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DI-VINE WEEK Seven days for seven great wines all around Verona, by bike
VALDADIGE TERRA DEI FORTI
BARDOLINO
VALPOLICELLA
LUGANA
CUSTOZA
DURELLO
SOAVE
THE WINES OF VERONA Di-Vine Week is a week of bike and wine, where you will have the opportunity to explore the territory of Verona, combining natural and artistic wonders with the visit of accurately selected wineries. It’s not all about the Veronese King of wines, the Valpolicella – but also about Lugana, Bardolino, Custoza, Soave, Durello and the wines of the Terra dei Forti. Wine tasting will take place right in the middle of rolling hills, medieval villages, enchanted valleys and deep-blue lakes and lost in a sea of wineyards. ITINERARIES Most routes start after a short transfer by van or minibus in order to start cycling in the middle of nature and enjoy the best of the landscape. Itineraries are generally easy but there might be some uphill stretches. We suggest that those who find the cycling uphill a bit too hard should take our e-bikes. E-bikes are extremely helpful, greatly reduce the effort, and are very easy to use. We can also provide our customers with the visit to our selection of wineries by van or minibus. ACCOMODATION Di-Vine Week is a seven-day package, but you can choose your favourite “Di-Vine Days” and create your own package. Quiet and comfortable Wine Relais or traditional Villas will cuddle your staying. It is possible to choose your own accommodation standard, from a three star to a five star Hotel, bearing in mind that for country accommodation facilities official standard certificate is not available. Alternatively It is possible to stay in the city centre of Verona where we have selected a number of facilities to meet any expectation.
VALPOLICELLA Wine ö
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THE WINE Valpolicella vine variety is a mix of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara. Its color is ruby red, the scent can remind bitter almonds, taste is dry or velvety, full. Valpolicella Superiore needs a 12 months rest in barrels. Valpolicella Ripasso goes through Recioto and Amarone marc, which gives body, taste and alcohol to the wine. Recioto and Amarone are other important wines of the Region. Even if they have their own name, they are made of Valpolicella grapes.
THE ITINERARY BY BIKE It looks like Valpolicella was shaped to produce wine since cultivation of grapes has been going on since ancient times, as the name Valpolicella bears out. It comes from the Latin words Vallis Polis Cellae which mean “valley of many cellars”. Terraces follow one another like waves, divided by the typical stone walls and broken, every now and then by an old cottage or a mansion. A wine tasting in a 15th century Villa or in an old restored farmhouse will be the perfect end to a wonderful cycling day.
CUSTOZA Wine Ăś
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THE WINE Custoza White Wine can be produced only in the area of Verona, more precisely around the town of Sommacampagna. It has a straw-yellow color, the smell is fruity, fragrant, slightly aromatic. Its tast is sapid, soft, gentle.
THE ITINERARY BY BIKE This tour around the hills of Custoza, scattered with vineyards, is also a plunge back into history. Here the new-born Italian people fought its Third War of Indipendence, while Valeggio and Salionze, two little pearls along the River Mincio, hosted Napoleon and Attila. The culinary tradition is not to be left aside, of course. A taste of the home made tortellini of Valeggio is a must and needs to be combined with some wonderful Custoza wine, with its fresh and aromatic touch.
SOAVE Wine ö
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THE WINE Soave is a white wine with a delicate color, an intense but gentle parfume, a round flavor. The vine varieties are Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave. This wine allows the full tasting experience of the dishes it is served with: beans, green peas (risi e bisi), turnip, home made pasta (bigoli al torchio) with typical salty fish (sarde al saor)… Eastern roasted goat, slowly cooked on the fire, it is traditionally seasoned with Soave wine. Escargots taste good with Soave too. They are called bogoni.
THE ITINERARY BY BIKE Tasting a glass of good Soave wine looking upon the old town is priceless: it’s the reward you deserve after a day cycling among vineyards, olive groves and cherry trees where you’ll also find elegant historical dwellings and villas. The valleys of Mezzane and Illasi are also entitled to the production of “certified” Valpolicella wine: a stop in top class winery is the best way to get to know the local product.
