Tuscany in the autumn fall? When summer disappears in autumn, and tourists thirsty for heat and summer hustle and bustle, they return home, Tuscany changes its face. Ripe grapes are harvested and closed in vats, ripe olives are laughing at the trees, before the end of October they end up in a squeezer. In the woods, and on the stalls appear, Tuscan porcini so prized by fungus gourmets, and the sunburnt soil by the summer sun, freshly plowed and sown with winter cereal, it delights with the unique color of the smoked Sienna, until the first sprouts grow and cover the fields with lush greenery. I come and see Tuscany, this autumn, which delighted me a few years ago, but during the last trip, it totally stole my heart.
Tuscany in autumn – why is it worth going there?
I love Tuscany during autumn and in this post, I will show you why – despite a shorter day and more rainfall – it’s worth visiting in September, October and even in November. Beautiful colors, milder sun, ripe grapes and olives, a wealth of mushrooms, lower prices and fewer tourists. Sounds tempting?
In this words about Tuscany in the low-season, says Łukasz Janowski from the Tuscany Forever resort, beautifully situated in the hills at the foot of Volterra.
“In contrast to the hot and busy summer period, Tuscany is best to visit in early spring and autumn. In summer, the region is full of tourists and Tuscan gems such as Siena, Pisa, and Florence, raise prices to earn more. The air is dry and hot, it’s hard to breathe, and because they stay at the seaside is an escape from it, the beaches are bustling and crowded. Especially in the dry years, fires and drought can occur, and then the idyllic green turns into sunburnt soil. In April and May, noticeable temperatures are very pleasant, the fields begin to bloom, and the air smells of flowers. You can even use the pools! In turn, September is a great time to visit vineyards or olive groves, and some of them allow you to enjoy the observation of the harvest on “live”. Prices are the lowest in the year, tourists are less, while commercial events give way to regional festivals and cultural events. Really worth.”
Tuscany in autumn – Smoked Sienna
Smoked Sienna is a shade colour of warm brown, which has freshly plowed soil in the areas surrounding Tuscan Siena – Terre di Siena. Autumn is the season of the year when you can admire smoked Sienna in all its glory. It looks very much in contrast to the rows of dark green cypresses growing on winding roads, and vine groves, whose leaves from the lush greenery slowly turn into yellow and red. Also, the sun, weaker, falling under a sharper angle than summer, juicy green that stands out in the freshly sown fields and the effect makes you dizzy. Val d’Orcia, Chianti, Val di Cecina. See how beautiful it is!
Where to look for places from which you can photograph the most beautiful Tuscan panoramas? I recommend an original series of posts about viewpoints in Tuscany, where you will find all the information you need, along with travel details.
Tuscany – the most beautiful view points in the Val d’Orcia. Part 2
Tuscany in the autumn – weather
Twice I visited Tuscany in autumn, in 2017 in the first half of September, in 2014 at the end of September. Besides, I watch weather forecasts every year and follow your reports and travel reports carefully. The beginning of September this year was a bit capricious and abounded with showers, and on the night of 9th to 10th of September, there was a very strong storm that led to local flooding and road washing. The second half of September was definitely better, while October abounded with the sun and temperatures during the day oscillating within + 20 °C. Three years ago at the end of September I had a beautiful sun, but on one day there was a strong and very cold wind, which you cannot see in the pictures, but I still remember how I dreamed about the cap, and probably the hood of wearing jacket saved me from a flu. Such colors, as in the picture below, I admired when I was hiding from the cold. That’s why you must pack two jackets. One thinner, for a cooler day, e.g. denim, and the other insulated, such for a transitional season between autumn and winter. I also remember very well the November 1st 2013, when looking at photos of the beautiful, golden autumn and reading reports about the temperature exceeding + 20 °C at noon I was saddened by the cool and rainy picnic. Regardless of the fantastic weather conditions in the middle of the day, remember that mornings and evenings at the end of September, October and November will always be cold and humid, and some quarters do not rush to turn on the heating. Be sure to think about it when booking your accommodation.
