A self-guided rebuild of a Slovenian guided coach tour through the wine country around Verona. This is the home of Amarone, Ripasso and Recioto — reds built on grapes dried in appassimento lofts — framed by Soave Classico whites to the east and fresh Lugana (Turbiana) on Lake Garda's shore to the west, with a finish on the Strada del Riso rice road. Seven cellars in three days is the full programme; drop one or two freely and nothing collapses.
Before you go
- Book first: Quintarelli (hardest), then Cà dei Maghi (no walk-ins — paolo@cadeimaghi.it), Coffele, Rubinelli Vajol, Tommasi, Zýmē (tour@zyme.it), Cà Maiol, and a table at Pila Vecia for the Day 3 risotto lunch.
- From Slovenia: Ljubljana → Soave ≈ 380 km / 3 h 45 via Trieste–Venice–Padua (A4). Slovenian vignette + Italian tolls both apply.
- Opening days: several cellars close Sunday and/or Monday; Tommasi runs Mon–Sat. A Thu–Sat or Fri–Sun pattern is safest.
- Pack: a warm layer (cellars ~12–14 °C), shoes for vineyard paths, a cool bag for bottles, offline maps.
What it costs
Estimate per person, assuming two sharing a double room and your own car from Ljubljana. Excludes wine to take home (budget €50–300+ — Amarone is not cheap). A planning range, not a quote.
| Item | Notes | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel, tolls & vignettes | ~800 km round trip, SLO vignette + Italian tolls | €70–100 |
| Car rental (optional) | only if not using your own car — compact, split between two | €0–120 |
| Accommodation, 2 nights | vineyard agriturismo / 3★ double w/ breakfast (~€110–160/night ÷ 2) | €110–160 |
| 7 tastings | Coffele, Rubinelli Vajol, Quintarelli (~€60), Cà dei Maghi (with food), Tommasi, Zýmē, Cà Maiol | €205–305 |
| Meals | Soave lunch, 2 dinners, Pila Vecia risotto lunch | €120–200 |
| Verona parking & incidentals | garages, coffees, castle entry | €20–40 |
| Estimated total | per person, 2 sharing, own car — excl. wine purchases | ≈ €525–805 |
The route, day by day
Day 1 — Ljubljana → Soave → into Valpolicella
Leave by 7:00 — the long drive is front-loaded so the rest of the trip is short hops.
A4 past Trieste, Venice and Padua; arrive late morning.
Walk the walled medieval town and climb to the Scaliger castle for views over the Soave Classico vineyards (~1–1.5 h), then lunch at an osteria inside the walls.
The first certified-organic producer of the Soave Classico zone: historic cellar, chapel and hanging garden at Via Roma 5. Book the five-wine "Castel Cerino" tasting; try the Recioto di Soave.
Skirt Verona and climb into the Valpolicella Classico valleys.
A family estate in the sunny amphitheatre of the Vajol valley; numbered bottles of Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto.
Dinner at the house table or a village osteria; everything tomorrow is within 15 minutes.
Day 2 — Valpolicella Classico: the legend, the giant, the rebel
Four stops in a 15-minute radius — the day is about pacing, not driving. The day to pre-hire a driver, if any. Feeling human rather than heroic? Drop Tommasi or Zýmē.
The most revered cellar in Valpolicella: Amarone, Recioto and the cult Alzero, ~€60 pp. No website, appointment only — the visit you arranged weeks ago by phone/email or via a specialist.
A 4.5-hectare boutique farm — "house of the magicians" — run by Paolo Creazzi. The upstairs tasting room pairs the wines with local dishes: book it as your lunch. Reservation required (paolo@cadeimaghi.it), no walk-ins.
Family house since 1902. Tour the cellars where Amarone sleeps and see the "Magnifica" — the largest oak barrel in Italy. Book via their hospitality site.
Celestino Gaspari's strikingly modern cellar built into a former sandstone quarry: the traditional Valpolicella range plus inventive wines like Harlequin. Book via tour@zyme.it.
Pastissada de caval or brasato all'Amarone is the classic pairing. Back to the same hotel.
Day 3 — Verona → Lugana → the Rice Road → home
City, lake and rice paddies — then the motorway home.
Park at the Cittadella or Arena garages. The Roman Arena, Via Mazzini, Juliet's House, Piazza delle Erbe — go early to beat the tour groups.
The reference house of Lugana DOC since 1967, on Lake Garda's southern shore. Fresh, mineral whites from the Turbiana grape — a palate reset after two red-wine days.
Italy's oldest working rice mill (1650), still stone-milling Vialone Nano among the paddies of the Strada del Riso. The restaurant beside the mill serves rice from starter to dessert, with a 15–20 min mill visit; buy rice to take home. Book ahead.
Isola della Scala sits by the A22/A4 junction — you're already pointed the right way. Home by evening.
Cellar & booking directory
- Coffele — Soave · organic Soave Classico & Recioto, palace tasting · accoglienza@coffele.it
- Rubinelli Vajol — San Pietro in Cariano · Vajol-valley classics, numbered bottles
- Giuseppe Quintarelli — Negrar · the legend; private appointment only, no website
- Cà dei Maghi — Fumane · boutique farm, tasting-with-dishes · paolo@cadeimaghi.it
- Tommasi — Pedemonte · historic house, Italy's largest oak barrel · wine@tommasi.com
- Zýmē — San Pietro in Cariano · quarry-built winery · tour@zyme.it
- Cà Maiol — Desenzano del Garda · Lugana DOC, Turbiana whites
- Pila Vecia / Riseria Ferron — Isola della Scala · 1650 rice mill + risotto restaurant
Practical notes
- Stay: an agriturismo among the vines near San Pietro in Cariano, Negrar or Fumane keeps every Day 2 stop within 15 minutes. Book early for harvest (Sep–Oct) weekends.
- Opening days: most cellars are appointment-only and several close Sun/Mon; Coffele's wine shop is open daily, Tommasi Mon–Sat. Confirm each visit directly.
- Tasting costs: typically €20–45pp; Quintarelli ~€60; Cà dei Maghi's tasting doubles as lunch. Some waive fees against purchases.
- Harvest timing: mid-Sep to mid-Oct brings fermentation smells and grapes drying on racks for Amarone — atmospheric, but the busiest season, so book even earlier.
- The wines: Valpolicella Classico (fresh) → Ripasso (re-fermented on Amarone skins) → Amarone (dried-grape, powerful) → Recioto (sweet); plus Soave Classico whites and Lugana Turbiana.
- Driving: Slovenian vignette + Italian tolls; carry vest and triangle. Park in garages in Verona and walk.
- This plan re-frames a guided coach tour. Cellars, costs and hours change — always confirm directly before you travel.