Zeni, the whole Veronese palette from rosé to Amarone
9 bottles, from lakeside rosé to great AmaroneA lively rosé for aperitifs, an everyday red, an Amarone for special occasions, a sweet wine to end the meal: the whole Verona palette comes under a single signature here. The Zeni family has been making wine since 1870 in Bardolino, on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, and works the neighbouring appellations of Soave and Valpolicella.
The common thread of the range is appassimento, grapes left to dry before being pressed. It links the Ripasso, the Amarone and the Recioto, and helps you choose from the freshest to the most concentrated.
Zeni - Soave Classico Vigne Alte 2023
An identity and mineral wine from the Soave terroir
Zeni - Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023
Complexity, finesse and roundness, this wine is a wonderful foretaste of Amarones.
Zeni - Bardolino Chiaretto Classico "Vigne Alte" 2025
A gastronomic rosé, with gourmet flavors of red fruits
Zeni - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico "Vigne Alte" 2019
A haute couture Amarone with a seductive and intense aromatic palette
Zeni - Valpolicella Classico 2024
A fresh, elegant expression of Valpolicella, revealing crisp fruit, fine tannins and great drinkability.
Zeni - Recioto della Valpolicella Classico "Vigne Alte" 2022
A Recioto della Valpolicella combining freshness and aromatic concentration
Zeni - Cruino Rosso Veronese 2022
Coming from pure Venetian tradition, an Amarone that doesn't say its name!
Zeni - Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2024
A fresh and mineral Pinot Grigio
Zeni - Corvina Veronese 2020
A pure expression of Corvina, the king grape variety of Veneto
From freshest to most concentrated
Read the range like a staircase: the longer the grapes have dried before pressing, the more substance, alcohol and ageing potential the wine gains.
| Tier | The wine | What it brings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crisp white | Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2024pinot grigio | Freshness and clean fruit, the aperitif white | €10.90 a bottle, or €10.35 in lots of 3 |
| Terroir white | Soave Classico Vigne Alte 2023garganega, chardonnay, trebbiano | White flowers, pear, saline finish | €12.50 a bottle |
| Lakeside rosé | Bardolino Chiaretto Classico Vigne Alte 2025corvina, rondinella | Strawberry, redcurrant, mouth-watering acidity | €12.15 a bottle |
| Fresh-harvest red | Valpolicella Classico 2024corvina, rondinella | Crunchy cherry, fine tannins, served cool | €12.50 a bottle |
| Re-passed over the pomace | Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023corvina, rondinella, molinara | Roundness and spice, a foretaste of Amarone | €22.50 a bottle, €48.00 for the magnum |
| Dried grapes, single variety | Cruino Rosso Veronese 2021corvina grossa | Ripe fruit and breadth, aged in oak barrels | €39.90 a bottle |
| Dried grapes, dry wine | Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigne Alte 2019corvina, rondinella, molinara | Candied fruit, cocoa, great length | €48.00 a bottle |
| Dried grapes, sweet wine | Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Vigne Alte 2022corvina, rondinella, molinara, oseleta | Black cherry, natural sweetness, freshness | €49.50 a bottle |
The Ripasso, the Cruino, the Amarone and the Recioto all owe their density to dried grapes. Find other producers in the Amarone section.
Ageing, serving and pairings
Another way to choose: how long to wait before opening the bottle, at what temperature to serve it and with which dish.
| Style | Ageing | Serving | Dinner's ready |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whites (Soave, Pinot Grigio) | 1 to 5 years | 8 à 10 °C | Lake fish, asparagus risotto, fried fish |
| Chiaretto rosé | 1 to 5 years | 8 à 10 °C | Antipasti, salade niçoise, summer cooking |
| Valpolicella Classico | 1 to 5 years | 14 à 15 °C | Cold cuts, pizza, tomato pasta |
| Ripasso and Cruino | 10 years and more | 16 °C | Amarone risotto, braised meats, polenta |
| Amarone | 20 years and over | 16–18 °C, decanted for an hour | Game, braised beef, mature Parmesan |
| Recioto | 20 years and over | 14 à 16 °C | Pandoro, chocolate tart, blue cheeses |
To compare with other houses from the same valley, open the Valpolicella section.
A Zeni bottle for every mood
Start with the occasion, and the bottle will follow.
An aperitif by the lake
Bardolino's historic rosé, pale and mouth-watering, with notes of strawberry and redcurrant, for summer evenings and market-fresh cooking.
Bardolino Chiaretto Classico Vigne Alte 2025, €12.15 a bottleA white for fish
Garganega from the hills of Soave, floral and mineral, made for grilled fish, fried fish and vegetable risottos.
Soave Classico Vigne Alte 2023, €12.50 a bottleThe everyday red
A light, fruity Valpolicella, to serve slightly chilled with pizza, pasta or a charcuterie board among friends.
