TOUR DESCRIPTION

 

From rolling, vineyard-covered hills that produce the storied Amarone wines, to ancient castles and villages that fringe Italy’s largest lake, we’re proud to add this brand-new tour to our portfolio. We’ll spend six nights at the *****Relais & Chateau Villa Cordevigo, a magnificently restored 18th-century hotel just minutes from the eastern shore of Lake Garda, and just a half-hour north of Verona city center. Highlights for our week in Veneto include a private walking tour of Verona, excursions by boat to explore Lake Garda, and top-notch dining including the table of the Michelin-1* Oseleta Ristorante at Villa Cordevigo. Of course the trip will include fabulous winery visits and tastings at some of Veneto’s top addresses where we will discover the magic of the region’s signature Corvina and Garganega grapes

 

Accompanying our group for the week will be recognized world wine expert Todd Ross, professional local guides, and internationally award-winning photojournalist Peter Martin, Managing Director of MARTIN KEEGAN TOURS, LLC.

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Sunday, Day 1 (Welcome to Veneto!) – Guests will be picked up at Valerio Catullo Airport, Verona, Italy, and transferred by shuttle to the Relais & Chateau Villa Cordevigo, our hotel for the week. After settling in, guests will have time to explore the grounds before joining our hosts and our local guide for a welcome reception and a wine-tasting introduction to Veneto wines! We’ll review our itinerary for the week at this time. Then, in the evening, we will gather at Ristorante Cordevigo at our country villa for a relaxing meal of delicious local fare.

 

Monday, Day 2 (Amarone! The Magic of Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone) – After a hearty breakfast, we’ll board our coach for a drive of twenty minutes to the east to our first wine tasting of the day at Azienda Agricola Lorenzo Begali in the tiny hamlet of Cengia. Begali produces a range of utterly traditional wines from across the range of the Valpolicella D.O.C. and their lineup is a veritable hit parade of highly acclaimed wines. We’ll enjoy a cellar tour and comprehensive tasting accompanied by local cheeses, bread, olive oil and cold cuts. Lunch will be at Trattoria Dal Taio in the nearby village of Parona, the culinary jewel of the area. Then, it’s just a brief drive to our tasting and winery visit of the afternoon at the mythical cellars of Giuseppe Quintarelli. Perhaps no other producer so-well-embodies the savoir fare of the region in its marvelous wines. As Kermit Lynch says, “It is impossible to speak about Quintarelli without superlatives. The name itself stands for so much: the family, the wines, a style, a tradition, a way of doing things. After all the time, effort, patience, and care that go into the making of a bottle of Quintarelli, it truly does mean so much more than wine.” Dinner tonight will be in the comfortable surroundings of Villa Cordevigo.

 

Tuesday, Day 3 (A Toe in Trentino) – After taking breakfast at Villa Cordevigo, we will embark for a half-hour drive north along the trace of the Adige river to the toe of Trentino, and a visit to the storied winery of Tenuta San Leonardo, housed in a thousand-year old monastery. For the past three centuries, the Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga family have been its proud custodians. San Leonardo’s wines are uncompromisingly artisanal. Their reputation, especially for the estate’s signature San Leonardo red table wine, is international. For lunch, it’s just a short drive farther north to Casa Del Vino della Vallagarina, a charming wine-centric restaurant in Isera. From there, we’ll turn back south and toward Lake Garda and the town of Malcesine. There, we’ll explore the Castello Scaligero di Malcesine, perched upon a rocky crag overlooking the ancient town, before embarking on a 30-minute boat ride down the lake to Castelletto di Brenzone. There, we’ll board our coach for transportation back to or hotel. Dinner tonight will be at Ristorante Cordevigo.

 

Wednesday, Day 4 (Soave and Garganega Greatness) – After breakfast we will drive to the east of Verona to the wine region of Soave, and our first visit of the day at the historic winery of Pieropan, whose wines perennially grace the pages of Gambero Rosso and have earned many Tre Bicchieri awards. Afterward. we’ll break for a light lunch at Bigoleria Alla Rocca in Soave, then have time to explore the village and its ancient castle before we head off for our next winery visit in nearby Monforte d’Alpone. There, we will be introduced to Societa`Agricola Anselmi, another giant of the Soave wine region, whose use of traditional and international grapes come together to produce wines of profound and individual character. Dinner tonight comes with spectacular views of Lake Garda in nearby Sirmione, at the romantic Michelin-starred La Speranzina, with its mix of traditional and exotic ingredients and altogether mouthwatering flavors.

 

Thursday, Day 5 (A Day in Verona) – After breakfast we will embark for Verona where we will enjoy a curated private walking tour of the city taking in many of its most notable historic and architectural attractions including its many ancient Roman amphitheater, bridge and gate; Verona’s Medieval castle and bridge; the Piazzas Bra’, Erbe and dei Signori, the Scaligere Arch; the Mercato Vecchio courtyard and, of course, Juliet’s house! Lunch today will be at Antica Bottega del Vino, a prestigious, centuries-old wine and “tapas” bar on a narrow street in the heart of the city. After lunch, guests will have the better part of the afternoon to explore Verona further on their own, to shop, check out the Shakespeare Interactive Museum, or simply stroll along the tranquil Adige river before we rendezvous and are carried back to our hotel. We’ll dine this night at Ristorante Cordevigo.

 

Friday, Day 6 (Amarone Encore) – Our final day of wine tastings in the region will take us to two more famous Amarone estates, both located in the nearby village of Pedemonte. Our first visit and tasting will be at Farina (where we will also enjoy a light lunch with local artisan products,) then our last winery visit and tasting of the tour will be at the inviting Speri Viticoltori.​​ Our farewell dinner tonight will find our group gathering at the table of Villa Cordevigo’s Michelin-1* Ristorante Oseleta where, over wine and an excellent meal, we'll share the memorable moments of our past few days together before saying Arrivederci; fino a quando ci incontreremo di nuovo.

 

Saturday, Day 7 – After an early breakfast, guests will be transferred by shuttle to Valerio Catullo Airport in Verona, for departures home or onward travel.

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*Itinerary may change without notice.