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Verona
Italy

Romantic Verona

Fair Verona is the city that inspired Shakespeare and touches the heart of every person that visits. The Italian city of love is so beautiful and steeped in such a rich and wonderful history that it is inscribed on the UNESCO heritage list.

With a wide range of exceptional world-class wines on offer, Italian wine tours in the exquisite Verona wine region are the most memorable way to discover the true essence of Italy.

The City

Verona has more than 2000 years of history and will impress with every turn: from the greatest lyrical Roman amphitheatre in the world, to its ancient streets, charming corners, bustling cafes, Osterie (typical Veneto region inns), and of course the welcoming Italian people.

But it’s not all historic architecture. Verona’s elegant and stylish modern Italian culture also oozes from the city’s pores, giving you the best of decadent high-end shopping, and even authentic crafts and quaint markets.

Spoil yourself with a rich aromatic morning coffee, a lovely long, languorous lunch, or perhaps a mid-afternoon glass of local Italian wine on one of the breath-taking piazzas. Be amazed by Piazza Bra – as you marvel at the scale and grandeur of the ancient Arena, Piazza Erbe -with its baroque palace, columns and beautiful central fountain, and the magnificent former centre of power in Verona – Piazza dei Signori.

As soon as you start exploring you will understand why UNESCO describes Verona as “an outstanding example of a town that has developed progressively and uninterruptedly over 2,000 years, incorporating artistic elements of the highest quality from each succeeding period”.

Verona is as utterly exquisite an Italian city as the more well known Venice and Florence, but without the canals, decay and far fewer tourists. An absolute gem, offering visitors the romantic and timeless love story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, set in “fair Verona”. You can even visit Juliette’s balcony whilst you stroll around the city of love.

The Wine

Wide variety of genuinely unique wines

The real gift of Italian wines from Verona and the surrounding wineries is the wide variety of genuinely unique wines on offer for you to discover. World famous names like Valpolicella, Bardolino, and Soave are produced down the road from the ancient city, in the most beautiful and charismatic of landscapes. Also, discover lesser known jewels, but equally excellent wines, like Lugana, Valdadige , Custoza and Durello.

Verona boasts 15 DOC and 5 DOCG wines.

An Italian wine bearing “DOC”, the acronym for Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Denomination of Controlled Origin), is the equivalent of the French AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée). The key word is Controllata because of the controls in place. DOC wines are produced in specific, defined regions in Italy, according to defined wine making rules created to preserve local winemaking traditions.

Verona’s DOC wines to add to your wine tasting list are: Amarone della Valpolicella, Arcole, Bardolino, Custoza, Delle Venezie, Garda, Lessini Durello, Lugana, Merlara, Recioto della Valpolicella, Soave, Valdadige, Valdadige Terradeiforti, Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso.

“DOCG” means Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin). This is the most superior Italian wine classification. The amount of a DOCG wine that can be produced is lower than a DOC wine, and the quality requirements are much stricter. Before DOCG wines can be bottled they must pass an evaluation, analysis, and tasting by a government-licensed committee.

Verona’s DOCG wines that you absolutely must not miss are Amarone della Valpolicella, Bardolino Superiore, Recioto della Valpolicella, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore.

Rich atmosphere,
colours, tastes

Wine tourism

Verona spreads out from the shores of the Adige river, at the feet of the Venetian pre-alpine hills, enjoying a fortunate climatic position and sheer natural beauty for the visitor. Plunge into the authentic Italian way of life immersing yourself in the rich and diverse atmosphere, colours, tastes.

Also tantalisingly close by are the cities of Venice, with her magical waterways, fashionable Milan, and picturesque Lake Garda. Everywhere is easily accessible from Verona, with the local airport being a mere 10km from the city centre, and the main railway station “Verona Porta Nuova” at the intersection of two major railways: Milan – Venice and Rome – Brenner lines, which link Italy with the rest of Europe.

The splendid vineyards are quite literally on the doorstep of Verona – located between the shores of Lake Garda and the Lessini mountains, and in the territory dividing the Po and Adige valleys.

Within a 20-30 minute drive from Verona you can be experiencing a classically Italian wine tour; walking amongst the vines and tasting the very best of Italian wine.

Let Great Wine Capitals take you there for a brief moment:

There is nothing more exquisite than savouring a glass of full-bodied, intense Amarone. Its luscious aromas and fragrances place it amongst the favourites of many a wine connoisseur. Get lost in its deep ruby red colour, and inhale its complex scents of ripe red fruits and spices, whilst you ponder on what you learnt about the process of its production from dehydrated grapes on your wine tour that afternoon.

The sun begins to set as you gaze dreamily at the rolling Italian vineyards, you graze on prosciutto, soppressa, and Monte Veronese cheese, then later pour yourself another glass to accompany your hearty meal of black truffle risotto.

Every sip of Amarone that passes your lips, on every occasion thereafter, in new or familiar places, with friends old and new – will take you back to that first adventure, your Italian wine tours, and all of the memories you made.

Have a look at our
Insiders'
guide

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Verona Gastronomy

Gastronomy

Pairing Italian wine tasting with typical Veronese cuisine is a sumptuous treat for your taste buds.

In the city centre, as well as the province of Verona, visitors will salivate during experiences in prestigious restaurants, typical pubs, and the old taverns known as “trattorie”).

The diversity of locally-grown products lends itself to a varied local cuisine. The best cereal of the local cuisine is the rice “Vialone nano”: it grows in the lower zones of Verona, becoming part of the tradition and identity of the land. Rice, and of course “risotto”, is celebrated every year during the harvest (mid-September to mid-October) with the Rice Festival in Isola della Scala.

Moving towards the foothills surrounding the southern shores of Lake Garda, and fish is the main element of the dishes of the area. The two villages of Valeggio sul Mincio and Borghetto tempt the appetites of visitors with an ancient recipe dating back to the 1300s, namely the local speciality of “Tortellini of Valeggio” (tender pasta bundles stuffed with meat).

Wonderful cheeses are also produced locally on the Veronese pre-Alps in the Lessinia, such as Monte Veronese, the delicious DOP cheese of this area.

Verona is also “sweet”: typical desserts include the locally produced but nationally beloved Pandoro, and other delicacies such as Nadalin, Juliet’s Kisses, and the shortbread from Lessinia – “Frolla”.

Thirsty for more? Dive into the detail about Verona within our Insiders Guide – containing everything you need to plan your city visit and wine tours.