airy. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. It’s perfect to pair with fish and seafood dishes or can be refreshing all on its own as your choice glass for aperitivo.
You can easily take several Veneto wine tours from Venice, from full-day Prosecco vineyard tours to half-day experiences.
And although most of these are Prosecco wine tours from Venice, there are a few other wines in the region; I think you’ll also be excited to try.
History of Prosecco
Prosecco originated in the town of Prosecco in northeast Italy, using the prosecco grape. However, the grape was renamed in the early 21st century to glera, and laws were passed to protect the drink’s authenticity. And invented at the end of the 19th century, the Charmat method traps the carbon bubbles from leaving the wine, the signature of the delicious, light, sparkling wine we know and love.
Within the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions of Italy, only the provinces of Padova, Vicenza, Treviso, Venezia, Belluno, Pordenone, Udine, Gorizia, and Trieste have the privilege of producing Prosecco today.
The highest quality Prosecco is given the DOCG (Vino Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) distinction, along with all other protected Italian wines. Specifically, the highest quality Prosecco is produced between two towns, Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, within the Treviso province.
Fun Fact: Due to its importance for Prosecco wine, this area was established as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019.
DOC (Vino Denominazione di Origine Controllata) is the next step down, but rest assured you aren’t sacrificing anything by drinking a DOC-deemed wine. Everything from location and farming to the aging process and grape varietal is held to high standards at both levels.
Differences between Champagne and Prosecco
Similar to how Champagne can only come from the Champagne region in France, Prosecco is only authentic if it comes from one of nine provinces within the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions.
However, this is where the similarities between the two beverages end. Although they seemingly look the same, their path from the rolling vineyards to your glass is very different.
Champagne is made with the Champagne method, where carbonization occurs in its bottles. Prosecco is processed using the Charmat method, which uses steel tanks to trap carbon bubbles from escaping during the fermentation process.
Full-Day Prosecco Vineyard Tours
If you fancy yourself a wine connoisseur, a full-day prosecco wine tour is easy to add to any Venice itinerary. All of these tours will pick you up from various points in Venice and bring you right back at the end of the day.
Small-Group Wine Tour from Venice
The rolling hills of the Veneto are waiting for you and this full-day small-group wine tasting tour. First, meet your local guide and expert in Venice before venturing into the countryside.
You’ll learn about the family-owned and operated business’s history at your first vineyard and experience your first tasting with a light lunch included.
After lunch, you’ll continue through the beautiful countryside on your way to your second vineyard to learn more about the Charmont process and see it in action.
The six-hour tour only allows up to eight participants, which means you’ll have a truly unique and authentic experience.
A Sparkling Day on the Prosecco Hills
The Italian Dolomites are part of the Alps mountain range. This area is beyond stunning and is the secret to perfect Prosecco.
On this eight-hour tour with only up to six people, you’ll spend your day in the hills taking in the stunning views and learning the secrets of the Prosecco-making process.
You’ll visit your first winery in the morning, where you’ll have your first tastings. After your light and bubbly from your first tastings, you’ll visit a locally owned osteria for aperitivo within view of the vineyards.
You’ll be treated to a typical Veneto meal owned by the tour company’s family for lunch, made using their grandmother’s recipes and homemade desserts by their brother.
Your second winery comes in the afternoon, where you’ll learn about the highest quality Prosecco and the process behind DOCG wines.
If you’re taking the tour from Venice in the winter, that’s where you’ll end your day.
However, suppose you’re here enjoying this wine tour from Venice on a great summer getaway in Italy. In that case, you might have the opportunity to end your day with a perfect picnic in the middle of the beautiful vineyards.
Full-Day Prosecco Wine Tasting from Venice
Immerse yourself in the quaint villages and vistas as you explore the Veneto Prosecco region.
On this eight-hour tour, you’ll have an opportunity to visit locally-run wine cellars on the hills between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano—where the highest quality Prosecco wine is produced in Italy.
You’ll start your morning with a tasting at one of these exclusive wineries learning about the sugar qualities of Prosecco wines before indulging in a light Venetian-style lunch.
Then, visit your second wine estate, passing through medieval villages on your way.
You’ll also have an opportunity to visit the famous Osteria Senz’Oste and capture its views before returning to Venice.
Prosecco Wine and Tastings Tour from Venice or Padua
On this eight-hour tour, learn about Prosecco with a certified sommelier as your tour guide.
After being picked up in Venice, you’ll be transported in a comfortable passenger van into the wine region by Valdobbiadene to start your day. This tour also departs from Padua, depending on what works best for you!
In the morning, you’ll experience your first of two boutique vineyards. Before tasting their wines, you’ll go into the cellars to learn about Prosecco’s production from its absolute beginning until it appears in a glass on your dining table.
