Half and Full day Tours with Driver of Valpolicella’s gems

Nestled among the hills of Gargagnago, with San Giorgio’s Hill as its stunning background, the villa bears an ancient allure and an even more fantastic name, the famous family name of the descendants of Dante Alighieri himself.
The villa consists of different buildings built upon each other, and features dining rooms and bedrooms, decorated by mosaics, coats of arms, frescoes. A peculiar sight is the dining hall, decorated with a faux gallery and fictional sights of woods and swallow-filled skies painted between the arches. Villa Serego also boasts a long-standing wine-making history.

Crowned as an entry on the list of the most beautiful small towns of Italy (“I Borghi più belli d’Italia”) in 2015, we have the township of Sant’Ambrogio, which stands perched on a peak, the parish that gives it its name at the hearth of it. Built with the same calcareous stone that constitutes its foundations, the town is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves; next to its caves, one can enjoy the enchanting sights of panoramas that lead the eye from Lake Garda to Verona, from Valpolicella to the Pianura Padana.
The town gets its name from the church of Saint George, an antique Romanic parish dating back to 712 AD built at the historic center of the town. Within it, there are well-maintained frescoes from the 12th and 13th centuries, and a 6th century AD ciborium. Annexed to the church there is the 12th century cloister, still intact, and a small museum housing a collection of several prehistoric remains from the Iron Age found thanks to the efforts of recent excavations in the surrounding area.

The Valpolicella Ripasso DOC is created when the base of Valpolicella wine rests for 15-20 days on the pomace of Amarone. Ruby red in color with garnet hues, it has a slightly airy scent of fruits with vanilla notes; the taste is sharp, harmonious, dry and soft. For its pleasant characteristics, it’s perfect to be paired with winter first courses, second courses, cold cuts and medium-aged cheeses.

The Amarone della Valpolicella is a dark red wine, and its color eventually turns garnet red with aging. The scent is remindful of raisined fruits, tobacco, and spices, also thanks to the noble-molds that generate with the aging process. The taste is intense with strong notes of raisins; it’s dry but soft, full-bodied, hearty and warm. It has a strong profile and can be kept for over 20 years.

The Recioto is at the core of history and tradition in Valpolicella. This full-bodied wine has a good alcoholic profile and sugary residues that make it sweet and pleasant.
The aging process continues past the harvest of the grapes and well into a period that lasts from 100 to 120 days. With a strong garnet red color, the wine has a complex scent profile, with recognizable notes of rose, violet, prune jam and wild fruits. It can be paired with dry-dough desserts and baked goods, with dark chocolate, and a must-have is to try it with a wedge of spicy cheese.

Gnocchi made in Verona represent a classic traditional dish of the Veronese cuisine. A staple of local households, the recipe originated from Carnival celebrations, and is widely described and detailed in literary and historic accounts. Gnocchi are a type of pasta meant for immediate consumption, while still freshly made and cooked.

This slow-cooked dish features braised horse meat, wine, vegetables and herbs. Originally meant as a sauce for gnocchi made by the housewives who lived in the San Zeno neighborhood in Verona, it’s now widespread in the region surrounding the city and, while it can be eaten throughout the year, it’s a typical winter dish.

This sauce is served exclusively to accompany bollito misto – stew made according to the north Italian tradition, typical of the piedmont and Verona region. The appearance is that of a gravy, it’s light brown or white, creamy and buttery. It has sweet undertones that enhance the protagonist of this sauce: black pepper, added at the end of this unique Veronese dish.