Yesterday we took a tour of the vineyards in Valpolicella, the wine district just north of Verona and just east of Lake Garda. The famous Amarone and Valpolicella wines are made here, but also Ripasso and sweet red Recioto wines. We were lucky enough to be invited to an Italian dinner and to get a personal guided tour of the vineyards.
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From Croatia to Italy
The day before yesterday morning we left Croatia and rolled towards Italy. The fog was thick and milky white and it was difficult to find your way when you could barely see the road signs, but eventually you did.
We took the motorway up through IstriaWe drove through the short coastline of Slovenia and into Italy, where for the first time in over three months we got our GPS back (which has no maps for Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia or Croatia). The destination was Verona and Valpolicella.
Visiting an Italian village
When we got to the campsite in Igoumenitsa In northern Greece, we met Swedish Leif and his Italian wife Patrizia, who lives just outside Verona. Leif has a blog Giazza and he and Patrizia also travel by motorhome, most recently to Macedonia and Albania. Now when we were heading to Verona to buy wine, we had the fantastic luck to be invited to them.
It was an incredibly nice evening with a lot of talk about travelling and Italian food (which we learned a bit more about!) and other interesting things. We were treated to a fantastic red wine and antipasti with tasty local cheeses and charcuterie at their apartment, and then dinner at the cosy little neighbourhood restaurant.
Luck in the winds
We left our big campervan at Leif and Patrizia's house outside Verona, and followed them on a wine tour in Leif's small, flexible van. We have been to Valpolicella twice before, 2009 and 2011very nice to come back. And especially with a local guide of course!
Shopping for wine in Valpolicella
Most people who buy wine in Valpolicella go to one of the many cantinas around the area. A cantina is a co-operative of wine producers and when you go to a cantina, it feels more like a shop. There are many wines from different producers - from exclusive Amarone wines to simple everyday wines by the case.
You can also bring your own containers and fill them with cheap everyday wine from a hose... You can find really good wines at fantastic prices and we highly recommend a visit to a cantina like this! Sometimes you can also find some other local products like olive oils and marmalades.
Visiting a vineyard
It is also possible to visit the vineyards directly. We have visited Viviani's winery twice before and love the amazing wines from here. Of course we wanted to make another visit! Sandra Viviani welcomed us and told us about their different wines, everything from their simplest Valpolicella to their finest Amarone Casa Dei Bepi.
If you are also interested in wine, you can read more about Viviani's wines at Amarone Club. Very nice to come back to Vivianis and of course a bunch of cardboard boxes followed in the motorhome!
A good ending
So how do you end a day of wine shopping in Valpolicella? Obviously with good food and good wine. It was a fantastic Italian meal at Leif and Patrizia's home along with a bottle of Valpolicella Superiore Campo Morar from Viviani.
We started with antipasti with insalata caprese (tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil) and local cheeses and cured meats. Here in Italy, they like to buy the cheeses and hams from the local farms instead of the big producers, so the food is really locally produced. Then we continued with a good pasta with pumpkin. A very good ending to a very good day!
We want to take the opportunity to extend a big and warm thank you to Leif and Patrizia for fantastic hospitality and for expert guidance in the Italian wine and food jungle! We have had two really nice days in Verona with visits to wine halls, osterias and trattorias and in local small villages - another post awaits about the small mountain village that we also managed to visit yesterday!
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admin says:
BP, there is white wine in the cantinas too! (Although Valpolicella is best known for its red wines.) I'm like you, red wine gives me a migraine, so I only drink it rarely. We bought white wine too! 🙂
14 November 2015 - 18:47
BP says:
Like the petrol station - sorry wine station I mean:-) Imagine such a station at Systembolaget - not at all wrong. Very human actually;-)
There was nothing wrong with the food either. Finally you get real Italian food, because you were not really fond of Italian dishes either if I remember correctly.
I am not a wine connoisseur and do not drink red wine either due to migraine. So my question is - was there white wine at that cantina too?
14 November 2015 - 18:16
JoY says:
Nice to read that you finally found the right Italian food. Of course it is fun to drive around the vineyards and much easier when you had a smaller car. Sometimes the motorhome feels a little too big to be able to stay as we would like to do. Yes, you can not get everything all the time hihi
Which route do you take across the Alps?
Hugs JoY
14 November 2015 - 19:58
admin says:
JoY, it's easier to eat Italian food when you get off the tourist trail. And antipasti is always good! 🙂 We have driven over the Brenner Pass today (have not caught up with the blog yet).
14 November 2015 - 20:03
Åsa says:
Wine is awesome! 😉
14 November 2015 - 20:37
Znogge says:
Convenient way to refuel 😀 .
14 November 2015 - 22:45
admin says:
Åsa, 😉
Znogge, right?! 😉
Steve, neither do I, but here in Valpolicella there are a whole bunch of wine shops! 😉 Of course it's nice to have locally produced wine! But you also have plenty of that! 🙂
14 November 2015 - 23:27
Steve says:
I didn't know there were wine bars. I got a youthful vibe because I grew up in a petrol station.
Being able to eat locally produced food is a very special feeling. I would have liked to be there.
14 November 2015 - 22:51
Ditte says:
Wow! I would have loved to be here! Have been in the area, but it is too long ago. What a fantastic cantina, it is noted and ready. I would love to visit it and take a tour.
I am so fond of Valpolicella wines and not to mention Amarone. (Buy them where I can abroad and on the boats to Åland/Finland because the Swedish prices are too high).
So nice to get such good guidance and counselling and such good locally produced food.
I almost get hungry even though I've been away for dinner and am full.
Looking forward to the mountain village in the next post.
15 November 2015 - 1:55
admin says:
Ditte, yes if you are ever in the neighbourhood it is definitely worth a visit! Great wines and good prices.
15 November 2015 - 7:57
Ama de casa says:
What a lovely wine tour! I just love those "petrol stations" with wine!
15 November 2015 - 10:53
Maria says:
I dream of being able to visit a really nice vineyard one day 🙂 .
15 November 2015 - 16:37
Pia says:
Thanks for the tips! My husband and I are thinking of going on a wine trip to Italy. I love sweet white wines and he loves red wines. Are the places you suggest suitable for both of us, or should we focus on another part of Italy? How do you book visits to the wineries? We are thinking of booking a flight and accommodation from home.
28 October 2017 - 17:58
Helena says:
Glad you're thinking about a wine trip, Pia! We are not experts, so I don't think I can answer all your questions. I can only tell you about our experiences. There is both red and white wine in Valpolicella, but I think they are best known for the red wine. The easiest way to buy is in a cantina. It is a kind of co-operative where different vineyards sell their wine together, and then the Italians buy it themselves. We visited one such cantina and there was both red and white wine. We have never booked a visit to any vineyard but just knocked on the door for a little profit and loss. There are both small farms where there is a little more spontaneous tasting, and then there are larger producers, where it is more "organised". Among other things, we have visited the wine growers Viviani, Benedetti and Masi, so you can perhaps google these and see what kind of wines they have and if you can contact them.
31 October 2017 - 20:49