Sushi-and-sake tasting, oyster shooting and more wrap up Carnevale at The Venetian

You can go to a free sushi-and-sake tasting from 5 to 6 p.m. today at The Venetian. Or you can shoot oysters Friday for $35. Or you can take part in a $200-per-person dinner with restaurateur and vineyard owner Joe Bastianich on Saturday.

It's all part of Cibo-Vino, the August celebration of food and wine that concludes the summerlong Carnevale celebration at The Venetian and Palazzo.

Cibo-Vino, which follows on the heels of celebrations of art and music, is the brainchild of Sebastien Silvestri, vice president of food and beverage.

"We wanted to have the biggest food and wine program - promotion, festival - for the month of August in Las Vegas," Silvestri said. "What I really wanted to do is have a lot of events."

And there are. From 5 to 6 p.m. every Tuesday in August, there's a free wine tasting in the Waterfall & Atrium Gardens at Palazzo.

"The certified sommeliers do the tasting and teach people how to taste, what they should be looking for - like a fun one-hour interactive with a professional," Silvestri said.

From 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays in the same location, the resorts' chefs are demonstrating their skills in carving cheese, fruit, sugar and ice. During the first event Aug. 1, Silvestri said, "We had a few hundred people watching."

From 5 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, John Um, executive sushi chef at Sushisamba, is demonstrating sushi making and sashimi cutting. Paired with the free demonstration is a complimentary tasting of the sushi rolls and sake.

The other events have a range of fees; events that are priced very differently sometimes offer experiences with the same culinary stars. Silvestri cites two with Bastianich as an example. The first is the $25 "Vino Hop" from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, with Bastianich signing autographs - including for his book, "Restaurant Man," which will be available at the event - and featuring food and wine stations. The second is the "Up Close and Personal" dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Carnevino at the Palazzo. The five-course wine-pairing dinner of such dishes as lobster cotto with horseradish crema and radish and beef agnolotti with sweet onion ragu is $200 per person, inclusive.

"Either people want to spend and have a great dining experience, or just taste the wine and meet Joe," Silvestri said.

Other events scheduled:

5 to 7 p.m. Friday: Oyster shooting with pinot grigio wines with Tom Maloney, executive chef of Aquaknox, at Aquaknox at The Venetian, $35 per person.

1 to 2 p.m. Friday and Aug. 17: Chef demos by Michael Armstrong, executive chef of Tao; Massimiliano Campanari, executive chef of Lavo; and Marc Marrone, corporate executive sous chef, in St. Mark's Square in The Grand Canal Shoppes.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15: Meet-and-greet, with autograph signing, with Emeril Lagasse at Lagasse's Stadium at the Palazzo. It's free and open to the public.

6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 17: Vino Hop with Michael Mondavi at The Waterfall & Atrium Gardens at the Palazzo; $25 per person inclusive. ("I met him in Napa a few years ago," Silvestri said. "He's an amazing personality in the wine world, so passionate about what he does.")

3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 18: Pasta-making class with James Beard Award-winning chef Luciano Pellegrini at Valentino at The Venetian. It's free to the public and includes prosecco.

7 p.m. Aug. 24: Tuscany dinner featuring the wines of Banfi and the food of James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Stratta in the Cibo-Vino Room at Palazzo. The five-course dinner, which is a benefit for the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, is $200 per person, inclusive. ("He doesn't have a restaurant anymore," Silvestri said. "People who really love his food have an opportunity to see him.")

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Aug. 24: "Get Toasted With Chef Sammy D," a complimentary, celebratory almost-closing event at First Food & Bar at the Palazzo.

Noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 25: "Carnival of Cuisine," a grand tasting of more than 15 restaurants at The Venetian and Palazzo. Tickets are $60; VIP tickets, which include early entry and gift, are $85 per person, and a portion of every ticket will be donated to Three Square food bank.

6 p.m. Aug. 29: Chefs of Bouchon Fall Preview Dinner with Chef Thomas Keller at Bouchon, six-course reception and three-course seated dinner for just 25 people, $195 per person; call 414-6251 or email dcardenas@bouchonbistro.com or ajohnson@bouchonbistro.com.

Note that some events - notably, those that involve alcohol - are open only to those 21 and older. For tickets or more information, visit any Venetian or Palazzo box office, call 414-9000 or go to www.Venetian.com or www.Palazzo.com.

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.