Five autumn wine journeys, five different ways to plan the trip.
The harvest is over, or nearly. The pickers have gone, the cellars are quieter, and the people who make the wine finally have time to pour it and talk about it.
That makes autumn one of the easiest moments to visit a wine region. It also makes it easy to arrive without a plan. Here are five places worth the journey, with one practical note on each.
Showing Pisa.
01
Pisa, 16–18 October. The Terre di Pisa Food & Wine Festival fills Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, a short walk from Pisa Centrale station, and entry to the square is free. This year’s programme leans towards dough and pizza, with wine masterclasses and cooking shows alongside. Some masterclasses and tastings require free advance registration.
Further north, in the Langhe, the Alba White Truffle World Market opens each Saturday and Sunday from 10 October to 6 December. This is Barolo country, so the wine to ask for is Barolo, the structured red of the Langhe hills.
02
On the shore of Lake Neusiedl, six winemakers from Podersdorf, Gols and Mönchhof pour their wines at Camp & Cork on 16 and 17 October, between 3 and 7 pm. Entry is free, and food and drink are paid for on the spot.
Ask for Zweigelt, the signature red of the lake’s vineyards, and for Grüner Veltliner among the whites.
03
Brda sits in the hills against the Italian border, and it is often called the Tuscany of Slovenia. Local wines include Rebula, Malvasia and Refošk, with local pršut and sheep’s cheese on the table beside them.
If you travel through Slovenia, Maribor is worth a detour for one reason: its Old Vine, of the Žametovka variety, is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest vine still bearing grapes.
04
On the third weekend of November, Beaune becomes the centre of Burgundy. The 166th Hospices de Beaune wine auction takes place on Sunday 15 November. The Fête des Grands Vins de Bourgogne follows on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November, alongside cellar tastings across the weekend.
05
Rioja has no single date to circle, and that is its advantage. The grape harvest runs until late October, and the vineyards turn gold.
Haro is the natural base. Its Barrio de la Estación gathers historic wineries around the old railway station, making much of a tasting day possible on foot. Look for Tempranillo, the region’s main grape. In Logroño, the short Calle Laurel holds around 80 bars, built around pinchos and small glasses of wine.
Travelling to taste, not to be organised.
Some of these trips need only a transfer or a room. Others need the whole journey: the train, the stay, the tasting and the way back. Henri Leroux can arrange either. The scope is yours to decide, not ours.
Share your plans
