Valpolicella: the labels of small Veronese growers
Valpolicella is the house red of the Veronese: it is made from the same grape blend as Amarone — Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone — but without drying, which is why it is the everyday wine, lean, fresh and easy to drink. On this page you'll find our selection of Valpolicella — 4 labels from 15 € to 50 € — together with a guide to understanding the differences between the base wine and the Superiore, the territories, the food pairings and how to choose the right bottle.
These are not industrial wines: every bottle comes from small Veronese growers — from the classic Valpolicella of San Pietro in Cariano and Negrar to the Val d'Illasi, on the eastern side of the denomination — who tend family vineyards. The reference denomination is Valpolicella DOC, with the Superiore type requiring an extra year of ageing and a higher minimum alcohol content.
Valpolicella at a glance
Our Valpolicella labels
The Valpolicella labels available on VaiGustando, all from small Veronese growers. Click on a wine for the full details and to buy.
Valpolicella or Valpolicella Superiore: the differences
Under the same name live two wines that differ in structure and calling: the "base" Valpolicella, meant to be drunk young, and the Valpolicella Superiore, which matures longer and gains body and complexity.
| Characteristic | Valpolicella | Valpolicella Superiore |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum alcohol content | 11% vol | 12% vol |
| Minimum ageing | No requirement, ready in a few months | At least 1 year from the harvest |
| Body and tannins | Lean, young tannins | Fuller, often aged in wood |
| Typical aromas | Fresh cherry, red fruits, floral | Ripe cherry, dried plum, spice, chocolate |
| Drinking window | Within 2-3 years | 3-8 years, the crus even longer |
In our catalogue the Allegretto by Italo Cescon represents the base register well — fresh and immediate — while the "Galante" and the "Terra del Cereolo" by Tenuta Trabucchi, together with the Valpolicella Superiore by Comaroto, show the Superiore register: more structure, a spell in barrique and, in the wines of the Val d'Illasi, a brief partial drying of the grapes that concentrates their aromas and texture.
Valpolicella in the Veronese: territories and denomination
The Valpolicella DOC stretches across three bands north of Verona, each with a different character:
- Classic Valpolicella — the historic heart of the denomination, between San Pietro in Cariano and Negrar: this is where the Allegretto by Italo Cescon is made, a fresh, easy-drinking Valpolicella.
- Eastern Valpolicella (Val d'Illasi) — the hills at the foot of the Monti Lessini, limestone-clay soils that yield more structured wines: this is where Tenuta Trabucchi and Comaroto work, both signed by the Dal Forno family.
- Valpolicella DOC (extended area) — the broadest zone of the denomination, which also includes the municipalities of the Veronese plain.
All of our Valpolicella wines are born in these two souls of the denomination — the classic Valpolicella and the Val d'Illasi — a patchwork of hills that the big generalist catalogues rarely distinguish in detail.
Organoleptic profile: how to recognise it in the glass
In the glass Valpolicella appears a ruby red, often with violet reflections in the youngest versions. On the nose cherry dominates — fresh in the base versions, riper and more concentrated in the Superiore — together with floral notes and, in the labels aged in wood, hints of dried plum, chocolate, graphite and spice.
On the palate it is dry, lean and lively in the base version, with young tannins and an acidity that cleanses the palate; more full and warm in the Superiore, where the tannins are finer and the persistence increases. The alcohol content ranges from the 12,5% vol of the Allegretto to the 13,5-15,5% vol of the more concentrated Superiore wines.
One final note to help you navigate the labels: in the Val d'Illasi versions like the two Trabucchi, a brief partial drying of the grapes (10-25 days, with a weight loss of 15-25%) concentrates sugars and aromas before fermentation, a step midway between the base Valpolicella and Amarone.
