Autumn among vineyards and tastings

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• In the book “Where and when.

  Europe";

  and in the guides 'En route through France' and 'En route through Spain and Portugal'

With the beginning of autumn, the harvest season also begins, a good excuse to travel being guided by the senses, enjoy the unique landscapes of the wine-growing areas and discover what lies behind the production of the most famous wines in Europe.

The sensory experience of wine tourism is completed, in most cases, with cultural visits, hiking trails and other proposals that are usually organized around the wineries.

Here are ten very tempting proposals.

1. Porto and the Douro (Portugal)

An intoxicating cruise

The Douro Valley (Duero) is one of the corners of Europe most closely linked to wine production.

Protected by Unesco since 2001 for its "cultural landscape of extraordinary beauty, a faithful reflection of the technical, social and economic evolution of the region", it is

regions

In fact, the Portuguese Denominaçao de Origem Controlada (DOC) system is one of the oldest known: it certified the origin of the wine 200 years before the French started their AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contôlée), in force since 1935 A boat trip on the most important river in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula allows you to admire the rural landscapes, fabulous in autumn, when the sun is still hot and the ripe grapes turn golden.

Every so often the traditional

(cargo ships that formerly transported the port wine barrels), small villages covered with tiles and many quintas (wineries) that offer tastings

burst onto the shore

.

Rabelos, traditional Porto boats formerly used to transport wine barrels, moored in Vila Nova de Gaia, in front of the city of Porto.

By Eve Livesey GETTY IMAGES

On the hills of the mouth of the Douro is the historic city of Porto, established by the Romans and today the second most populated city in Portugal.

The

, with its narrow streets and colorful houses, is a must, as well as the neighboring district of

that looks out on the opposite bank, full of wineries where the famous wine is made and tasted from Porto.

An irresistible travel plan in autumn can be to spend a few days in Porto and then embark on a week-long cruise to culminate in

, the natural border with Spain, a two-hour drive from Salamanca.

Although it may seem otherwise, many times the best sites in the Portuguese Douro Valley are not by the river: you have to go through the roads that start at the piers to find extraordinary corners.

Another highly recommended way to explore the area is to board the train that runs through the valley.

Known as

, most of its route follows the course of the Douro River to enter the tiered vineyards of the Porto-producing region.

It is considered one of the most scenic train trips in Europe.

Panoramic view of Orvieto (Umbria).

Zoonar / Konstantin Kalishko ALAMY

2. Umbria (Italy)

Local delicacies among vineyards

Autumn in the Italian region of Umbria (center of the country) could not be more productive.

Also known as

of the transalpine country for its green hills and dense forests, this quiet region borders the more touristy Tuscany, being equally beautiful and generous at this time of year.

And it not only allows us to do wine tourism and enjoy its vineyards in full harvest, but also to accompany it with other seasonal gastronomic products.

Its rolling hills and walled towns high in the hills, such as

are bathed in a golden light that attracts more and more tourists.

Their tables abound with local products:

,

(new oil).

Also a variety of

(game)

fill the cards, including

(wild boar) and

(pheasant).

And when the harvest is in full swing, it is time to follow the wine trails of

(a variety of Italian grape native to Umbria), through terroirs and medieval villages where you can do tastings.

Another attraction in this wild and mountainous region is chocolate.

From October 16 to 25, 2020, the capital of the province,

will host the

, a celebration of everything related to cocoa, where the star is the

or chocolate and hazelnut bonbon from the city.

Nine intense days in which the medieval and Renaissance center, with its palaces and noble squares, will be filled with workshops and tastings.

Although Perugia has a small airport, most of the tourists it receives arrive from other nearby points, such as Florence and Pisa.

Renting a car is highly recommended if you want to explore the area and visit places like

, with a Roman amphitheater and exquisite frescoed churches, medieval

and

, the birthplace of the founder of the Franciscan Order.

To enjoy the harvest and the authentic rural flavor of the area, it is necessary to stay in an agritourism, independent accommodation within operating farms.

The church of the town of Ville-Dommange stands out among the vilages of the French region of Champagna.

Getty Images

3. Champagne (France)

The luxury of sparkling wines

To live an effervescent autumn you have to go to Champagne.

