When our guests want to get away from Verona and discover the surrounding area, what we usually suggest is an itinerary in Valpolicella: an incredibly beautiful, hilly area that extends for 240 km² north-west of the city. Covering the territory of seven municipalities, Valpolicella is bordered to the north by the Lessini Mountains and to the south by the Adige river.

But why is Valpolicella so famous? Because it is one of Italy’s areas with the strongest winemaking tradition, whose wines are appreciated not only in Europe but all over the world.

A few historical notes

The first sources about the production of excellent wine date back to the Roman and medieval eras. The famous edict of Rotari was issued in 643 right in the area of ​​Castelrotto, in San Pietro in Cariano. The Lombard king mentions five times that the vineyards have to be protected and he establishes large fines for those stealing the grapes.

The origin of the name Valpolicella

There are many theories, some of them fanciful, about the origin of this name. According to the most accredited, “pulicella” refers to pullus, a term used to identify places with certain characteristics typical of the river landscape. For some others, it comes from the Latin Vallis-polis-cellae, literally “valleys with many cellars”; for others the derivation is from the Greek term polyzelos, land “of many fruits”.

The most famous wines of Valpolicella

The area is famous all over the world for the production of excellent red wine. Valpolicella offers different types, born from the assembly of native grapes: Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella. The most famous wines produced here are Valpolicella, also declined in Classico and Ripasso variants, that, with further processing, become Superiore.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Recioto was mentioned for the first time. It’s produced in the same way as Valpolicella, but the grapes are slightly dried. It was only in 1953, in Negrar, that the wine that made Valpolicella famous all over the world was bottled for the very first time: Amarone.

Wine, and not only!

Vineyards and wineries are for sure the main attraction of Valpolicella, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing else to see and do! The area is crossed by trekking paths suitable for all levels of fitness. They wind through vineyards and panoramic points, offering a unique variety of landscape.
If you are looking for more adrenaline, it is possible to join exciting quad tours or wonderful horseback riding. And don’t forget the always popular mountain bike and e-bike tours.