from £1,450* per person	5 Days	July
Comfort accommodations		Exertion level: 3
Operator: Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours		24 people max

Journey through the wine villages of Valpolicella and on the shores of Lake Garda by day, and experience the glamour of world-class Opera performed in a magical setting by night. You will be tasting the smooth, cherry like Valpolicella, powerful Amarone and be introduced to the “ultimate meditation wine”, Recioto! In Soave, we will be tasting how the Garganega grape can produce world class whites, rather than the flabby wine previously found on supermarket shelves.

We stay in the centre of Verona with it’s magnificent Roman Arena, 14th century Castelvecchio, renaissance buildings and an excellent archaelogical museum. You will have time to enjoy Verona’s Roman and Medieval sites, elegant shops, wine bars and restaurants.

The atmosphere in the arena makes for an unforgettable experience. The performances on the evenings when we are here are Aïda, Don Giovanni, Carmen and Romeo & Juliette. We include a ticket to the Opera of your choice and you can buy other tickets as required at the time of booking (all subject to availability).

The Veneto wine region has struggled historically against the impression of cheap Valpolicella and Soave in basic Italian trattorias. The reality these days is a very different story. Our wine visits are planned to depart mid to late morning, so, after your late night at the opera, there is no rushing for early starts.

On arrival we visit the dynamic Zenato, where we taste great Valpolicellas as well as their complex Lugana Riserva from the shores of Lake Garda. We then head to the pretty lake-side town of Lazise, perhaps to enjoy a gelato or stroll along the lakeside. Next day we lunch at the Valpolicella estate of Count Serego Alighieri, descendant of the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri; these are stunning wines – the power of the Amarones will bowl you over and to finish there is the exquisite Recioto! Also in Valpolicella we are greeted by the welcoming family at the superb Ca La Bionda. We head west to the region of Soave to taste some superb examples of these sadly all too often maligned wines, including the long established top wine estate of Pieropan for incredibly complex wines. There are other interesting local wines too such as Lugana and Prosecco.

For your choice of Opera we include ‘numbered steps’ as these are the best value and in some ways actually the best tickets. These are the central part of the steps (or arena side) and have a fairly direct view of the stage, with a view of the whole arena, good acoustics and a seat which is reserved. The theatre also has un-numbered, unreserved steps (where you have to queue and sit on a cushion); the Poltrone seats on the floor of the Arena (which are comfortable seats but on the flat area) and Poltronissima seats, which are first sector stalls.

After the excitement of the performance your hotel is within a short walking distance of the Arena. Many of the cheaper Verona packages that are sometimes advertised use hotels outside the city, sometimes a considerable, very late night journey by coach. It is a huge advantage to be in the city. You can be back at the hotel quickly after late finishes or you can choose to enjoy a grappa or a gelato on the piazza!