Valpolicella DOC

The first cultivation of Vitis vinifera here is attributed to the Paleo-Venetian or Etruscan-Rhaetic civilisation that flourished between the 7th and 5th centuries BC, and the area's first wine was known as 'retico' (Rhaetian). Hypotheses on the origin of the name include the Latin 'Polesella', land of many fruits, or 'Vallis-polis-cellae', valley of many cellars. Under Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths (489-526 AD), the minister Cassiodorus described a wine made from dried grapes under the name Acinatico, which is considered the ancestor of Recioto. The name 'Valpolicellae' was used officially in 1177 by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the first document to mention the term 'Recioto' dates to 1888, and the birth of the name Amarone dates to 1936. In 1881 Stefano de' Stefani carried out the first delimitation of Verona's wine zones, which cited the 'Vini della Valpolicella', and the first Valpolicella disciplinare and DOC recognition followed by presidential decree of 21 August 1968. At that time only Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella existed, with Amarone mentioned only as a 'dry' version of Recioto. Ministerial decrees of 24 March 2010 made Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, Recioto della Valpolicella and Amarone della Valpolicella autonomous denominations: Amarone and Recioto became DOCGs and Ripasso a separate DOC that year.

• Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella: a first meeting in San Pietro in Cariano on 9 November 1924, formal constitution on 9 February 1925, and 'erga omnes' authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture in 2013
• 1968: DOC approved by DPR 21.08.1968, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 268 of 21 October 1968
• 2010: the four Valpolicella wines became autonomous denominations by ministerial decrees of 24 March 2010
• 2019 and 2023: the four production regulations were updated in several important aspects in 2019; the Valpolicella text was last modified by D.M. 03.08.2023

The zone spans the whole foothill strip of the province of Verona, from Lake Garda almost to the border with the province of Vicenza, a series of valleys and hills entering the plain in the 'forma di una mano' (shape of a hand). Production covers all or part of 19 municipalities: Marano, Fumane, Negrar, S. Ambrogio, S. Pietro in Cariano, Dolcè, Verona, S. Martino Buon Albergo, Lavagno, Mezzane, Tregnago, Illasi, Colognola ai Colli, Cazzano di Tramigna, Grezzana, Pescantina, Cerro Veronese, S. Mauro di Saline and Montecchia di Crosara. The area divides into three zones: the Classica, formed by Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, San Pietro in Cariano and the valleys of Fumane, Marano and Negrar; the Valpantena, which includes the valley of the same name; and the Valpolicella DOC zone, with districts of the municipality of Verona and the valleys of Illasi, Tramigna and Mezzane. The Classica counts 5 municipalities and the DOC zone 14, with Lake Garda to the west and the Lessini Mountains protecting the area to the east and north. In all, 11 valleys run north-south from the mountains of Lessinia down to the flatter lands around Verona. The climate is continental or sub-continental, with Lake Garda mitigating both minimum winter and maximum summer temperatures, an effect that decreases moving away from the lake. Annual rainfall is given as 850 to 1,000 mm in the disciplinare and 900 to 1,100 mm on the Consorzio's climate page. Vineyard altitudes can reach 500 m above sea level, and valley-floor vineyards on peaty or excessively damp soils are excluded. Soils come from the breakdown of calcareous-dolomitic formations, basalts, and morainic and river deposits of volcanic origin: white and white-pink marly limestone (Biancone and Scaglia Rossa) is typical of the hills, basaltic volcanic outcrops occur in the hilly sector, and alluvial soils of the Adige plain cover the south-west of the appellation.

• Classica: the Fumane valley is one of the coldest of the five Classica zones, the hills of Marano have basaltic soils called 'Toari', and Castelrotto (172 m) is the most important hill of San Pietro in Cariano
• Valpantena: a geographic specification of the DOC; as of 2023 it was alone among the valleys outside the Classico area in being permitted a mention on labels
• Eastern valleys: the Illasi valley is the longest of the valleys that cut the Veronese mountains to the east, and the Cazzano di Tramigna valley has volcanic soils
• Winds: the Sirocco, a warm, humid south-east wind, brings abundant rainfall, and the Föhn, a dry, warm north wind, blows with gusts that can reach 100 km/h

Valpolicella comes from vineyards with Corvina Veronese (Cruina or Corvina) and/or Corvinone at 45 to 95% and Rondinella at 5 to 30%. Up to 25% in total may come from other red varieties: non-aromatic red varieties authorized in the province of Verona, up to 15% with no more than 10% for any single variety, and Italian native red varieties authorized there for the remaining 10%. Corvina is the backbone of the blend, giving structure, aromas and softness; Corvinone brings very spicy hints of morello cherry, aromatic complexity and structure; and Rondinella, very resistant to bad weather and diseases, gives color and flavor. Molinara, a complementary native variety that adds freshness and flavor, was once required and is now optional. The base Valpolicella DOC is typically a young and fine wine with a vinous aroma and delicate bouquet, fresh, dry or rather smooth and pleasantly vibrant on the palate, obtained by classic red winemaking followed by a short maturation. Superiore is made from selected grapes grown in the best locations, sometimes through a short drying phase, and requires at least one year of ageing counted from 1 January of the year after the harvest. Minimum actual alcohol is 11.00% vol for Valpolicella and 12.00% vol for Superiore, with minimum total acidity of 5.0 g/l and minimum non-reducing extract of 18.0 g/l (20.0 g/l for Superiore). Ripasso, made by adding the dried grape skins from Amarone production to a Valpolicella to encourage further fermentation, was Valpolicella's top-selling style as of 2023.

