Venice tastes better at home. This wine-and-cichetti evening with Liuba and Hugo turns a normal dinner into a guided, local-flavored tasting. You start with bubbles, then move through whites, reds, and a sweet finish, all matched with Hugo’s homemade bites.

I love the pacing. It’s not one long lecture; it’s four wine tastings with real food pairings that help you understand what you’re drinking as you go.

One thing to plan for: the house is on the third floor with no lift. If stairs are a problem, this won’t be comfortable.

Key points you should care about

• Small group (max 6) means you get real conversation time, not just clinking glasses in the dark.
• Four wine tastings (Prosecco, Lugana, Valpolicella, plus a sweet wine) keeps the evening varied.
• Homemade bread and cichetti are a big part of the value, not just a snack afterthought.
• Venetian food matched to the glass makes it easier to learn without sounding like a classroom.
• English-led, sommelier-style guidance from Liuba helps you taste with confidence.
• Dietary needs can be accommodated when possible, based on past special requests.

Venice on the third floor: meeting Liuba and Hugo at Calle Foscari

This experience starts in the real fabric of Venice: you meet at Calle Foscari, 3246 (right in the Venice city center). The tour begins at 6:00 pm, and it ends back at the same meeting point, so you’re not stuck figuring out transit after dark.

What makes this feel different is that you’re not doing a “wine stop” in a busy restaurant. You’re going to Liuba and Hugo’s home for an evening built around taste, talk, and food that’s made for the moment. And yes, you’ll want to be okay with stairs—Venice apartments are often vertical, and this one is on the third floor with no lift.

A 2.5-hour tasting built around four Veneto wines

The evening runs about 2 hours 30 minutes. That length matters: it’s long enough to slow down, taste thoughtfully, and enjoy a proper meal rhythm—without dragging on into a late-night endurance test.

You’ll taste four wines, in this order:

• Bubble: Prosecco
• White: Lugana
• Red: Valpolicella
• Finish: a sweet wine

Liuba leads the wine side, bringing a sommelier approach to what you’re tasting. Hugo leads the food, pairing each pour with specific cichetti and classic items from the Veneto.

Prosecco and mixed fish cichetti: getting oriented with Venetian flavors

You begin with Prosecco and a set of mixed fish cichetti. Expect seafood flavors that feel very Venetian—light, savory, and built for nibbling while you get comfortable with the evening.

The sample menu includes two standouts:

• Sardines in saor (the sweet-sour style Venice does so well)
• Creamed cod

Why this matters: starting with fish and bubbles is a smart reset. It gets your palate ready for the rest of the tasting, and it also gives you a quick snapshot of Venetian style—there’s often a balance of acidity, salt, and a little sweetness in the best traditional bites.

Lugana white wine with savory croissant, mortadella, stracchino, and pumpkin meatball

Next comes the white wine tasting: Lugana. This is where the evening starts teaching you how pairings work in real life, not just on paper. You’ll have a savory combination paired with the white, so you can notice how flavors change when the glass and the bite match up.

The sample menu includes:

• A savory croissant with mortadella, stracchino, and pistachio grains
• Pumpkin meatball

Even if you’re not a “food person,” pay attention here. Lugana tends to work beautifully with creamy, savory, and slightly nutty notes—so when you taste, you’ll likely notice the white doesn’t get lost. It holds its own.

Valpolicella red wine and meat cichetti plus cheeses

Then the red shows up: Valpolicella. Hugo’s cichetti shift from fish toward fuller, meat-forward bites, so the tasting has an obvious arc. This is one reason the evening works well: it doesn’t feel random. It feels like a meal structure.

You’ll get meat cichetti paired with the red, plus a cheese selection. The sample menu includes:

• Burger patty
• Selection of cheeses

This part is a good reality check for your palate. Red wine can easily overpower food if the pairing is wrong, so listen for how the pairings are handled. If the balance is working (and it usually is with a good chef-sommelier combo), the red should taste smoother with each bite—not harsher.

Sweet wine finale: tiramisu or typical Venetian biscuits

The evening closes with a sweet wine and dessert tasting. This isn’t just a sugar moment; it’s meant to be a finishing lesson in contrast—how sweetness in a drink can meet dessert without turning everything into one note.