This vine-covered region of northern France shows its best in October, when you can combine tastings from renowned brands - Dom Perignon, Moët et Chandon, Krug and Taittinger, among others - with visits to

wineries

.

At that time of year, the harvest is coming to an end, so independent winemakers from small farms have time to attend visits.

In addition, the colors of the landscape are constantly evolving, staining the fields in fabulous rust and gold tones.

Champagne consists of five main regions.

Historic

, with its magnificent cathedral and basilica, is the best starting point to enter the Montagne de Reims natural park

a mountainous massif covered with vineyards where you can taste full-bodied champagnes.

This is where the Mumm house is located, founded in 1827 and which has become the world's third largest producer of champagne.

You can visit its huge cellars with

.

And in neighboring

you can walk along

and explore the

and the

, which dominates

, grape variety green skin used to make white wine.

Epernay is a thriving city that calls itself the

.

And he is right, since it is home to some of the most illustrious winemakers in the region, such as Moët et Chandón and Mercier.

Under its streets there are 110 kilometers of underground cellars in which some 200 million bottles of champagne are accumulated.

From Troyes, the former capital of Champagne-Ardenne, you can access the lesser-known vineyards of

and

.

Another essential reference is

: it was here that the Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon made champagne for the first time at the end of the 16th century.

We can find his grave in the church that presides over the labyrinth of alleys and wooden houses in the center of town.

It's easy to get to Reims from Paris, just 45 minutes by train, or to Epernay, a little further south.

What is not so easy is driving between wineries, although it has its charm.

The alternative is a guided tour, and since the offer is almost infinite there will never be a problem in finding one that fits our tastes.

Of course, it is convenient to have a good breakfast to prepare the stomach for a series of tastings that you know when they start (around 10 in the morning) but almost never when they finish.

enlarge photo The central square of the Hungarian town of Tokaj.

Richard Semik ALAMY

4. Tokaj (Hungary)

The wine of the kings

This wine region in the northeast corner of Hungary was added to the UNESCO list of historical cultural landscapes in 2002

one of the few wine regions with this distinction.

A mix of extinct volcanoes, forested slopes, small towns, wine cellars with character and extensive vineyards.

Since the 15th century, sweet and golden wines have been produced in this corner of Eastern Europe with aszu (dry) grapes, as well as exquisite apple-dried whites.

From the picturesque village of

, the gateway to this wine region, you can visit various

(private wineries).

The size of the

600-year-old

winery is surprising

;

is one of the most beautiful vineyards in Hungary, where the tasting is accompanied by magnificent views.

At the

, in the village of Tolcsva, you can taste the very sweet and syrupy

, made from aszu grapes, to which magical properties are attributed.

As a complement to the oenological excursion, the area offers cycling, hiking and horse riding, as well as boat trips between mountains.

From Budapest there are trains that connect in four hours with the city of

, on the banks of the Tiszaa River.

The Marqués de Riscal winery stands out on the horizon of the Alava town of Elciego.

JUAN CARLOS MUÑOZ ALAMY

5. La Rioja

With the aroma of tempranillo

In a list of possible trips between vineyards, La Rioja, the Spanish autonomous community with the name of wine (or is it the wine that bears the name of the area?) Cannot be missing.

Be that as it may, in the 5,000 square kilometers of this province in the north of the Iberian Peninsula there are up to

from which a wine with great international projection is extracted.

The vineyards form strips in the steep Ebro valley, which flourishes among the traces of ancient settlers, with

.

It is a relaxed place rich in history where you absolutely have to have a drink.

In autumn, in the middle of the harvest, the air thickens with the fermentation of the grapes, and the vines acquire a golden amber hue.

It is time to attend the tastings;

venerable classic wineries are grouped around Haro (Rioja Alta);

La Rioja Alavesa is more current, and the design of some of its wineries is the work of architects such as Frank Gehry and Santiago Calatrava.

And in Logroño there are many pinchos bars, ideal for savoring the local wines.

A good route can start with a visit to the wineries of Haro (Martínez Lacuesta, Ramón Bilbao or Muga) and

, to the east, and go

de Logroño, one of the places with the highest concentration of tapas bars from all over Spain.

