The Valpolicella Wine Region Climate Patterns

Summers (June-August) are hot, often above thirty degrees on the lower slopes, with afternoon thunderstorms off the mountains.

Winters (December-February) are cool, with frost and occasional snow at the higher end of the valleys, and colder again on the Lessinia plateau above.

The region is sheltered from the north by the Lessini and warmed from the west by Lake Garda, giving it a milder climate than its latitude suggests -- olives grow here.

The autumn condition that matters most is ventilation: dry air moving through the valleys from September onward is what allows grapes to dry on racks for four months without rotting, and a wet, still autumn is a genuine threat to the vintage.