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From our editorial team
When the sun is lower in the sky and the light spreads over the hills in a golden colour, one of the most beautiful seasons begins in Italy. The grape harvest brings life to the villages.
Italy is a different country in autumn. Less postcards, more everyday life. The markets are full of figs, chestnuts and fresh bread, the wineries are full of tastings, celebrations and stories. This is the time when you don't travel the country, but experience it - with a glass of wine in your hand and a sense of arrival. Seven regions that are particularly beautiful for this:
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Tuscany - between wine and history
Of course: Tuscany remains the heart of Italian viticulture. Between Florence, Siena and Montalcino, Chianti and Brunello ripen, classics that never lose their vigour. In autumn, the hills are quiet, the taverns are warm and the locals celebrate the harvest with open doors. Travelling through this landscape, you can smell earth, herbs and wood fires - the scent of a land that knows its time.
Piedmont - fog and the scent of truffles
When the mist hangs over the hills of Alba, the Barolo season begins in Piedmont. The wines are full-bodied, the cuisine elegant. In the cellars it smells of wood, outside of truffles. It's a quiet luxury that you find here - one that doesn't want to prove anything, just stay.
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South Tyrol - White wine with a view
The vines grow on sunny terraces between the Alps and the Dolomites. The Gewürztraminer smells of flowers, the Lagrein of dark berries. At "Törggelen", guests and locals sit together, drink young wine and eat dumplings, speck and chestnuts. Autumn in South Tyrol is a festival without a stage - simple and honest.
Venice in the autumn mist - the quiet beauty of the lagoon
Veneto - Prosecco and Amarone
From the hills of Prosecco to the cellars around Verona, Veneto shows just how diverse wine can be. Here the north is sparkling, there it is velvety and deep. In October, Verona celebrates the Hostaria festival - the city is transformed into one big wine tasting weekend. And if you prefer peace and quiet, head to Lake Garda and watch the leaves glow.
Umbria - the green heart of Italy in gold
Umbria is Tuscany's quiet neighbour. Between Spello, Assisi and Montefalco, the olive groves glow in autumn. The Sagrantino, a dark, powerful red wine, suits this landscape: down-to-earth and unconventional. Here you can discover the Italy that doesn't draw attention to itself.
Apulia - Sun in a glass
In the south of Italy, where the days stay light for longer, some of the country's warmest wines are produced. Primitivo and Negroamaro tell tales of sun and earth, wind and sea. Many wineries open their doors to visitors - people drink, talk, laugh and music is playing somewhere. Wine is not an issue here, but part of life.
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Sicily - Wine from the volcano
Sicily is a world of its own. Vines grow on the slopes of Mount Etna in black soil, criss-crossed by lava and light. The wines are mineral, distinctive and clear - just like the island itself. In the evening, the sky turns pink and the smell of oranges and the sea lingers over the coast.
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