Food and wine

Verona’s culinary tradition is rich of dishes created from the encounter between local products and professional creativity. Thanks to its excellent local specialties, from starters to desserts, Verona art of cooking is among the most renowned of the country and it’s certainly a delicious way to discover the city and its cultural heritage.

Verona’s countryside is characterised by soil which is rich in mineral salts, very permeable and easily watered. These peculiarities contribute to create the ideal place for the vineyards that grow vigorously on the sunny hillocks that embrace the city center. 

Verona is in fact surrounded by renowned wine-producing areas: among the most ancient and refined ones, Valpolicella and Soave offer some of the most famous wines in the world. Amarone, Recioto and Soave, just to name a few, are precious products of our territory, and they still narrate a story whose protagonists are our millenial culture and traditions.

Verona represents the most northern area where olive trees are grown for olive oil production. In this region, two are the certified D.O.P. areas: Eastern Garda and the area of the Veneto region and Valpolicella. Tourist guides and tour operatos have long promoted this excellent product, proposing themed tours aimed at discovering and enhancing extra vergin olive oil produced in Verona. 

The so called “Bassa Veronese”, the southern area included in the province of Verona, is well-known all over the world for producing Vialone Nanone rice. Nowadays, these farms are still managed by small family-run companies, that follow the whole productive process and ensure the production of excellent products, appreciated all over the world.

Lessinia mountains are the ideal place to get some rest outdoor, and taste the superb local products produced in the so called malghe, the traditional rural constructions built using local stones. Many of them are the arrival or transition points for several walking tours, horse rides and cycling paths. Visiting a malga can also become an occasion to visit a local museum, like the wonderful Fossil museum in Bolca, get lost in the magnificent Lessinia natural Park or taste some Monte Veronese cheese.

Valeggio tortellini are fresh pasta dumplings traditionally filled with ground meat: the legend narrates that the traditional receipe dates back to the 14 th century.

Nowadays, Valeggio sul Mincio is a small village 30 km from the city center, not far from the medieval Borghetto sul Mincio, a lovely village famous for its water mills on the river Mincio. Visiting this area, a stop at a local restaurant is necessary, and you already know what to have: tortellini, whom the most romantic ones can call “ Love knots”.