Valpolicella Classico 2024, €12.50 a bottleTaste Amarone for less
Re-passed over Amarone pomace, this Ripasso gains roundness and spice. The magnum is ideal for festive gatherings.
Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023, €22.50 a bottle, €48.00 for the magnumA grand winter table
A dry, deep Amarone, with candied fruit and cocoa, for game, braised meats or an aged Parmesan.
Amarone Classico Vigne Alte 2019, €48.00 a bottleEnd the meal gently
Valpolicella's historic sweet wine, made from dried grapes, for a chocolate dessert or a blue cheese.
Recioto Classico Vigne Alte 2022, €49.50 a bottleAll of the Veneto
Prosecco, Soave, Valpolicella and other producers from the region: extend your visit to the rest of the Veneto wine country.
Veneto sectionThe Corvina grape
The grape behind Chiaretto, Valpolicella and Amarone, seen through other Veronese estates.
Corvina section
Appassimento, the key to reading the range
In Valpolicella, some of the finest bunches are picked by hand and laid on racks in ventilated lofts for three to four months. The grapes lose their water, and the sugars and aromas become concentrated. Pressed in winter, they give Amarone when fermentation runs its full course, and Recioto when it is stopped to keep some sugar.
Ripasso benefits from this work indirectly: Valpolicella is put back in contact with the Amarone pomace and starts fermenting again. Cruino applies the same method to Corvina Grossa on its own, for a broad red outside the appellation rules. Start with the Ripasso, then move up a tier.
Bardolino, Soave, Valpolicella
Three neighbouring appellations around Verona. Bardolino follows the morainic hills of Lake Garda, with a climate softened by the water. Valpolicella occupies the valleys north of the city, between limestone and basalt. Soave stretches to the east, on volcanic soils where Garganega reigns. For other whites from this area, see the Soave section.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What people ask us about Zeni
Which Zeni wine should you start with?
To discover the house, take two bottles that answer each other: the Valpolicella Classico 2024, a fresh red at €12.50 a bottle, and the Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023 at €22.50. That way you taste the same valley before and after its pass over the Amarone pomace, and you will know whether Amarone itself appeals to you.
What is the difference between Ripasso and Amarone?
Amarone is made from grapes dried for several months before pressing: it is concentrated, powerful and built for long ageing. Ripasso is a Valpolicella re-passed over the Amarone pomace, which gives it roundness and spice at a gentler price. At Zeni, allow €22.50 a bottle for the Ripasso and €48.00 for the Amarone.
Is Recioto a sweet wine?
Yes. Recioto della Valpolicella starts from the same dried grapes as Amarone, but fermentation is stopped to keep some of the natural sugar. The wine stays fresh thanks to the acidity of Corvina. Serve it at around 15 °C with a chocolate dessert or a blue cheese. It costs €49.50 for a 75 cl bottle.
What is Cruino?
Cruino Rosso Veronese is a cuvée of Corvina Grossa, a large-berried Veronese grape long confused with Corvina. The grapes dry for a few months on trays, as for an Amarone, then the wine is aged in oak barrels. It is sold under the Rosso Veronese label, which is less restrictive than the appellation. Allow €39.90 a bottle.
What is Bardolino Chiaretto?
It is the rosé of Bardolino, on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, made from Corvina and Rondinella after a short maceration. It is pale, lively and fruity, with notes of strawberry and redcurrant. Zeni's version, the Chiaretto Classico Vigne Alte 2025, costs €12.15 a bottle and is best drunk in its first years.
How long can you keep an Amarone?
Zeni's Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigne Alte 2019 keeps for twenty years and more in a cool, dark cellar. It is already open today, provided you decant it an hour before serving. The Ripasso and the Cruino keep for around ten years; the whites, the rosé and the Valpolicella Classico are best drunk within five years.
Can you buy these wines individually or in lots?
All the Zeni bottles shown here can be bought individually. The Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2024 also comes in a lot of 3: it then works out at €10.35 a bottle, compared with €10.90 individually. The Ripasso Superiore Marogne 2023 is available in magnum, at €48.00 for 1.5 litres, for large gatherings.
Which Zeni wine should you serve with fish?
The Soave Classico Vigne Alte 2023, at €12.50 a bottle, is the first choice: Garganega from volcanic soils gives a floral, clean, saline white, perfect with grilled fish or fried lake fish. For a spicier dish or a bouillabaisse, the Chiaretto rosé holds its own very well at the table, served well chilled.
What should you pair with an Amarone risotto?
Veronese tradition says you serve at the table the wine used in the cooking, but a Ripasso does the job very well and spares your budget. Pour a glass of Ripasso Superiore Marogne into the risotto at the end of cooking and serve the rest with it, at around 16 °C. Keep the Amarone for braised meat or an aged Parmesan.