A sacred temple of wine. One of the oldest locals in Italian history, the adventure of the Bottega began in the 1500s, during the dominion of the Serenissima Republic of Venice with the name of Osteria lo Scudo di Francia due to its proximity to the then French consulate.

During the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the eighteenth century, it changed its name to Osteria la Biedemeier and in 1890, run by the Sterzi brothers, it became “Bottega del Vino“. In 1957 it was purchased by the Rizzo – Grigolo family, who transformed it into a restaurant and, thanks to its manager Silvano Piacentini, began to enrich the cellar with international wines. Finally, in 1987 it was bought by Severino Barzan and Giovanni Pascucci until 2010 when the ownership passed to the association Famiglie dell’Amarone d’Arte.

The interiors, unchanged for over 150 years, proudly exhibit every year of the Bottega’s history among ancient bottles and wall art aphorisms about the art of drinking. The list of the local’s regulars is really long: from Umberto Boccioni to Ernest Hemingway, from the Queen of Holland to Hillary Clinton and who knows how many secrets its ancient walls keep, witnesses of some of the most important political and artistic meetings in history.

Today it is thanks to the historic families of Valpolicella, wine entrepreneurs among the most important in Italy – Allegrini, Begali, Brigaldara, Guerrieri Rizzardi, Masi, Musella, Speri, Tedeschi, Tenuta Sant’Antonio, Tommasi, Venturini, Zenato – that the Bottega continues to promote the best Veronese traditions.

Its wonderful wine cellar, one of the most beautiful in the world and the most important in Veneto, counts 14 thousand labels from 5 continents and about 120 wines available daily by the glass. Among its treasures, the best bottles of Amarone, precious spirits like Cognac AEDOR Reserve n. 5 1840 Excellence (worth 50,000 euros), the best Burgundy production, and noteworthy vintages of Château Mouton Rothschild. Not surprisingly, from 1996 to 2003 the Bottega obtained the prestigious “Wine Spectator Excellence” award and from 2004 to 2015 the “Wine Spectator Grand Award”.

In addition to tasting wines, the Bottega is also the perfect place to taste the best of the Veronese culinary tradition, from risotto with Amarone to bigoli pasta with duck source. You can book in one of the elegant rooms in the restaurant area or, for a truly unforgettable dinner, the suggestive table located in the cellar alcoves that can seat up to 10 people.

The Secret

From 2004 until 2015, an exact replica of the Bottega was located between Fifth and Fifty-ninth streets, in NY. Today closed, it has been for years the oversea testimony of the importance that Italian wines have at an international level.

Useful Info

Bottega del Vino
Via Scudo di Francia 3
37121 Verona
Tel. +39 045 8004535