Venice
Wine + Culture Tour
Next Tours in Venice
Welcome to Venice
Venice, for me, has never been just a destination—it’s a place that has truly shaped me! While living there, working in the art world and studying to become a sommelier, I discovered a side of the city far beyond its postcard image, and this tour is my personal invitation into that world: a quieter, more intimate Venice where locals gather, traditions are preserved, and a new wave of creativity is redefining what the city can be. We’ll uncover hidden corners, experience exceptional food and wine, and step inside spaces that most travelers never even notice—all the while meeting friends who call the city home, from artisans and chefs to museum curators and fishermen. Every experience is thoughtfully designed to be authentic, personal, and deeply connected to the Venice I know and love.
Venice Tour Highlights
Each of our tours is designed to offer an authentic experience, where local traditions meet the pleasure of fine wine and rich heritage. From renowned wineries to off-the-beaten-path places, we’ll guide you through the people, places, and flavors that make every destination truly unique.
Taste through the Veneto’s acclaimed and diverse wines through visits to wineries handpicked by your sommelier guide
Visit the charming towns of Asolo, Bassano del Grappa and Vicenza
Visit to a 16th-Century Palladian Villa
Relax in a thermal bath with views of Lake Garda
Hands-on cooking class of Venetian Recipes
Enjoy a private guided tour of Verona, the romantic setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Unesco World Heritage Sites in Veneto
(Starred Sites are on the Veneto wine tour)
Cuisine of Venice
As a powerful maritime crossroads between East and West, Venice absorbed spices, ingredients, and techniques from distant lands, creating a culinary identity that feels both deeply local and unmistakably global.
You’ll taste that legacy in dishes like sarde in saor (sweet-and-sour sardines), where vinegar, onions, pine nuts, and raisins reveal a clear Eastern influence. There’s baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod), impossibly silky and rich, and bigoli in salsa (thick pasta with anchovy and onion sauce), a humble yet deeply traditional staple. From the lagoon come risotto al nero di seppia (cuttlefish ink risotto), dark and briny, and moeche fritte (fried soft-shell crabs), a rare seasonal delicacy.
Then there are the cicchetti—Venice’s answer to tapas—small bites enjoyed with a glass of wine in lively bacari, offering a glimpse into everyday local life. Rooted in trade, travel, and cultural exchange, this cuisine tells the story of a city that has always been open to the world while remaining fiercely its own. To eat in Venice is to experience that history in its most delicious form.
Your Extraordinary Accommodations in Venice
We will be staying at the beautiful boutique hotel of my friends, the Romanelli family, in the San Marco sestiere. It will be our little oasis in the lagoon.
What Clients are Saying About Us
Venice + Its Lagoon Tour Details
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While the itinerary is in progress, I can tell you it will be rooted in the legacy of the Venetian Republic, when Venice was a powerful crossroads of trade. Our journey will weave together the city's history with its living creative spirit. Drawing on my background in the art world and the wine industry, we’ll explore the enduring connection between culture, food and wine.
While the itinerary is in progress, I can tell you it will be rooted in the legacy of the Venetian Republic, when Venice was a powerful crossroads of trade. Our journey will weave together the city's history with its living creative spirit. Drawing on my background in the art world and the wine industry, we’ll explore the enduring connection between culture, food and wine.
Double Occupancy
$ 5,800 / person
Single Supplement
$1200
Special Note
Venice’s cuisine is very much based on seafood. While the tour can accommodate various food allergies and dietary restrictions, please note this might seriously limit your ability to enjoy local specialties.
You must be in good physical condition as this trip involves a lot of walking.
Inclusions
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Accompanying sommelier guide for the entire tour
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Comfortable Transportation when needed
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6 Nights accommodations at a boutique hotel in Venice’s historic center
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All meals (except possibly one) with sommelier-selected wine at top restaurants in the city
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All wine tastings + guided activities (special events, private tours, guest experts, entrance fees, etc.)
