Soave and the eastern hills

Taking the A4 east toward Venice, Soave lies 22 km from Verona at the foot of the Lessini, where the hills taper into the Po plain. A short climb on the SP17 threads past basalt dry-stone walls and pergola-trained Garganega. The crenellated Castello Scaligero (14th c.) and its 1.6 km ring of walls soon come into view. Volcanic subsoils, cooler than the flatlands, yield saline tension in Soave Classico and surprising aging potential for lees-aged cuvées. Two tastings, two facets: the limestone of Monteforte and the darker tuff of Castelcerino.

Your dedicated driver meets you at the hotel with a Mercedes at your disposal, pacing stops to your timing. In Soave you stroll the walls, then amble up to the Rocca to read the landscape before tasting while he handles the road. With your Verona private chauffeur, head on to a grower in Fittà and another focusing on Monte Foscarino crus. The return via the SR11 traces past Palladian country villas in the Veronese plain, including Villa Serego (Palladio, 1560), time and traffic permitting.