TRAVEL & WINE EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD
Verona.
ITS ALL ABOUT ITALY. THE WINES, FOOD, PEOPLE.
Every year in April, the city of Verona roars alive as it hosts Vinitaly, the biggest Italian Wine Expo in the world. Join me as a Vinitaly Italian Wine student as we dive into the world of Italian Wines. Photo by Author.
Published 17 Apr 26
CHAPTERS DINING WINEBARS VINES LOCAL CUISINE
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Dine with Wines.
01 WINE IS BEST WITH FOOD AND FRIENDS.
A Sommelier’s Guide to Restaurants, Wineries & Insider Spots.
Bottega Vini.
Antica Bottega del Vino. €€€ No wine lovers would skip this pilgrimage to Antica Bottega del Vino. Built in the 1500s during the Republic of Venice, the building was christened Bottega del Vino in 1890 by the Sterzi brothers. They left behind the warm wood, beveled mirrors, and softly glowing chandeliers that remain today. With over 4,700 labels and more than 18,000 bottles, there’s something for the wine curious. (*Reservations only, they sometimes decline solo dinners. Best for aperitivo by the streets)
Vicolo Scudo di Francia, 3
Photo from Facebook/anticabottegadelvino
El Mangiabottini.
El Mangiabottini. €€ A social entreprise restaurant teaching special autistic kids. A mentor is attached to a kid teaching skills like taking orders, serving wine, presenting dishes. Special projects include picking grapes and making wine. Worthy a visit.
Via Gianattilio dalla Bona
https://www.ilmangiabottoni.it/
Photo from Instagram/ilmangiabottoni/
Ristorante di Castelvecchio.
Ristorante di Castelvecchio. €€€ A classic Veronese restaurant serving Bollito e Pearà; mixed boiled meats paired with a creamy, peppery sauce made from beef marrow, broth, and breadcrumbs served on a sliver trolley.
Corso Castelvecchio, 21
https://www.ristorantecastelvecchio.com/
Photo from Website.
L' Angolo Di Cavour Hosteria Enoteca.
L' Angolo Di Cavour Hosteria Enoteca. €€€ The restaurant serves traditional Veronese dishes , ranging from Amarone risotto to potato gnocchi with horsemeat pastissada, and sliced Italian heifer steak served with black truffle from Lessinia.
Via Roma, 34
https://www.ristoranti3veneti.it/it/l-angolo-di-cavour
Photo from Website.
Trattoria al Pompiere.
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Trattoria al Pompiere. €€€ A restaurant very popular with the locals and the winemakers. Call ahead for reservations. Say Ciao to Luca and Maurizio when you next visit. Food is delicious that we went back 4 times.
Vicolo Regina D'Ungheria, 5, 37121 Verona VR
Photo from Facebook/alpompiere
Wine Bars. Enotecas.
02 SOMMELIERS HOT FAVOURITE
Here's some of our favorite wine bars serving up Aperitivo with wines and bitesize Italian snacks.
Dal Medico.
Dal Medico. Located at Piazze Erbe, a wine bar that the Sommeliers and Wine Lovers hang out after work, decent cocktails, wine list and a whole lot of champagne in the cellar. Alberto and his team are always friendly as we stopped by for aperitivo almost everyday.
Piazza Erbe, 26/A
Photo from instagram/dal.medico
Signorvino.
Signorvino. Bottle Shop, Restaurant and a bar. Most importantly it's a meeting place for Sommeliers after work and anyone in the Wine industry. Featuring all wines from all over Italy and International wines, it's the perfect place to hang out.
Several locations in Verona.
Corso Porta Nuova n. 2/a
Map
Photo from Facebook/signorvino
Maddalene.
Maddalene vino naturale e piccola cucina. A wine bar, enoteca, bistro focusing on Natural wines from Italy and International, served with small plates and friendly vibes. Set in a rustic neighborhood feel, it was an old store, which was formerly a bakery and maybe a gambling den. Awesome vibes with sustainable viticulture in mind.
Via Cantarane, 69, 37129 Verona VR, Italy
Photo from Website.
Local Cuisine.
04 PAIRING WINES WITH FOOD
Veronese classics to try while you are in town.
Risotto all’Amarone.
Risotto all’Amarone. One of the most beloved dishes of Veronese culinary tradition. A creamy, premium risotto made with Valpolicella's famous Amarone wine. Photo from gamberorossointernational.com.
Tortellini di Valeggio.
Tortellini di Valeggio. A renowned, handmade stuffed egg pasta from Valeggio sul Mincio near Verona, characterized by paper-thin pasta dough known as "nodi d'amore" (love knots). Typically stuffed with a mixture of pork, beef, chicken, and sometimes rabbit, they are often served in broth or with sage and melted butter. Photo from lakegarda.live
03 BACK TO THE VINES.
Verona is close to some of the major wine regions that's 45mins-2.5hours drive away. Perfect for a weekend road trip.
