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One of the highlights on our trip to Northern Italy was a wine tour of the Valpolicella region. The region is located east of Lake Garda and north of Verona.
Choosing a Wine Tour of Valpolicella
We would have preferred to rent a car and explore the region on our own, stopping at different vineyards and villages, but lack of time and funds were both a factor in our decision.
Instead, we booked a tour with Pagus. They offer several different half and full-day tours to Valpolicella as well as other nearby wine producing regions such as Soave and Lake Garda. Prices vary depending on the experience, and you can opt for a group or private tour. They also have a handful of experiences available in Verona.
Our choice was the “Valpolicella and Dinner” tour (no longer offered). It included a tasting at one vineyard followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
Our Valpolicella Wine Tour
The tour began at 4pm in front of Castelvecchio in Verona, where we met our driver and guide, Alessandro. There was supposed to be another woman on the tour but she never showed up, so we were lucky to have it convert to a private tour.
As Alessandro drove us through the region to our first vineyard, he gave us a quick overview of the different wines produced there and explained how to tell an authentic Valpolicella wine apart from the rest. He stopped just before sunset so we could admire the beautiful landscape at a couple of vineyards.
Corte Fornaledo
Next, we visited Corte Fornaledo, a small family-run vineyard in the hamlet of Purano. We met our host, Giacomo, who also happens to be the owner. He took us to the tasting room where we were able to taste five different wines paired with local meats and cheeses.
We sampled Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone, Recioto, and Vitae Verona Rosso. Each wine was excellent, but we especially loved the Amarone and Recioto, which we ended up taking home. We’ve also ordered wines from Giacomo since our visit.
After the tasting, Giacomo showed us the cellar where the wines are aged in oak barrels. Overall, it was the best experience at a vineyard I’ve had to date. Being able to sit down with the owner of the vineyard to talk about the history of the business and personally see the passion he has for his wines was just as enjoyable as tasting the wines themselves. We hope to go back to the region one day and visit Corte Fornaledo again.
If you’re in the area and you’d like to experience a tasting at Corte Fornaledo, you can schedule it online. All prices are current as of May 2025:
- A simple tasting costs €25 per personand includes a cellar tour, a brief overview and history of the company, and a tasting of all products accompanied by breadsticks, fresh bread, and olive oil.
- A full tasting costs €35 per person and includes everything in the simple tasting, a vineyard tour, and a sampling of aged cheeses and Venetian soppressa (salami).
Villa Mosconi
With the fantastic wine tasting behind us, Alessandro drove us through some towns and villages in the region and stopped in front of Villa Mosconi, which sits next to a 16th century winery. Construction on the huge estate began in 1735 under the Fattori family, who sold it unfinished to the Mosconi family in 1769. The Mosconis completed the villa, added an English garden, and expanded winemaking operations. In the early 20th century, the villa fell into disrepair and was the target of vandalism. The Bertoni family purchased it in 1957, restored it, and made it the base of their winery. Tours of the villa and wine tastings are available by reservation.
Dinner at Antica Osteria Paverno
Our dinner was at Antica Osteria Paverno, which serves excellent Veronese cuisine in the village of Paverno. Alessandro ordered a bottle of Amarone and we delved into conversation about life in Italy, the wine tour business, and more.
We started off with a plate of polenta, salami, and prosciutto. I had the ravioli filled with a local squash while Marisol had the tortelli. Everything was delicious and it made for a perfect Christmas dinner.
Our Thoughts on the Valpolicella Wine Tour
Once dinner finished, we returned to Verona where Alessandro dropped us off in front of Castelvecchio. Overall, it was an enjoyable evening and Alessandro was an excellent guide. It was a little pricy but because it ended up being a private tour, we got much more for our money than we expected.