Tuscany in the autumn – grape harvest. Welcome to Azienda Agricola Castelvecchio
If you would like to visit a beautifully situated vineyard, run with passion and preservation of family traditions, where the kindness and cordiality of the owners complement the picturesque surroundings and fine wine, then definitely visit Castelvecchio in the Province of Pisa, less than 30 km northwest of Volterra. We went there during the last trip, living in Tuscany Forever near Volterra, thanks to the manager of the resort, who personally know the owners and highly values the wine there. You can choose from various types of red wine, pink wine, white wine, and the most-valuable Tuscan drink – sweet, dessert Vin Santo, which I wrote about here. At Castelvecchio you will be able to see more the process of drying grapes at Vin Santo, disguising and buying wine and olive oil, while enjoying the wonderful views of the Tuscan hills. You should make an appointment for a tasting earlier, detailed information can be found here. Now let me show you how it looks at the vintage, and exactly its last moment because that’s when we came to Castelvecchio.
Freshly picked and plucked from the field grapes come to this machine. Here, the stems are separated and the grapes are ground to the pulp, which is then pumped directly into the ladle in the distance.
The old custom requires that you should celebrate the end of the grape harvest with a glass of wine.
The grapes intended for Vin Santo production are dried naturally. Excess water is evaporated, thereby increasing the condensation of sugar, which in turn allows you to get a much sweeter wine.
Tuscany in the autumn – mushrooms and abundance of vegetables
Porcini, famous and extremely appreciated among mushroom gourmets, Tuscan porcini mushrooms appear in forests, shops, and stalls at the end of August or the beginning of September, depending on the weather in a given year. You must try them! We prepared and ate porcini, among others as a component of cream and mushroom sauce to another Tuscan cuisine – pici. What a taste it was! But be careful! Firstly, dried “porcini” available in supermarkets, which I threw up and intended to buy, and then bring to Poland, in fact, turned out to come not from Tuscany or Italy, but Bulgaria. The second issue is the independent collection of mushrooms in the forests. In Italy, this can be done only after prior notification at the local municipality office, payment of the required fee and obtaining a permit, which can usually be arranged very quickly. Catching a mushroom picker with a basket of forest delicacies without a valid permit can end up with a mandate of up to several hundred euros. Autumn is also the wealth of all kinds of vegetables. If you like to cook yourself, it is necessary to book accommodation with a kitchen when booking. Here, for example, you will find nice apartments and houses in Tuscany.
Tuscany in the autumn – olive harvest
Olive harvest in Tuscany begins at the turn of October and November, but at the beginning of September, you can admire olive trees covered with good fruit. Olives are harvested by hand or mechanically, but the more valuable, more valuable and more expensive is, of course, the oil obtained from the manual harvest. Why? Because the olives are delicate and easily damaged, this starts the acidification process. The olives should be reasonably ripe but not overripe and delivered as quickly as possible to the press shop. The lower the acidity of the oil squeezed, the higher is the quality. Of course, the largest value is the virgin olive oil, which is a powerful antioxidant and contains monounsaturated fats, so valuable in the fight against high cholesterol. Many agro-tourism in Tuscany offers the opportunity to look closely at the olive harvest, as well as work at harvest in exchange for accommodation and meals, which can be an interesting option for people with limited financial resources.
© pruffola
Tuscany in the autumn fall – relaxing in the hot thermal waters
In autumn, it is not always possible for the weather to swim in the sea. On sunny days in early September, many sunbathers can be seen in Tuscany, but the season is inexorably moving towards the end. Does this mean that it is not worth to pack a bathing suit into a suitcase for an autumn holiday? Not at all! No heat is particularly conducive to taking hot baths in the Tuscan geothermal springs and you do not have to pay for staying in luxury hotels with SPA. Where to find free term in Tuscany, learn from the post to which the link posted below.
Tuscany in autumn or in spring?
That is the question. When I started working on this post I wanted to write that, however, autumn, but going back and reviewing the materials collected during my stay in Tuscany at the turn of April and May I not answer this question unambiguously. Both seasons have their advantages and are very different. The spring is incredibly green, the birds sing wonderfully, the flowers bloom, and the man has the impression that everything that is best this year is still ahead of him. In contrast, autumn is a variety of colors, mushrooms, and ripe grapes hanging on the bushes, which beautifully contrast with the leaves. The birds are not singing anymore, the day is shorter, and the man, seeing the nature preparing for the winter, wants to draw from that moment with full handfuls, knowing that the next opportunity will appear in a few months. About my dilemma on the best time for a trip to Tuscany I wrote in the post, to which the link is below. Further on you will also find a post about the advantages and disadvantages of a picnic in Tuscany. I should see it!
Spring in Tuscany – Chianti, San Gimignano, Val’ d’Orcia and Maremma perfect places for May trip.
Tuscany. Terme di Saturnia – where Jupiter cast bolts of lightning
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All the best
Natalia
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