Just outside Verona, where the plain ends and the moraine hills begin to climb towards the Pre-Alps, lies one of the most celebrated wine regions in Italy. Valpolicella is not only the land that produces Amarone \u2014 one of the most complex and long-lived red wines in the world \u2014 it is also a landscape of medieval villages, Romanesque parish churches, Venetian villas and vineyards covering every available hill. And it is only twenty minutes from Verona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article is for anyone who wants to understand how to plan their visit: what to see, which villages not to miss, how the DOCG wines work and how to fit half a day or a full day in Valpolicella into an itinerary that also includes Verona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before talking about villages and wineries, it is worth understanding the wines. Because in Valpolicella wine is not a souvenir: it is the reason the land exists and has been shaped the way it is. There are four DOCG wines produced in this area, all made from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you walk into a winery without knowing where to start, ask to taste the basic Valpolicella, then the Ripasso and then the Amarone, in that order: from the lightest to the most complex. You will immediately understand the progression and what sets the three apart. The Recioto, with its sweet taste, always comes last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On top of a hill, surrounded by olive trees and vineyards, San Giorgio di Valpolicella is considered one of the most beautiful villages in the area. At its centre stands the Pieve di San Giorgio Martire, a Romanesque parish church of Lombard origin dating from the 8th century, with a bell tower, cloister and well: one of the best-preserved early Christian complexes in Veneto. The medieval stone village has remained almost intact. The view over the hills and the plain stretching down towards Lake Garda is extraordinary. The kind of place you are looking for when you say you want to get out of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fumane holds an unusual record: in the cave that opens beneath the hills of the municipality, Neanderthal remains have been found. At the same time, this is home to some of the most highly regarded wineries of Valpolicella Classica. The historic centre is compact and quiet. It is a good base for anyone who wants to combine archaeology and wine tasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Negrar is the municipality most closely associated with Amarone. This is where Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, one of the largest cooperatives in the area, is based, as well as Villa Mosconi Bertani \u2014 an 18th-century neoclassical villa and historic winery that preserves the memory of the production of the first Amarone. Villa Rizzardi and its formal garden of Pojega are another reason to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sant\u2019Ambrogio is less visited than the other villages, but it has a clear identity: it is the capital of Valpolicella stone, the red Verona marble used to build Verona. The quarries have been active for centuries and the town is closely tied to the stone-working tradition. A local museum documents this ancient craft. There is a certain satisfaction in realising that the city and its countryside are literally made of the same material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Valpolicella can be visited with your own car or on a guided tour. Public transport, efficient in the city, is sparse here and waiting times are long. So it is better to take a car, or a vehicle with a driver if you enjoy wine tastings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n