Verona is a city on the Adige River in the Veneto region of Italy. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region and is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy because of its artistic heritage, with shows and opera, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, a Roman amphitheatre. It also hosts annual trade fairs such as VinItaly. It is no surprise Verona is dubbed ‘Italy’s front yard’.

History: Between the 13th and 14th century the city was ruled by the Della Scala family, as evinced in numerous monuments and the town walls around Verona, financed by the prosperity the family generated–Cangrande I della Scala in particular (one of the main entrances to the buildings which hosts the VinItaly trade show in Verona bear the Cangrande name).

Gastronomy: Nadalin is a typical Christmas cake from Verona invented in the thirteenth century to celebrate Verona’s first birth under the rule of the della Scala family. It is also the ancestor of the more famous pandoro, invented in the nineteenth century. Compared to the latter, Nadalin, despite having similar ingredients, is less buttery and fragrant, but more compact and sweet. The shape is also different: if in fact the pandoro has a regular standard star shape and is very high, the Nadalin instead is much lower and does not have a very precise shape, but often it is a star like the pandoro, but outlined in less precise, or dome like a very low panettone. Many Veronese prefer the Nadalin to pandoro because it as a stronger link to the tradition of the city, since pandoro has become a national dessert, this is how Nadalin best expresses the origins and traditions of Verona.

From the plains comes a type of rice called ‘vialone’ used for ‘risi e bisi’ or rice and peas, riso al baccalà, riso al radicchio etc.

Wineries

No certification : Cantina Valpantena Verona.