Amarone and Valpolicella: Three Wineries to Visit Near Verona

The hills west of Verona produce some of Italy’s most celebrated red wines: Valpolicella, Ripasso, Recioto and the mighty Amarone. The method is unique — grapes are dried on racks in a fruttaio (drying loft) for three to four months before pressing, concentrating sugars and flavour. The three family estates below each offer guided cellar tours and tastings, making them natural companions to a visit to the Arena or Juliet’s balcony.

Zeni Winery — Bardolino and the Moreniche Hills

Zeni is a fifth-generation family estate set in the Moreniche hills between Lake Garda and the village of Bardolino. Over 130 years the family has specialised in Veronese DOC wines — Valpolicella, Recioto, Ripasso and Bardolino — alongside the full-bodied Amarone that has made the zone famous.

A museum inside the winery traces the history of local wine production through old photographs, tools and documents, with separate areas dedicated to each stage from vine-growing to bottling. The highlight for visitors is the new cellar: vaulted brick ceiling, terracotta floor and rows of Slavonian oak barrels, barriques and tonneaux where wines age at controlled temperature and humidity. Guided tours include a walk through the vineyard estate behind the winery before finishing with a tasting of the estate’s best bottles.

Bertani — Historic Amarone Producer in Grezzana

Bertani is one of the oldest Amarone houses in Verona, producing Recioto and Amarone since the 1950s. The estate owns around 200 hectares of vineyards across the Verona province. The headquarters and cellar are in Grezzana, north-east of the city, in a building that reads like industrial heritage — original equipment alongside modern infrastructure.

Guided tours of the cellar cover the estate’s history, the drying process that defines Amarone, and the long ageing periods (Bertani’s Amarone is often aged for ten or more years before release). A wine museum displays period tools and archive documents. Tours end with a tasting of the flagship wines.

Tommasi — Family Estate in Pedemonte Since 1902

Tommasi was founded in Pedemonte in 1902 and is now run by the fourth generation of the family. The estate is one of the larger producers in Valpolicella Classica, with vineyards spread across the most productive slopes of the Valpolicella hills.

Tours begin in the historic vineyard behind the main building, where guides explain the cultivation methods specific to the Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes that make up most Valpolicella blends. The visit then moves to the fruttaio, where harvested grapes are laid on bamboo racks to dry from October through January, losing around 30% of their weight and concentrating sugars before pressing for Amarone and Recioto. Down in the cellar, large Slavonian oak barrels — some holding thousands of litres — are used for the long ageing of Amarone. Tours close with a tasting of the estate’s most representative wines.

Planning Your Visit

All three wineries require reservations. The Valpolicella Classica zone is roughly 20–30 minutes by car west of Verona’s centre. Combining two wineries in a day is comfortable; three requires an early start. If you are driving from Lake Garda, Zeni in Bardolino is the most convenient first stop, with Tommasi and Bertani progressively closer to Verona itself. Designate a driver, or book through a tour operator who includes transport — several depart from Verona station.

Harvest and the drying period (September–January) is the most atmospheric time to visit, but wineries operate year-round. Spring and early autumn offer the best combination of mild weather and active cellar activity.