Geography of Valpolicella and the prime growing areas of Amarone

Valpolicella is fairly large, but not too large—approximately 8,600 hectares of vineyards. By comparison, Chianti has 72,000 hectares, but it’s also true that other renowned appellations, such as Barolo and Montalcino, have far fewer: 1,800 for the former and 3,500 for the latter.

Five main valleys make up this wine-growing region, stretching from the Po Valley to the Lessinia Mountains, ranging from 50 meters above sea level in the center of Verona to 600 meters at the highest vineyards. This vast difference in elevation is clearly reflected in the wines: those from the valley floor are fuller-bodied with less acidity, while the wines from the high hills are more vertical, with great expressiveness and crisp fruit. Contrada Palui is among the high-hill wineries, with vineyards at 500 meters on the crest of a ridge.

Historically, the grapes for Amarone were grown exclusively in hillside vineyards, as these were easier to manage from a disease-control perspective due to better ventilation. The “fruttai”—the buildings where the grapes are dried for months—were built on the hillsides specifically to take advantage of the thermal winds that carry warm air from the plain up along the slopes, helping to dry and thus shrivel the grapes.