Pastissada de caval with Amarone
Pastissada is braised for hours in red wine until the meat falls apart. Amarone's dried-fruit weight and 15 percent alcohol stand up to that reduction where a lighter red disappears under it.
What to eat with the wines of Valpolicella, and where the region food and wine meet.
Pairings to know in Valpolicella
Risotto all'Amarone
The rice is toasted and then cooked in the wine itself, so the dish carries the same cherry and bitter-almond register as the glass beside it. Verona kitchens use the label they then pour.
Recioto della Valpolicella with pandoro
Pandoro is a Verona invention and Recioto is the city's own sweet red. The wine's residual sugar matches the cake's butter without the tannin that would dry the crumb out.
Monte Veronese DOP with Recioto
The Lessinia cow's-milk cheese turns sharp and crystalline with age. Recioto's sweetness cuts that salt the way a sweet wine is supposed to, and the two come from the same set of hills.
Soppressa veneta with young Valpolicella
Valpolicella Classico is light, sour-cherry driven and low in tannin, which is exactly what a fatty coarse-ground salami needs. This is the everyday pairing in every osteria in the valley.
Lesso e pearà with Valpolicella Ripasso
Pearà is bone marrow, breadcrumb and a great deal of black pepper. Ripasso has the body to carry that pepper and enough acidity to reset the palate between slices of boiled meat.
Bigoli with duck ragù and Valpolicella Superiore
Bigoli are extruded through a bronze torchio and hold a heavy ragù. A Classico Superiore has more grip than the base wine without the sweetness that Ripasso brings to the plate.
Lessinia black truffle with Valpolicella Superiore
Truffle aroma is fragile and Amarone would bury it. A Superiore has the savoury register to meet it and stays quiet enough to let the aroma through.
Marano cherries with Recioto
Marano is cherry country as well as wine country, and Recioto's dried-cherry core is the same fruit concentrated. Serve the wine cool and the cherries at room temperature.
Aged hard cheese with Amarone Riserva
Riserva Amarone spends at least four years in wood and carries a dried-fig sweetness on the finish. A long-aged hard cheese answers it with salt and crystal crunch.
Cook the Veronese classics, then pair them
Villa Della Torre and Pagus Wine Tours both run cooking classes, and both finish at a table with the estate's own wines rather than a generic pairing flight.
A Verona wine-bar evening
Portoni Borsari, Via Sottoriva and Veronetta each hold osterie pouring Valpolicella by the glass, and the three are within twenty minutes on foot of each other.
Book wine experiences in Valpolicella
Valpolicella Classica: Visit and tasting at Corte Borghetti
Visit the vineyards and winery of Corte Borghetti and taste 5 wines in the 17th-century barrel cellar, with cold cuts and cheeses from Lessinia, extra virgin olive oil...
Valpolicella: Amarone Chateau Guided Tour and Wine Tasting
Embark on an immersive experience in Valpolicella and discover the history, art, vineyards and excellent contemporary wines on a tour of Tenuta Santa Maria owned by Gi...
Valpolicella all around: wine tasting of typical Valpolicella wines
A "well-rounded" tasting of Valpolicella wines: 5 wines that will give you an overview of our production and introduce you to the particularities of the typical varieties
Food Pairing in Valpolicella, FAQ
When is the best time to visit Valpolicella for wine?
Peak wine-travel season in Valpolicella is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
Do I need an appointment to taste at Valpolicella estates?
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
What hours do Valpolicella cellars and tasting rooms keep?
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
How does tipping work at Valpolicella tastings?
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
What is the one wine to try in Valpolicella?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Valpolicella rewards trust.