When you return, you can stop in medieval Laguardia, under the Sierra de Cantabria;

the Ysios winery, designed by Calatrava and shaped like a wave, is nearby.

With its

, it mimics that of the mountains looming behind it.

Another of the most visited and surprising wineries is in

: the spectacular Marqués de Riscal winery, designed by Frank Gehry, an extravagant wave of titanium leaves in the middle of the vineyards.

And one more among the essentials: that of Dinastía Vivanco, in Briones,

in this picturesque town that is already part of the global wine tourism map.

The Abbaye de Fontenay, in Burgundy (France).

loren file ALAMY

6. Burgundy (France)

Pedal getaway among ancient vineyards

In the east of France, this region associated with its wine boasts of being one of the most photogenic in the country.

There is a route with great tradition, the Route des Grands Crus, which visits its most famous wineries and allows you to taste the wines in their historic surroundings.

Autumn is undoubtedly the best time to visit it, when the most diverse tones color its landscapes.

Life is pleasant between reds and whites in Burgundy;

To be exact,

and

, the two grape varieties that predominate in the oldest wine region in France, whose industry began to flourish in times of Roman occupation.

Season

(vintage) is perfect for exploring its rolling hills, time when ideal conditions are also given for pedaling by the Tour de Bourgogne.

This cycling route includes some 800 kilometers of

(traffic-free greenways), towpaths along canals and quiet rural tracks that link the most attractive points of the region: the medieval center of

the spectacular Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices de Beaune;

the former monastic complex of the Abbaye de Fontenay and the castles of Ancy-le-Franc and Tanlay.

If the entire circuit is too long, you can choose a section: perhaps part of the 240-kilometer flat section along the

, or the 206-

kilometer section of

the

, between

and

.

We can also do only the stage more focused on wine: the

route

between

and

(22 kilometers).

The gateway to Burgundy are Dijon, Auxerre and Mâcon, which have a train station.

It takes two weeks to do the whole Tour de Bourgogne.

Especially interesting is the Grande Traversée du Morvan, a 330-kilometer adventure for experienced cyclists, among the green peaks and valleys of the Morvan Regional Nature Park.

go by bicycle or motorized, you have to make an obligatory stop in

, a small but famous town because this is where nine of the 32

(the most distinguished Burgundy wines) are produced.

And a little further south is the castle of Clos de Vougeot, considered the cradle of Burgundy wines.

In the 16th century it arose in association with the nearby Citeaux Abbey, and for centuries the monks used it to store and make their wines.

You can also stop at

with dozens of wineries and an impeccable interactive wine museum, or in the charming little town of

, surrounded by vineyards and wineries.

The German town of Cochem, bathed by the waters of the Moselle, a tributary of the Rhine. Getty Images

7. Moselle Valley (Germany)

Wine tourism with a German accent

The Moselle, a tributary of the Rhine, cuts through Germany with its vine-covered banks and ridges topped by fairytale fortifications.

This mighty river is much like the Rhine, but with no cargo ships and fewer tourists.

In

, a city with Roman remains near the border with Luxembourg, the Moselle begins its journey winding between cities with medieval castles such as

,

,

and

before joining the Rhine at

.

The best way to get to know the Moselle is by bike.

As you pedal along the river, you will see villages of half-timbered houses and many old wineries that offer hearty dishes washed down with fine wines.

It's an

ride with wide, well-paved, traffic-free bike paths that follow the course of the Moselle, often on both banks.

The complete cycle route between Thionville (already in France) and Koblenz is 275 kilometers and both ends are accessible by train.

Until the end of October there are regular boats that connect towns along the Moselle several times a day, in which bikes can also be embarked for a supplement.

One of the great attractions of the route is its beginning in Trier, as it is the oldest city in Germany and a World Heritage Site for its

, the most important in the country, which includes some labyrinthine imperial baths and a basilica of the 4th century.

Between Lugo and Ourense, the Ribeira Sacra bursts in, with its traditional vineyards on the Miño river.

percds Getty Images

8. The Ribeira Sacra (Lugo and Ourense)

A feat reserved for heroes

Autumn paints the Ribeira Sacra with suggestive colors.

