The Piccoli family estate at Valeggio sul Mincio on the morainic rim of Lake Garda produces a fresh, saline Bianco di Custoza DOC alongside an interesting Garda Cabernet from south-shore hillside vineyards.
Signature wines: corte-gardoni-bianco-di-custoza, corte-gardoni-le-fontane-garda-cabernet
Address: Loc. Gardoni 5, 37067 Valeggio sul Mincio, Verona, Italy, Veneto
The Custoza cooperative founded in 1958 is the largest producer in the Bianco di Custoza DOC appellation. High-volume accessible wines from morainic soils at good prices; the walk-in shop is a tourist draw on the Garda circuit.
Tasting: Public shop and tasting room at Custoza; walk-in welcome.
Signature wines: cantina-custoza-bianco-di-custoza
The Custoza cooperative founded in 1958 is the largest producer in the Bianco di Custoza DOC appellation. High-volume accessible wines from morainic soils at good prices; the walk-in shop is a tourist draw on the Garda circuit.
Tasting: Public shop and tasting room at Custoza; walk-in welcome.
Signature wines: cantina-custoza-bianco-di-custoza
Founded in 1889 at the Lake Garda waterfront in Bardolino, Cantine Campagnola is one of the appellation's oldest estates producing light, food-friendly Bardolino Superiore DOCG and a range of Valpolicella.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at the Bardolino cellar; daily opening.
Signature wines: campagnola-bardolino-classico, campagnola-valpolicella-classico
A DOCG Valdobbiadene estate at Guia di Valdobbiadene producing single-terroir Prosecco Superiore with a focus on freshness and minerality from the steep hillside Rive vineyards.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at the Guia estate by appointment.
Signature wines: foss-marai-valdobbiadene-brut, foss-marai-drusian
The legendary Negrar estate founded in 1924, now run by Giuseppe's daughter Fiorenza. Quintarelli's Amarone and Recioto are benchmark expressions of dried-grape Valpolicella winemaking, aged for years before release.
Tasting: By appointment only; tastings at the historic cellar in Negrar. Very limited availability.
Signature wines: quintarelli-amarone-classico, quintarelli-alzero, quintarelli-recioto-classico
Founded by Romano Dal Forno in 1983 in the Illasi valley, outside the Classico zone. Tiny production, extremely low yields and very long maceration produce arguably the most powerful Amarone in the region.
Tasting: By appointment only; private estate visit at Cellore d'Illasi.
Signature wines: dal-forno-amarone-valpolicella, dal-forno-valpolicella-superiore
Multi-generation family estate at Fumane at the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Allegrini pioneered single-vineyard bottlings in the zone and is widely credited with modernising Amarone's international profile in the 1980s under Giovanni Allegrini.
Tasting: Tasting visits at the Fumane estate and Villa della Torre; bookable via the estate website.
Signature wines: allegrini-amarone-classico, allegrini-la-poja, allegrini-palazzo-della-torre
