Verona Food Tours: Risotto all’Amarone & Valpolicella Wine
Verona food tours: risotto all'Amarone, bollito con pearà, tortellini di Valeggio and pandoro with Valpolicella and Amarone wine, and how to book.
The short version: a Verona food tour pairs the city’s hearty Veneto cooking with the great wines grown just outside it. Taste risotto all’Amarone, bollito con pearà (boiled meats with a peppery bread sauce), tortellini from Valeggio and pandoro, which was born here, alongside Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone and Soave. Many tours mix a city walk with a winery visit in the Valpolicella hills. Here is what to taste and how to book.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What | City food walks and Valpolicella winery tours with tastings |
| Must-taste | Risotto all’Amarone, bollito con pearà, tortellini di Valeggio, pandoro |
| Wine | Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone, Recioto; Soave whites |
| Wine country | Valpolicella, 20 to 30 minutes from the centre |
| Time | City tours 1.5 to 3 hours; winery half days 3.5 to 4 hours |
What you taste
Verona cooks for its wine. Risotto all’Amarone is made with the region’s great red; bollito con pearà pairs boiled meats with a peppery bone-marrow bread sauce; tortellini di Valeggio are paper-thin “love knots” from a village nearby; and pandoro, the star-shaped Christmas cake, was invented in Verona. In the glass: fresh Valpolicella, richer Ripasso, powerful Amarone made from dried grapes, sweet Recioto, and white Soave.
How a Verona food tour works
City tours walk the centre between osterie and wine bars, often with a sit-down risotto. Winery tours head into the Valpolicella hills for cellar visits, including the drying lofts where Amarone grapes rest for months. Not sure which wine is which? Read Amarone vs Ripasso vs Valpolicella.
Our pick: the Verona Food & Wine Small Group Tour with Lunch includes risotto all’Amarone at a typical trattoria and a wine tasting.
Heading north into the mountains? See Alto Adige wine tours and South Tyrol food tours.
For the lake shore wines, see Lake Garda wine tours.
Planning more food stops? See the best food tours in Europe.
Taste Amarone in the hills: see Valpolicella wine tours from Verona.
Compare every city: the best food tours in Italy.
Frequently asked questions
What food is Verona known for?
Risotto all’Amarone, bollito con pearà, tortellini di Valeggio and pandoro, plus the Valpolicella and Soave wines grown nearby.
How far is Valpolicella from Verona?
About 20 to 30 minutes by car; half-day winery tours with pickup are the easy way to go.
What is Amarone?
A rich red wine from Valpolicella made from grapes dried for several months before pressing, which concentrates their flavour.
Book a Verona food tour
Compare Verona food tours and cooking classes, or see all Verona food and wine experiences.
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