Soave.
Soave DOC is one of Italy's most important dry white wine region made from Garganega varietal with a minimum of 70% and 30 % of Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay. It's is located within 45mins drive from Verona. Top quality wineries tend to use 100% of Garganega in their wines.
Pietropan.
Pietropan. Continuing the legacy of founder Leonildo Pieropan, 4th generation Andrea and Dario continues the family tradition in the winemaking as the best interpretation of Soave Classico known worldwide.
Via Giacomo Matteotti, 37038 Soave VR
Photo from Facebook/pieropanwines
Le Battistelle.
Le Battistelle. Highly recommended to visit this small, family-run estate in the Soave Classico heartland. Le Battistelle farms old-vine Garganega on the volcanic basalt soils of Brognoligo producing single-vineyard Soaves of rare mineral tension and age-worthy depth.
Via Sambuco, 110 37032, di Brognoligo-costalunga VR
Photo from Facebook/lebattistelle
03 BACK TO THE VINES.
Verona is close to some of the major wine regions that's 45mins-2.5hours drive away. Perfect for a weekend road trip.
Valpolicella.
Valpolicella, the ‘pearl of Verona’ is a wine region east of Lake Garda that has produced some of Italy’s most famous reds, including the full-bodied, rich and seductive Amarone and Valpolicella Ripasso. The Valpolicella region, with its mild climate, has been producing prestigious wines in Italy since the time of Ancient Greece. Its famous for red wines based on Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes. It produces four distinct styles. Photo from Facebook/zymewines.
Light and fresh Valpolicella, vibrant with high acidity, featuring cherry and cranberry notes.
Amarone della Valpolicella is made from dried grapes (appassimento), powerful, full-bodied, high-alcohol wine with rich chocolate, raisin, and coffee flavors.
Valpolicella Ripasso so called baby Amarone providing a velvety, medium-to-full-bodied wine with notes of dark cherry, dried fruits, and spice.
Recioto della Valpolicella; a sweet, luxurious dessert wine made from dried grapes with flavors of figs, chocolate, and dark fruit.
Nicolis.
Cantina Nicolis. Nicolis Winery is located in San Pietro in Cariano, in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica region.
Via Villa Girardi, 29, 37029 San Pietro in Cariano VR
Photo from Author, Wine Tasting with Angelo Nicolis.
Zymé.
Zymé. Founded by former Quintarelli cellarmaster Celestino Gaspari, Zymé is a Valpolicella estate that pushes Veronese winemaking into bold, unconventional territory by blending indigenous and international varieties.
Via Cà del Pipa, 1, 37029 Località Mattonara VR
Photo Facebook/Zymewines
03 BACK TO THE VINES.
For sparkling wine lovers, this region is not to be missed. Just under 2 hours away from Verona, this region of Conegliano Valdobbiadene showcases the best of Prosecco.
Prosecco.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG is the hallmark of the best Prosecco wines. Complex aromas such as citrus with hints of floral notes, including ripe apple, peach, jasmine, pineapple, and grapefruit. Cartizze and Rive vineyards often have some mineral notes.
Conegliano located in the east produces softer wines with riper fruit characters
Valdobbiadene produces wines thats higher in acidity. One would still see Extra Dry quite commonly, however most producers are opting for Brut (Dry) or even Brut Nature (pas dosé)
Val D'oca.
Val D'oca. Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG cooperative born in 1952, Val d'Oca crafts Prosecco Superiore from the UNESCO-listed hillside vineyards of the Treviso foothills where the steep terrain and mineral-rich soils produce wines of uncommon finesse of Prosecco.
Via San Giovanni, 49, 31049 Valdobbiadene TV
https://www.valdoca.com/il-prosecco/
Photo from Website.
From Spritz to Cocktails.
ITS ALL ABOUT THE COCKTAILS.
Italy is home to the Aperol spritz and many great spirits from limoncello to amaros. Heres some of coolest bars in Verona.
Frz Lab.
Frz Lab. Featuring Gins and Whiskeys from all over the world. Opened by the Frz brothers who loves their Gin and Tonic. Just tell them what you like, Italian Gins, with a citrus, floral, mineral profile and they will make a refreshing cocktail to refresh your palate.
Via Guglielmo Marconi, 15/a.
Photo from Facebook/Frizzante.Lab/
The Traveller.
The Traveler, One of my favorite bar is located in San Zeno in Verona. It uses local and unique ingredients in their cocktails, featuring small wineries and producers. You get to meet other travelers as well.
Piazza Corrubbio, 9
Photo from Facebook/thetravelerverona
/Curated.
IT'S OUR PLEASURE. GRAZIE MILLE.
LIZA is from Italy. She is a International Cabin Crew based in Rome.
JJ is based in Sydney. He works as a Business First Cabin Crew and is a Professional Sommelier and teaches hospitality.
Special Thanks.
VIA Vinitaly Alumni
Embassy of Italy, Australia