The courses of the

and the

run to meet them, and in that advance they have drilled huge navigable gorges up to 500 meters high, creating a lush landscape in which many monasteries were concentrated during the Middle Ages (until they became known as the

).

Today this place is dedicated to the wine grown on its dizzying slopes.

The area can even be traveled by catamaran as it is placid waters, since the flow of both rivers is regulated by reservoirs.

The route that runs through the Miño starts from

;

Those that run through the Sil and its canyons, meanwhile, set sail from

and

.

To admire all the grandeur of the landscape, it is advisable to complete the hiking trail of the Mao River Canyon

16-kilometer climb that passes through an ancient necropolis and several villages. 

But nothing comparable to the effort of the grape pickers of the Ribeira Sacra, who collect the grapes by hand on terraces with slopes of between 30% and 80% of inclination, at an altitude of more than 500 meters above sea level.

Attending the grape harvest is a spectacle: men and women climb the canyons of the rivers, some arrived in boats, and carry the baskets that are dragged down the hillside on inclined metal rails.

The viticulture in this area is (and so it is called) heroic.

Among the historical places where we can make a stop are

,

or

, all of them with good wineries where you can have some wines or taste their gastronomy.

And there is one last attraction that the Ribeira hides:

.

Almost all of them can be reached by car, although the ideal is to complete the last section on foot.

The views that can be seen from the canyons of the Sil River are like another world: kilometers and kilometers of steep walls full of vineyards that date back to Roman times and, down there, as if it were a small tongue of crystalline water, the river.

Codorniú brand cava wineries in Penedés (Barcelona).

JORDI CAMÍ ALAMY

9. Penedés (Barcelona)

Cold cellar and modernist buildings

Travel between hills covered with vineyards and wineries, pair good wines with tapas and cheese, and learn about local varieties and the terroir.

All this under a glorious blue sky and a Mediterranean sun tastes even better.

The Penedés denomination encompasses more than

west of Barcelona.

Famous for its cava, large firms such as Freixenet and Codorniú are concentrated here, along with smaller producers.

It's easy to combine tasting with relaxing on the sand: Sitges is just 20 kilometers south of attractive

, in the heart of the region, and beautiful beaches such as Garraf and Castelldefels are just a stone's throw away.

Vilafranca is the epicenter of the Penedès Denomination of Origin, an attractive historic city with narrow streets and medieval mansions.

It does not lack a museum dedicated to wine cultures, located in a Gothic building, and wineries as representative as Torres, the most relevant in the area, with a history that dates back to the 17th century.

The other place with the name of wine is

, where some of the best sparkling wines of the Penedès come from.

It is the capital of cava and the headquarters of historical firms of this business such as Codorniú, which has a beautiful modernist winery designed by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, or Freixenet, the largest producer of cava in Penedès, whose visit includes a tour by tourist train around the property and a tasting of their wines.

Vineyards in Monforte D'Alba, in the Italian region of Piedmont, where Barolo wine has a designation of origin.

Buena Vista Images Getty Images

10. Vineyards of the Langue (Piedmont, Italy)

Vineyards for 'gourmets'

One of the most surprising regions for lovers of good drinking (and good food) is Piedmont (north-western Italy), and more specifically the area of ​​the Langue vineyards, which seem like a perfect getaway from Turin, capital of the region.

Here

, with many wineries, large and small, that have been weaving a network for wine tourism.

For example, in

and

, two towns very close to each other but with different microclimates that give rise to very different wines.

We can try them in the charming Enoteca Regionale de Barbaresco, inside a church.

Or in the nearby town of Neive, in the Bottega dei Quatro Vini.

Barolo is the center of this region and gives its name (as it is grown and made here) to one of the best Italian reds.

The

dominates this town and today houses a wine museum.

The perfect complement to a trip through the Langue vineyards is to taste the rest of its gastronomic delicacies, such as

, which are served in many specialties, and especially the

, whose capital is

, where they make the famous truffle fair (every weekend in autumn) its big festival.

And in the refined city of

(a kind of Turin in miniature) they show off their

and their

in November.

In addition, the entire region is full of osterias where

can feel in paradise.

The dessert, yes, it is better to reserve it for Turin, where the first solid chocolate was invented and is one of the world capitals of cocoa.

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