Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A 5-stop route through Italy
The character of this trip
Follow the grape, and stay for lunch
Italy is a thousand local wines that barely leave their own valleys, so the trip that suits it is built around place rather than prestige: a grape you may never have met, a village that makes one thing extremely well, a table the wine was always meant to sit at. The hills set the pace and the roads are slower than the map promises, so plan fewer stops than you think you can manage.
Route length
Stops
5
Total driving
~535 km
Behind the wheel
9h 44min
Worth setting aside
5–7 days
What to expect
Notable producers
- Livio Felluga — One of the region's most respected, long-established estates.
- Josko Gravner — Oslavia; a founding figure of the modern orange-wine revival.
- Venica & Venica — A well-known family estate for Friulano and Sauvignon.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~143 km · 2h 36min to the next stop
From Collio, the route turns toward Conegliano Valdobbiadene. The climate here: moderate, with hill influence.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Bisol — Valdobbiadene; a long-established Prosecco Superiore house, strong in Cartizze.
- Nino Franco — Valdobbiadene; one of the appellation's most respected names.
- Adami — Vidor; known for single-vineyard 'Rive' bottlings.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~106 km · 1h 56min to the next stop
Conegliano Valdobbiadene is Glera country; Soave is Garganega. The drive between them is a change of grape, and the glass changes with it.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Pieropan — The benchmark producer, especially for the single-vineyard La Rocca.
- Gini — A leading Classico estate on old vines.
- Suavia — A small family estate on the appellation's higher ground.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~43 km · 47 min to the next stop
The route continues from Soave to Valpolicella, and the climate shifts underfoot: moderate, with lake influence.
Notable producers
- Giuseppe Quintarelli — Negrar; the grower most credited with Amarone's modern reputation.
- Romano Dal Forno — Illasi; intensely concentrated, expensive, modern-style Amarone.
- Allegrini — Fumane; a leading, widely available Valpolicella and Amarone house.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~243 km · 4h 25min to the next stop
Leaving Valpolicella behind, the road reaches Gavi — moderate continental, with maritime influence.
What to expect
Notable producers
- La Scolca — Gavi; the family estate behind Gavi dei Gavi, long a benchmark for the appellation.
- Broglia (Tenuta La Meirana) — Gavi; a large historic estate with a leading reputation for Gavi di Gavi.
- Villa Sparina — Monterotondo di Gavi; a well-regarded estate with hillside vineyards.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.