Valpolicella DOCCorvina, Corvinone, RondinellaMezzane di Sotto
Morini family cellar in the Mezzane valley, one of the eastern side valleys that most Amarone itineraries skip in favour of the Classico zone.
Tip: Mezzane pairs naturally with Corte Sant'Alda and Massimago; the three cellars are within ten minutes of each other.
Valpolicella DOCCorvina, Corvinone, RondinellaLuca AnselmiPigno, Illasi
Small Illasi holding worked by Luca Anselmi at Pigno, in the eastern valley that Dal Forno made famous, with its own Grappa di Amarone alongside the wines.
Tip: Illasi is 25 minutes from Verona on the SP10. The valley is quieter than the Classico zone on a Saturday.
Valpolicella Classico DOCCorvina, Corvinone, RondinellaORGANIC CERTIFIEDGargagnago, Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella
Certified organic cellar on Via Giare at Gargagnago, working a few hectares in the shadow of the hamlet's much larger neighbours.
Tip: Gargagnago is on the SP4 between Sant'Ambrogio and San Pietro in Cariano, so this fits neatly into a Classico morning.
Valpolicella Classico DOCCorvina, Corvinone, RondinellaNicola FerrariSantoccio, Fumane
Small Fumane cellar on the Santoccio slope, worked at a scale that keeps every bottle in the family's hands and visits down to one group at a time.
Tip: Write ahead. The cellar is a working farm building at the end of a track above Fumane, not a visitor centre.
Valpolicella Classico DOCCorvina, Corvinone, RondinellaMarognole, Valgatara, Marano di Valpolicella
Family cellar on the Marognole terraces above Valgatara, named after the dry-stone walls that hold the slope and working the cooler Marano profile.
Tip: Combine it with Cà la Bionda and Vaona Odino: all three are within a few minutes of each other on the Valgatara side.
Valpolicella Classico DOCCorvina, Corvinone, RondinellaSan Pietro in Cariano
Family cellar and shop on Via Don Cesare Biasi in San Pietro in Cariano, open six days a week and unusual in the valley for taking walk-in visitors.
Tip: Open Monday to Saturday 08:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 19:30, which makes it the easiest unplanned stop in San Pietro in Cariano.