LUGANA Wine ö
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THE WINE The name of Lugana comes from the town of the same name, which is by Sirmione, in the area of Brescia, by Lake Garda. The color il straw-yellow or greenish; the smell is gentle and peculiar; the tast is fresh, soft, armonic. You can drink it right after the harvest, but with the Turbiana grapes and with the minerals of the soil, it ages beautifully.
THE ITINERARY BY BIKE The southern part of Lake Garda is home to Lugana, a delicate white wine. The tour starts in Peschiera del Garda, a walled town recently named World Heritage Site. Leaving the busy beaches behind we’ll get to the heart of the hills, heading inland among old mansions, monuments, reminders of the Italian Wars of Independence. You’ll also enjoy the view of majestic mountains that encircle the northern part of Italy’s largest lake.
Valdadige Wine TERRA DEI FORTI ö
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THE WINE Valdadige, or Etschtaler in German, is a wine produced in the area of Verona, Trento and Bolzano. You can find White Valdadige, Red Valdadige, Rosè Valdadige, Valdadige Pinot grigio, Valdadige Pinot bianco (sparkling too), Valdadige Chardonnay (sparkling too), Valdadige Schiava.
THE ITINERARY BY BIKE Nested among high mountains the Agide Valley hosts endless vineyards. Pedalling here is a quiet and safe thanks to cycling paths that run along the River Adige and through the fields cultivated with vineyards. The valley gets narrower and narrower up to the gorge of Ceraino. From the top of these rocky mountains, Habsburg forts have overlooked the valley below for more than 150 years. Among the white and the red wines produced here the Enantio variety of grapes is one of the few that survived the disease brought about by the Phylloxera bug which spread towards the end of 1800.
DURELLO Wine ö
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THE WINE Durello Lessini hat two varieties: Lessini Durello Spumante and Lessini Durello Spumante Riserva. Both are produced in Verona area, with at least 85% of Durello greaps. Spumante Riserva needs to rest at least 36 months in the bottle. Producers refer to Consorzio Tutela Vino Lessini Durello in Soave.
THE ITINERARY BY BIKE The extraordinary Val d’Alpone lies within volcanic hills and the grapes cultivated here give birth to a delicious Durello, a sparkling wine enhanced by the taste of the minerals of the rich soil of this land. The tour develops across the valley, going through the small town of Monteforte which has the highest density of vineyards of the entire Region. The tour continues on country lanes, cycling paths and little villages where time seems to have stopped half a century ago.
BARDOLINO Wine ö
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THE WINE Il Bardolino DOC wine can be produced in the area of Verona, precisely South-East of Lake Garda. It is ruby red, and the color darkens with the ageing. The smell has a delicate scent; flavor is dry, sapid, thin, sometimes lightly sparkly. It goes good together with soups, pastas, fried, chicken, escargot, matured and tasty cheese. Better serve and taste with 16-18 degrees.
THE ITINERARY BY BIKE We will pedal among panoramic morenic hills that surround Lake Garda, among vineyards and olive groves, along the lake shore going through Bardolino, Garda and Lazise. These enchanted towns still preserve their medieval core with castles and a maze of tiny lanes. Bardolino wine is fresh and fruity and together with its rosé brand will make this cycling experience unforgettable.
Simonetta Bike Tours of Simonetta Bettio Tour operator specialized in bike travels and holidays www.simonettabiketours.it Elisa Zambelli +39 328 0280174 elisa@simonettabiketours.it Francesco Vaccaro +39 380 4915920 francesco@simonettabiketours.it Partita IVA 03969700230 - Codice fiscale BTTSNT58A67L781P Registro Imprese di Verona REA CCIAA n. 380687 del 14.09.2010 Autorizzazione della Provincia di Verona n. 6382 del 13.12.2010