Amarone Wine Tasting in Verona for small groups

Star-crossed wine lovers will fall head over heels on this small group tour to Valpolicella, situated between Verona and Lake Garda. Explore vineyards and wine cellars of prestigious Valpolicella Classico, Superiore, Ripasso – and the great Italian red, Amarone. Ugo, one of our local guides and wine producer, says, ‘Amarone was a happy mistake. Born from a forgotten barrel of Ripasso left fermenting – transforming a sweet wine into a dry, slightly more bitter wine that we love today’. Leave Verona behind, travelling into the heart of the countryside until you reach one of Valpolicella’s wineries. First up is a tour of the vineyards. You’ll walk among the grapes – learning about the Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara varieties – and learn about the characteristics of Valpolicella wines. Ugo adds, ‘Amarone’s signature characteristic is ‘appassimento’ – where grapes are dried for around 100-120 days – only used in one other Italian wine’. Wine-making tips and tricks will be revealed in the wine cellars – you’ll see barrels galore. Afterwards, you’ll get to try some of Italy’s finest wines in a special winetasting session. ‘Amarone has to mature for two years by law until it sees the shelves’, Ugo says, so it’s a real treat. Taste the bold aromas of black cherry and brown sugar in Amarone and notes of cherry, plum and sweet spice in the Ripasso. You’ll enjoy some local products paired with the wines as you sip.