You’ll stop at a rural trattoria for lunch made up of local foods. Then you’ll visit your second vineyard to learn about their family-run business and taste their wines.
A Full Day in the Prosecco Region for a Wine Tour & Tasting
On this full-day Prosecco vineyard tour, you’ll experience not one, but two beautiful wineries within the province of Treviso.
After being picked up from your hotel in Venice, you’ll be driven up into the hills to glimpse the wine-making process. After learning about production at your first vineyard, you’ll taste a few glasses of the highest quality Prosecco Superiore DOCG with an aperitivo with local cured meats, cheeses, and bread.
After you leave, you’ll stop for lunch at a local restaurant before pulling off at a vista to enjoy panoramic views of the Venetian hills.
At your second winery, you’ll find yourself surrounded by the beautiful hills at a family-owned vineyard that has been handed down for generations before returning to Venice.
Private Prosecco Wine, Charming villages, and Palladian Villa Day Tour
Are you ready for a more personalized experience? On this nine-hour tour around Venetian hilltowns, you’ll explore the region’s history and its wines.
You’ll start your day in Bassano del Grappa, where you’ll taste the liquor named after the town, grappa. In your free time, walk around this beautiful little town on a hill and cross its famous Palladian bridge over the Brenta river.
Then wander through the shops and purchase locally made ceramics, mushrooms, and other locally sourced products.
Palladian (adj.): Relating to or denoting the neoclassical style of [Italian architect] Andrea Palladio, in particular with reference to the phase of English architecture from c.1715, when there was a revival of interest in Palladio and his English follower, Inigo Jones, and a reaction against the baroque.
LEXICO
After, you’ll visit a Palladian villa. Inside Villa Barbaro, you’ll see one of the Italian architect’s most famous buildings, with frescoes inside painted by Veronese.
If Villa Barbaro is closed, you’ll go to Villa Emo, another of his great architectural works.
Although lunch is optional, you’ll be taken to an excellent trattoria where you can have Venetian food and wine.
Finally, you’ll end your day at a Prosecco vineyard. You’ll learn about the wine-making process and taste notable Prosecco wines with the beautiful hills as your backdrop.
Full-Day Prosecco and Cheese Tasting Tour
Would you like a little cheese with that wine? On this full-day eight-hour tour, you’ll have the unique experience of tasting both excellent Prosecco wines and delicious locally-produced cheeses.
To start your day, you’ll taste typical formaggi di malga that the family staff at Factoria Curto has been making for generations. Cheeses include styles like sottofieno, morlacco, stravecchio, and even smoked ricotta.
Then, you’ll find yourself at two different wineries tasting four different styles of wine at each, stopping for a light lunch along the way.
Your English guide will explain the history and production of both Prosecco and these cheeses along the way.
Before heading back to Venice, you’ll stop at Osteria Senz’Oste to see its famous views.
Prosecco Wine Tastings & Venetian Renaissance Paintings and Architecture Tour
On this day trip from Venice, you’ll get a little bit of everything from historic Veneto cities to the excellent Prosecco wine.
After a little over an hour’s drive, you’ll come to Castelfranco Veneto, a beautiful Medieval town still sporting its Medieval walls. You’ll meet an English guide to give you a tour of the city’s history from ancient times through the Middle Ages into the modern-day.
This city is also famous for being the birthplace of Italian Renaissance artist Giorgione. You’ll see a few of his works on your tour, such as the altarpiece in the city’s cathedral.
Next, you’ll come to the Medieval village of Asolo, where you’ll have free time to enjoy lunch and walk around the city.
Before making your way to the vineyard for your Prosecco wine tasting, you’ll stop to admire Villa Barbaro from the outside.
Finally, you’ll reach the small town of Fanzolo, where you’ll head inside the restored Palladian Villa Emo to admire works by Renaissance artists Zelotti and Veronese.
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Half-Day Prosecco Wine Tours from Venice
Do you desperately want to experience a Prosecco vineyard tour from Venice but don’t have a ton of time in your schedule? You’re in luck! These are all half-day tours where you’ll only need a few hours to experience the beauty of the Veneto and its wine.
Half-Day Prosecco Wine Tour
This tour will take you straight into the hilly stretch between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano.
You’ll visit a distinguished Prosecco vineyard where you’ll get to try various DOCG wines and even Prosecco rosé. An expert guide at the winery will teach you all about the process of fermentation through bottling as you enjoy a light lunch.
On your way back to Venice, you’ll stop to admire one of the most picturesque spots, Molinetto della Croda.
Half-Day Prosecco Tour with a Certified Sommelier
You’ll explore a Prosecco vineyard with an accredited sommelier on this five-hour half-day tour. Up in Valdobbiadene, you’ll learn about Prosecco production and sample three distinct styles of Prosecco at a family-owned and operated winery.