Our Veronese Valpolicella growers
Behind every label there is a real winery, with a history and a territory. Here's who signs the Valpolicella wines you'll find here:
- Tenuta Trabucchi (Illasi, Verona) — a historic winery of the Val d'Illasi, today led by Michele and Luca Dal Forno: it signs the Valpolicella Superiore "Galante" and the cru "Terra del Cereolo". Discover the winery →
- Comaroto (Illasi, Verona) — the most recent project of the Dal Forno Bros. family, created to tell the working method of Romano Dal Forno: its Valpolicella Superiore comes from the meeting of fresh grapes and dried grapes. Discover the winery →
- Italo Cescon (Roncadelle di Ormelle, Treviso) — Venetian wine artisans since 1957; with the "Ca della Scala" line it signs the Allegretto, the freshest and most immediate Valpolicella in our selection. Discover the winery →
Food pairings: what to eat with Valpolicella
To work out what to drink Valpolicella with, it helps to start from how it's made: a Corvina-and-Rondinella red with a medium-lean body, an aroma of cherry and sour cherry, lively acidity and gentle tannins. It's a wine of drinkability more than of structure, and this dictates the rules: it doesn't call for long slow cooking or serious game, but for everyday dishes of medium intensity. The fresh acidity cuts through fat and cleanses the mouth, which is why it holds up to cured meats, light fried food and sauces that aren't too heavy. The soft tannins don't quarrel with white meats and simply dressed pasta. Served slightly cool, around 16 °C, it gains in drive and becomes the classic table red. The rule is not to overwhelm it: familiar, honest dishes, without sauces that are too concentrated.
- Cured meats and cold cuts from the Veneto, such as soppressa and salami
- Simply dressed first courses: pasta with ragù, risottos and gnocchi
- White meats and poultry: chicken, rabbit, turkey
- Boiled and braised meats that aren't too structured
- Cheeses, young and medium-aged
In the Veronese, Valpolicella is the house wine, made for everyday cooking. At the table it meets bigoli with duck ragù and risotto all'Isolana, the dish of Isola della Scala made with Vialone Nano rice, pork and veal. Among first courses it also goes well with risotto al tastasàl, creamed with fresh sausage meat. For the main courses there's the great classic of boiled meats with pearà, the Veronese sauce of bread, marrow and pepper, which the wine's gentle tannins accompany without covering. The Superiore versions, fuller, can also stand up to pastissada de caval, the horse stew that is a symbol of the city.
In short: base Valpolicella is the everyday red to serve cool with cured meats and honest first courses, while the Superiore, more structured, steps up in intensity and also accompanies boiled and braised meats.
How to serve and store Valpolicella
Serve base Valpolicella slightly cool, at 16 °C, in a medium-sized glass: the lower temperature enhances its freshness and drinkability. The Superiore, on the other hand, should be served at 18-20 °C, ideally after a few minutes of oxygenation in the glass, to open up the more complex aromas of the wood ageing.
In the cellar, keep the bottles lying down, in the dark, at a constant temperature (12-14 °C). Base Valpolicella like the Allegretto is at its best within 2-3 years of the harvest; the Superiore wines like the Trabucchi and the Comaroto hold up a few years longer.
Vintages and ageing: when to open it
Valpolicella is not, by vocation, a wine for long cellaring: as a general rule, only the more structured Superiore wines truly gain from the wait.
- To drink young (within 2-3 years) — the Allegretto by Italo Cescon: freshness and cherry fruit are its charm, and there's nothing to be gained by waiting longer.
- To wait for (3-6 years) — the Superiore "Galante" by Tenuta Trabucchi: a few years soften the tannins and bring notes of chocolate and dried fruit.
- For the cellar (6-8 years and beyond) — the cru "Terra del Cereolo" by Tenuta Trabucchi and the Superiore by Comaroto, both with a longer wood ageing that makes them capable of evolving further in the bottle.
How do you know it's ready? The colour shifts from ruby towards more garnet tones and the aromas become more tertiary (chocolate, tobacco, dried fruit). To store them at their best until that moment, see how to serve and store.
Buying guide by price range
- Everyday (15-16 €) — the Allegretto by Italo Cescon and the Superiore "Galante" by Tenuta Trabucchi: ready, versatile, perfect for every day.
- Structured Superiore (30-35 €) — the cru "Terra del Cereolo" by Tenuta Trabucchi, with longer drying and greater concentration.
- For a special occasion (50 €) — the Valpolicella Superiore by Comaroto, with its double ageing in tonneaux and bottle: a bottle for an important dinner.
You'll find all the up-to-date prices and the buy button in the product cards above.
Other Venetian reds to discover
Keep exploring the Venetian reds in our catalogue: Cabernet, Pinot Nero, Amarone, Ripasso, Merlot, Raboso del Piave and Refosco. Or browse all the red wines.