Villa Cordevigo pool, ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle

Where to Stay in the Verona Wine Country

Unplugged in Bardolino at Villa Cordevigo

2 min read

My recent Wine Lover’s Guide to Verona stayed within the city, but I feel obliged to share a little advice on where to stay in the Verona wine country, too.

When you roll down the cypress-lined lane of Villa Cordevigo, there is no mistaking where in the world you are: the small hotel’s bright colors and elegantly rough edges are quintessentially Italian.

Located in the Bardolino area but within easy driving distance of Valpolicella Classica and Verona, the property serves as a nice base camp for your enological adventures in the area. The property itself has a winery — Villabella — and beyond the pool and expansive lawn you can stroll through one of the vineyards.

But honestly, we didn’t get too much further than that. My wife and I stayed for one night, and we just wanted to decompress at the end of a long Italian holiday. Villa Cordevigo was ready to oblige.

Upon check-in, we were lead to the elegant terrace which overlooks an Italian garden of trim hedges and greenery. A complimentary glass of Prosecco was set before us, as well as some light noshes. Gurgling fountain, singing birds, no one around … yeah, I could get used to this.

After settling in to our room, we relaxed in the spa (a simple soak in the Turkish bath is included with the stay), we walked the grounds, and we day-dreamed about the pool in summer (which was too cold in October).

At times, the service does feel a little stuffy, particularly at the Michelin-starred Oseleta Restaurant. The waitstaff snaps at attention when you speak, dishes are overly manicured and a bit fussy, and there is a general mood of keeping your hands in your lap at all times. Sometimes, this throwback to the 20th century’s idea of fine dining is fun, but after several days, I imagine it would get suffocating and tiresome.

But the hotel — where you can truly tune out the rest of the world — is a beautiful sanctuary of sanity. For one night, we lived like royalty.

Key to Our Wine Icons

– Practicing Organic
 – Certified Organic
 – Practicing Biodynamic
 – Certified Biodynamic
– Biodiversity
– Polyculture
– Old Vines
– Heroic Viticulture
– Volcanic Soil
– Traditional Winemaking
– Clay Vessel Winemaking
– Family-Operated Winery
– Historic Winery
– Co-operative Winery
– Négociant
– Stay at Winery
– Age-Worthy Wine
– Expensive Wine (+$100)
– Requires Some Searching

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