Then, you’ll have a typical Venetian-style lunch before heading back to Venice.
A Private Half-Day Wine Tour on the Road of the Doges
The Road of the Doges – isn’t it such a cool name for a tour?! The Romans described the area as fertile land, and the region is still being used for excellent wine production.
Insider Tip: A Doge was the head of the Republic of Venice’s government. You can read more about the job’s history, duties, and other fun facts about Venice in my guide.
You’ll meet your driver in Venice, who will teach you about the history of the Veneto region on your way.
You’ll spend this four-hour tour exploring the southeast area of the Veneto at a historic winery. Visit a 17th-century villa and tour the vineyard and cellars of the family-owned winery before sampling their wines and enjoying local cheeses and fresh bread. In addition to regional varieties like Prosecco, this winery also produces Chardonnay Pinot Grigio Merlot and Cabernet franc. You’ll even have an opportunity to purchase a bottle or four from the on-site shop before returning to Venice.
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Other Wine Tours From Venice
Maybe you’ve already been on a dedicated Prosecco wine tour from Venice. Or, you simply have too many things on your Venice bucket list to leave the city for a whole or half-day.
Instead, several other incredible Venice Italy wine tours might interest you!
Valpolicella Day Trip from Venice: Wine Tasting and Verona
Instead of heading directly north into the Veneto’s Prosecco territory, you’ll be heading northwest into the valley of Valpolicella. You’ll find excellent red wines in these hills outside of Verona.
Your first stop on this full-day eight-hour tour is Soave, a Medieval town at the bottom of the Lessinia Mountains. Here you’ll see their castle and Medieval-era walls, with its still-standing 24 towers, before stopping at a local vineyard for a wine tasting.
Amarone wine is the rich, dry red wine produced in this region, and you’ll learn more about its production process while you sample.
After you’ve had your fill, you’ll head out to see Verona–the stage for one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Romeo & Juliet. You’ll have about three hours to explore on your own and grab lunch before you need to meet your driver and head back to Venice.
Private Wine Tasting at Mazzorbo Island with a Sommelier
You don’t even need to leave the Venetian Lagoon to find excellent Venice Italy wine tours! On this one-of-a-kind private 45-minute tour, you’ll visit Murazzo Island to find a hearty vineyard that continues producing a unique white wine.
This wine, called Dorona di Venezia, can only be created here due to the Lagoon’s saltwater–nowhere else in the world is quite like it. The vineyard produces less than 4,000 bottles each year, making this a truly unique tasting experience.
You’ll spend your tour walking through the vineyard with a certified sommelier as you learn about the history of the variety before sampling two of their wines.
Venice Food and Drink Experience: Cicchetti and Wine Small-Group Tour
One of my favorite Venice insider tips is planning out your meals to include cicchetti–and this cicchetti & wine tour makes it easy to do just that.
Insider Tip: Cicchetti are small, traditional Venetian appetizers that can be eaten at any time of day. They’re an excellent snack or midday meal, prepared with little rounds of Italian bread and topped with baccalà, gorgonzola, porchetta, and other delights. You can learn more about cicchetti in my guide on things to know when visiting Venice.
You’ll explore Venice with a local guide and taste some excellent wines and several of Venice’s most famous neighborhoods and landmarks. The Rialto Bridge and fish market and the Cannaregio district are just a few sites.
As you go, you’ll taste different types of Cicchetti in traditional Venetian bars, called bacaro, while also sampling several wines that come from the Veneto region.
Venice Rooftops Tour with Wine Tasting
Venice is obviously not a city of skyscrapers, so there are very few lookout points around the city. On this 2.5-hour tour, you’ll have an incredible chance to see Venice from above with a licensed guide.
You’ll start in the San Polo district, where you’ll go inside private historic palaces to check out the view from their terraces.
From there, you’ll head into the streets and pass some of Venice’s most iconic landmarks like the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge, and Piazza San Marco while enjoying aperitivo and a Prosecco tasting along the way.
Four-course Food & Wine Pairing Elegant Dinner in Venice
Although these tours include tasting the delicious local wines, none have a precisely prepared and paired dinner at a fine dining Venetian restaurant.
At this elegant dinner, you’ll indulge in a four-course meal meticulously planned by the restaurant’s chef, with a sommelier there to make specific recommendations on which of the Veneto’s famous wines to pair with your courses.
In the summer, you’ll sit outside surrounded by a Venetian courtyard, while in the winter, you’ll be kept cozy and warm inside the restaurant outfitted like an old ship.
If you’re looking for unique wine tours from Venice, Italy, look no further than the Veneto region. Its rolling hills and vineyards make it the perfect home to many of Italy’s most famous wines, including Prosecco. And because the area is known for its beautiful scenery, it’s an ideal day trip from Venice. Which of these Prosecco vineyard tours will you take?