Exclusions
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Flight to Venice
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Travel expenses before and after the tour period
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Travel Insurance (highly recommended)
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Anything not specified as being included (If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!)
Requirements
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You must be 21+ years of age
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You must be in good physical condition as your trip will involve plenty of walking on Venice’s stone streets and bridges.
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You must sign La Dolce Vigna’s travel agreement
Tour Details
A couple of months before the tour, you’ll receive a confirmed itinerary for the tour. Throughout the year, you will also receive helpful info such as tips on what to pack, a reading list, and articles related to Venice.
Deposit + Cancellation Policy
A deposit of $1500 per person is required at the time of booking to guarantee your space. Balance of the full amount is due 90 days prior the tour start date. If there are still spots available less than 90 days prior to the tour start date, the full sum will be due upon booking.
All cancellations must be received in writing. If made 90 days or more prior to the tour start date, a refund less the deposit will be made. If made between 89-31 days prior to the start date, you will be issued a credit in the amount of 50% of the total cost already paid, less the deposit and any and all costs/fees that La Dolce Vigna, LLC has already paid third party vendors, such as room reservations, etc., towards future trips or services. No refunds will be made for cancellations made 30 days or less prior to the tour start date, nor for a cancellation made during the tour.
We urge all clients to book travel insurance for their trip as we unfortunately cannot make exceptions for inclement weather or personal emergencies.
La Dolce Vigna reserves the right to cancel a tour. In this unlikely situation, you would receive a complete refund of your tour fees. La Dolce Vigna will not assume any other liability and is not responsible for any personal expenses as a result of a tour cancellation, such as airline tickets or personal hotel reservations.
Meet Your Guide: Leslie Rosa
Meet Your Guide: Leslie Rosa
Sommelier + Owner of La Dolce Vigna
After a decade of working in the art world for eminent institutions and artists in New York and London, I moved to Italy, fell in love with the diversity of Italian wine and became a certified sommelier with the Associazione Italiana Sommelier. As an art-curator-turned-sommelier, I founded my company to offer trips that give an in-depth look at the history and culture of a particular region through the lens of local wine, spirits, and food. Over the years, my portfolio of trips has grown from Italy and California to include other places I love: Mendoza, Argentina and Oaxaca, Mexico and now Somerset, England. When not leading tours, you can find me doing pop-up wine tastings, writing for the Slow Wine Guide, or getting lost someplace beautiful with my watercolor set.
La Dolce Vigna Difference
Our tours are always limited to a maximum of 12 people to assure you an intimate experience.
You will always have a certified sommelier guide to answer all of your wine-related questions on the road.
Our tours are centered around small, eco-conscious, family-run wineries that make truly outstanding wine, and are packed with cultural insights.
Be prepared to eat. A lot. We've picked out amazing spots for you, from the small, loved-by-locals osteria to the Michelin-starred restaurant.
Depending on the season and local events, we will custom organize the best and most insider experience for each group.
Rest assured that your tour price includes all meals (except one), activities, hotels, transportation from the moment we meet until our fond farewell.
For those of you who have been on other group tours, you know what we're talking about. Part of living la dolce vigna is taking the time to truly savor your experiences and surroundings. We've built in time for you to do just that at your own pace and on your own terms. Long live slow travel!
Besides helping local, artisanal economies through visiting small wine and food producers, eating at traditional trattorie and staying at boutique hotels, a donation on behalf of each individual that takes one of our tours will be made to 10,000 Gardens in Africa, a Slow Food initiative aimed at cultivating sustainable and healthy communities throughout Africa.
Looking for a Private Wine Tour of Italy?
Look no further! In addition to our intimate group tours, La Dolce Vigna curates private wine tours—with or without a guide—based on your dates, travel style and interests. We will open the doors to authentic experiences complete with exceptional food and wine, colorful personalities, warm hospitality, not-to-be-missed cultural sites and many, many photo-worthy moments. (Trust us.)
La Dolce Vigna's Adventures Abroad