The sample options include:

• Tiramisu, or
• Typical Venetian biscuits

If you enjoy finishing meals with a glass that’s meant for dessert, this last stop is often the one people remember most. It’s also where the evening feels most Venetian in mood: relaxed, friendly, and unhurried.

Cichetti as a way to eat: why the pairing style matters

Cichetti are Venice’s answer to tapas culture—but they’re also a local rhythm: order a few bites, sip something, keep talking. What makes this evening practical is that it uses cichetti as the connective tissue between tastings.

You get glassware and place setting included, so you’re not standing around guessing how to do it. And since the cichetti are paired specifically to each wine, you learn faster than you would with random snacks.

A key detail I like: the food is home-made, and even the bread is made at home. That small-sounding line changes the whole experience. When bread and bites are fresh and made for the night, the flavors sit more naturally with the wine.

What you learn from Liuba the sommelier and Hugo the chef

Liuba is the wine guide: she’s a wine enthusiast and sommelier, and the evening is structured so you learn as you taste. You’re not expected to be a wine expert. The goal is to help you connect names (Lugana, Valpolicella) with flavor sensations you can actually recognize.

Hugo is the chef, and the focus is on cooking technique and food identity. His cichetti choices show how Venetian eating can be simple but deeply considered. In at least one past case, Hugo and Liuba were able to modify the menu for a guest’s dietary needs—so if you have restrictions, it’s worth messaging in advance so they can see what’s possible.

Value check: what you get for $102.41 in Venice

At $102.41 per person, you’re paying for more than wine. You’re paying for:

• A personal sommelier
• Tasting of 4 wines
• Venetian cichetti and typical homemade foods
• Glasses and a set place

Venice has plenty of places where you can buy wine by the glass, but you won’t get the same structure: four targeted pours plus food pairing plus a chef-led menu experience in a home setting. Here, the money goes toward guidance and pairing work, not just the alcohol price.

Two small tradeoffs to factor in:

• Tips aren’t included, so you’ll likely want to plan for that.
• The tour isn’t private, and it caps at 6 travelers, so you’re booking for an intimate group vibe rather than a fully customized schedule.

Who should book this Venice Like a Local evening?

Book it if you want a hands-on evening that feels local without feeling like a scavenger hunt. This fits especially well for people who:

• like learning through tasting
• want to try Venetian cichetti properly
• enjoy conversation and a slower pace
• want a small-group Venice food experience (max 6)

Skip it if you’re traveling with limited mobility. The house is on the third floor with no lift, and it’s specifically not recommended for those who can’t climb stairs.

Also note: it isn’t available for minors. So plan on this being an adult evening.

Tips for first-timers: timing, access, and the €5 day-tripper fee

The start time is 6:00 pm, which is a great choice in Venice because you’re eating in that golden pre-evening window. You’ll also be back at the meeting point afterward, which helps with planning dinner plans the rest of the night.

Two practical heads-ups:

• The meeting point is near public transportation, which helps if you’re coming from outside central Venice.
• On certain dates, people staying outside Venice who visit for the day may need to pay a €5 access fee. Check the official rules for which days apply and whether you qualify for any exemptions.

Should you book this Venice Like a Local evening?

I’d book it if you want Venice that doesn’t feel like a production. This is the kind of evening where the wine and the food actually teach you something—Prosecco into Lugana, then Valpolicella, then the sweet finish—while you sit in a real home setting and talk your way through it.

I’d think twice if stairs are a deal-breaker, since the third-floor, no-lift setup is non-negotiable. And if you’re expecting a fast, sight-focused “tour,” this isn’t that. It’s a food-and-wine night with expert guidance and homemade comfort, sized for a small group.

If that sounds like your kind of Venice, this is one of the most satisfying ways to spend an evening in the city.

FAQ

How long is the Venice Like a Local wine and cichetti experience?

It runs for approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

What’s included in the ticket price?

You get a personal sommelier, tasting of 4 wines, Venetian cichetti, and glasses and place setting. Tips are not included.

Which wines do you taste during the evening?

You’ll taste a bubble (Prosecco), a white wine (Lugana), a red wine (Valpolicella), and a sweet wine.

Where does the tour meet and when does it start?

The meeting point is Calle Foscari, 3246, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy, and it starts at 6:00 pm.

Is the experience suitable for minors?

No, it is not available for minors.

Is there an elevator at the meeting location?

No. The house is on the third floor and there is no lift, so it’s not recommended if you can’t climb stairs.