• Blend: Corvina Veronese and/or Corvinone 45 to 95%, Rondinella 5 to 30%, other authorized red varieties up to 25%
• Base Valpolicella: minimum 11.00% vol actual alcohol, maximum 0.40% vol potential residual alcohol, minimum total acidity 5.0 g/l
• Superiore: minimum 12.00% vol and at least one year of ageing from 1 January after the harvest
• Appassimento for the sister wines: the bunches remain in the fruttaio for about three months and lose between 30% and 50% of their weight

Grape yields are capped at 12 tonnes per hectare, with grapes reaching at least 10% vol natural alcohol (11% vol for Superiore), and the grape-to-wine yield at 70%. Vines must be trained only as espalier (spalliera) or as inclined single or double pergola veronese, and vineyards registered after the 2010 disciplinare need at least 3,300 vines per hectare. Winemaking and ageing must take place in the production zone, though traditional practice allows them within the province of Verona, and the vintage must appear on the label. Plain Valpolicella without further mentions may also be sold in 2 to 3 litre bag-in-box containers. Among producers, Masi, run by the Boscaini family, celebrated its 250th harvest in 2022; Tedeschi, nearly 400 years old, belongs to the Famiglie Storiche association of Valpolicella wineries; Tommasi Viticoltori is run by nine members of the fourth generation of the Tommasi family; and at Zýmē, Celestino Gaspari draws on a decade spent alongside the late Giuseppe Quintarelli. Allegrini attributes the 'superiority' of its Valpolicella Classico Superiore to ageing in oak wood, and Speri's five classic wines, all DOC or DOCG, include a Valpolicella Classico and a Valpolicella Classico Superiore Sant'Urbano. In 2002, Romano Dal Forno used only new French barriques for ageing and made his Valpolicella DOC Superiore partly from partially dried grapes.

• Yields: maximum 12 t/ha of grapes and a 70% grape-to-wine yield; between 70% and 75% the excess loses the DOC, and above 75% the whole batch does
• Training: espalier or inclined pergola veronese; the pergola has a 75% share and Guyot 25%
• Labelling: 'vigna' followed by a place name is allowed for separately registered and vinified plots, while adjectives such as 'extra', 'fine' and 'scelto' are banned
• Control body: Siquria spa of Soave carries out the annual checks

Many Valpolicella wineries offer accommodation, with multiple opportunities for walkers and cyclists, and Verona's airport and city centre are both about 18 km from Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella. April events include Vinitaly in Verona, the Palio del Recioto over the Easter weekend and the Magnalonga walk, both in Negrar, and autumn visitors can see Amarone and Recioto grapes drying after harvest. The drying takes place in the so-called 'fruttai', well-aired rooms, with the grapes laid on traditional 'Arele' racks or in modern crates. At the table, the base Valpolicella DOC suits appetizers, light first courses and white meats, and Superiore suits second courses, with a preference for red meats and medium seasoned cheeses. Monte Veronese cheeses are made in the mountains of Lessinia.

• Vinitaly: the Verona trade fair is among the area's April events (2 to 5 April in 2023)
• Negrar: home to the Palio del Recioto over the Easter weekend and the 10 km Magnalonga food and wine walk
• Serving: 14 to 16°C for Valpolicella DOC
• Landscape: historic dry-stone terraces, the typical 'marogne', are being recovered

Primary sources (MASAF disciplinare, the Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella, and producers' own sites for their own wines): https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F2%252F3%252FD.8ccd09a077f2ec35dc9b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/consorzio/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/the-area/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/the-area/climate-of-valpolicella/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/the-area/valpolicella-soils/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/the-area/zona-classica-della-valpolicella/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/the-area/zona-doc/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/the-area/zona-valpantena/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/the-varieties/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/types-of-wines/vino-valpolicella-doc/, https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/en/types-of-wines/, https://allegrini.it/en/wines/valpolicella-classico-doc-allegrini/, https://www.speri.com/en/the-wines/, https://www.brigaldara.it/en/wines/valpolicella-doc. Secondary sources: https://italianwinecentral.com/denomination/valpolicella-doc/, https://www.decanter.com/wine/touring-valpolicella-494988/, https://www.decanter.com/features/bella-valpolicella-wines-248774/. Last verified 2026-10-05