A Valpolicella wine tour is a guided visit to the wineries in the hills just north of Verona, where you taste the region’s famous reds — from fresh Valpolicella Classico to the powerful, dried-grape Amarone. A private tasting tour with a guide and sommelier typically lasts three to five hours, visits one or two cellars, and starts at around €110 per person. This guide explains the region, the wines, the best estates, and how to plan your visit.
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Understanding Valpolicella
Valpolicella is not a single wine but a whole family, all built around the Corvina grape (alongside Rondinella and Corvinone) grown on the limestone and volcanic hills between Verona and the Lessinia mountains. The historic core, the Classico zone, sits in the western valleys of Fumane, Marano, Negrar, Sant’Ambrogio and San Pietro in Cariano — and this is where many of the most celebrated estates are found.
What makes the region unique is appassimento: the practice of drying grapes for months after harvest to concentrate their sugars and flavours before pressing. This single technique is what gives rise to Amarone and Recioto. For a deeper dive into the appellation and its history, browse our Valpolicella & Amarone guides.
The four wines to taste
A good Valpolicella tasting walks you through the full spectrum:
- Valpolicella Classico — light, fresh and cherry-driven; the everyday face of the region.
- Valpolicella Ripasso — “the baby Amarone”, re-fermented on the leftover Amarone skins for extra body and warmth.
- Amarone della Valpolicella — the icon: dry, powerful and complex, made entirely from dried grapes and aged for years.
- Recioto della Valpolicella — the sweet, historic ancestor of Amarone, and the wine from which it was born.
Tasting these side by side, with a sommelier explaining the differences, is the single best way to understand Veronese wine.
The best wineries to visit
Valpolicella spans the full range from tiny family cellars to globally revered estates. At the legendary end sit Giuseppe Quintarelli and Romano Dal Forno — both visit-by-appointment only, and both unforgettable. We arrange private access to each: see our dedicated guides on visiting Quintarelli and the experience of lunch with Romano Dal Forno.
For a broader first taste of the region, our Taste of Valpolicella tour visits carefully selected wineries across the appellation with a guide and sommelier — the ideal introduction if you don’t want to commit to a single estate.
What it costs and how long it takes
Most Valpolicella tasting tours run three to five hours and cover one or two wineries:
- Half-day tasting tour (guide + sommelier): from around €110 per person.
- Tasting with lunch at the winery: around €200–€250 per person — our Sunday tasting with lunch is built around this relaxed format.
- Exclusive estate visits: quoted individually.
Going private means transport and tasting logistics are handled for you, so everyone in your group can taste freely.
When to go and how to plan
The vineyards are at their most beautiful in late spring and early autumn. September is special — it overlaps with the harvest and the start of appassimento, when the drying lofts begin to fill. For wider seasonal advice, see our guide to the best time to visit Italy.
A few essentials: book estates ahead (the best are appointment-only), let a guide handle the driving so you can taste, and leave time to pair the wines with local food. If you’re basing yourself in the city, our complete guide to wine tours in Verona shows how Valpolicella fits into a wider itinerary across Soave, Bardolino and Lake Garda.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Valpolicella wine tour?
A Valpolicella wine tour is a guided visit to one or more wineries in the Valpolicella region north of Verona, where you tour the cellars and taste the local wines — typically Valpolicella Classico, Ripasso and Amarone. Private tours include a guide and sommelier and usually last three to five hours.
How much does a Valpolicella wine tasting cost?
A private half-day Valpolicella tasting tour with a guide and sommelier starts at around €110 per person. Full-day experiences that include lunch at a winery or visit two regions run €200–€250 per person. Exclusive estate visits are quoted individually.
What wines should you taste in Valpolicella?
Taste the full Valpolicella family in order: the fresh Valpolicella Classico, the richer Ripasso (re-fermented on Amarone skins), the powerful Amarone della Valpolicella made from dried grapes, and the rare sweet Recioto. This progression shows how one set of grapes produces four very different wines.
Which wineries can you visit in Valpolicella?
Valpolicella ranges from small family estates to world-famous icons like Giuseppe Quintarelli and Romano Dal Forno. Most of the best cellars are working wineries that receive guests by private appointment only, so visits are best arranged in advance through a specialist.
When is the best time for a Valpolicella tour?
Late spring (April–June) and September are ideal. September coincides with the harvest and the start of the appassimento drying process, making it the most atmospheric time to see a working cellar. Tours run year-round.
