Harvest season in Verona: an experience in the heart of tradition of wine and oil making

The Colomba d’Oro, the 4-star hotel closest to the Verona Arena, invites you on a journey through the scents and colors of the grape and olive harvest in the hills surrounding the city. Verona is renowned worldwide not only for the opera performances in the Arena, the Shakespearean tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and the international fairs, but also for its food and wine tradition and for its close connection with the art and crafts of viticulture and olive growing.

The wine grapes harvest is a magical moment in which the Veronese vineyards and the small “wine towns” alla around Verona come alive with joyful activities amid celebrations: between September and October the farmers collect the ripe grapes, starting the production of the famous local wines: Valpolicella, Recioto, Soave, Amarone, Bardolino, Chiaretto, Lugana, Durello. If you stay at the Colomba d’Oro Hotel and spend a romantic weekend in the center of Verona during this time of the year, you’ll have the opportunity to actively participate in the grape harvest, and to visit some of the most famous wineries. The distance between the center of Verona and the famous Valpolicella valley is short, about twenty minutes by car. There is a variety of guided “wine tours” and organized experiences, individual or in groups, which our reception will be gald to advise you on, also assisting you in booking it if you wish. You will thus have a chance to immerse yourself in the unique experience of walking through the vineyards, assisting in the traditional pressing of the grapes and the production of wine, and, of cours, enjoying tastings.

In addition to the grape harvest, the city of this famous hotel with private parking in Verona offers another extraordinary experience: the Olive Oil harvest. Olive oil is a typically Mediterranean product, mostly produced in southern Italy as well as in Greece and other countries in the region. Verona is an exception: it is the northernmost area in the world where it is possible to grow olive trees, and therefore produce olive oil, thanks to the proximity of Lake Garda which mitigates the climate, making it similar to the Mediterranean climate (although less hot) during some months of the year. Veronese has a very soft flavour, it is delicate and pleasant on the palate, easily digestible and with a fruity aftertaste.

From mid-October you can watch the olive harvest and discover the secrets of traditional pressing in some of the mills that have made the history of this sector. Enjoy a deep dive into the fragrant scents of the olive groves : between Lake Garda, Valpolicella, Valpantena and Val d’Illasi , a guided tour in one of the many local olive oil farms will give you the chance to taste the freshly pressed 2023 « extra virgin » olive oil, and to appreciate its different nuances of taste and aroma.

Verona and the Colomba d’Oro will welcome you with their warmth and their passion for tradition, inviting you to discover the secrets that make fine wines and extra virgin olive oil of Verona unique: the wine grapes and olive harvests are unforgettable experiences that will disclose to you the true spirit of Verona and its land.

If you are looking for the best place where to stay in Verona, your search is over: book a room at the Colomba d’Oro and get ready to live a unique food and wine experience. The Colomba d’Oro is just the perfect home base from which to enjoy all the best of Verona, and almost two centuries it’s been the preferred address in Verona for royalty, captains of industry, opera divas, writers and rockstars (including the latest Maestro Ennio Morricone). We invite you, with our compliments, to add your name to the story: you’ll feel welcomed as a family guest.