"Valpolicella Valley" Verona by edwis

This 3rd visit to Italy started in Valpolicella, a “vinicultural zone” famous for red wines. This region leads all Italy in the export of D.O.C. wines (those with government controlled specifications of origin).

Agricola Corteforte, Fumane and Verona, Italy
Host Barbara Cerutti

We stayed in a beautifully reconstructed 600-year old tower furnished with fine antiques and modern appliances affording breathtaking views of the mountain foothills. The Corteforte vineyards, currently run by Barbara, are longstanding producers of some of the finest red wines in the region. It boasts 8 acres of vines that produce Amarone, Valpolicella and Classico. In addition, the Corteforte olive groves produce very fine extra virgin, cold-stone pressed oils. Upon arrival, we ate dinner at the Enoteca on the grounds. Dinner was served without any menu, with the guests choosing one of two entrees for each course. We start our Italian adventure with zucchini flowers stuffed with goat cheese and a pesto puree, followed by truffle-stuffed raviolis with shaved black truffles, then a sliced duck breast “secondi piatta.” Of course, a bottle of Valpolicella red wine complemented the meal. Wow! What a taste. The bill came handwritten on a blank note card.

We explored the old city of Verona the next day, about 13 minutes away from the tower B&B. Verona is Italy’s richest city and world famous for the summer opera events at L’Arena. We found café-lined piazzas and labyrinthine shopping facilities featuring all of the world-renowned designers. A favorite tourist stop is Juliet’s balcony, of Shakespeare fame, with a tariff of 6 euros to actually stand in the balcony.

We brought the Garmin GPS Europe mapping system, and it saved the day driving all over Italy’s countryside. We even took gravel roads between towns and saved much time. In our opinion, northern Italy is much classier and more interesting than the more southern regions of the country. Even the foods are superior.