Prosecco hills, Valdobbiadene

Under the Rialto’s early-morning arcades, you slide into a Mercedes E-Class as Venice rubs its eyes awake. An hour up the A27, the light skims the UNESCO-listed slopes between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, where “rive” single vineyards—some as steep as 40%—shape Prosecco Superiore DOCG. In Santo Stefano the tidy rows crest the Cartizze hill at 305 m, cradle of the most coveted bottles. Bell towers in San Pietro di Feletto break the skyline and the Strada del Prosecco threads through like a silver ribbon.

Your driver is on standby all day: hotel pick-up, chilled water, an easy tempo, and flexible stops while you taste and he handles the roads. Expect cellar visits at producers such as Bele Casel or Nino Franco, a side-by-side of long Charmat versus traditional bottle re-fermentation, a rustic lunch in a Col San Martino osteria, then a viewpoint at Molinetto della Croda. With a private chauffeur in the Valdobbiadene area, you can taste without juggling maps, hop between Guia, Farra di Soligo and Rolle, and still glide back to Piazzale Roma by late afternoon.